Focus On The process In BNI (not the final product)
We need to know what the final product is but we need to focus on the process more than the final product. What is the final product in BNI? If we ask a hundred members we might get a hundred answers. We should all be on the same page, especially on messaging.
Some may say creating large chapters, others might say passing referrals and still others might say building relationships. All of these are great but they are a means to an end not the end product. What is the final product? It is found in our mission statement. “… Help members increase their business…†Matter of fact every business or organization should find their final product in their mission statement.
Before we look at the process let’s look at 5 reasons we should not focus on end product but instead, the process.
- We might focus on the wrong thing. We might think “the means to the end are the end.â€
- New members won’t know how to execute the process, if we only focus on the end results.
- It’s easy to get discouraged if you’re only focused on the end product.
- You start to compare yourself to others that have “already arrived.â€
- You won’t know how to maintain the process when you do arrive.
What is the process in BNI? My process is to follow up with all my contacts on a regular basis and focus on the following 5 objectives.
- I learn as much as I can about my members and their business, what questions to ask, what to look for, what to listen for, conversation starters to create the referrals and what problems they can solve.
- I learn as much as I can about my customers and contacts. What do they need, what are their goals and how can I help them with a referral?
- I always ask; can I buy from them, or can I sell to my contacts.
- Can I give them a referral to my members or can I refer my members to them. In other words, can I help them buy from or sell something to my members?
- Can I invite them to BNI or do they know someone I can invite.
Here are 5 reasons you should focus on the process of BNI instead of the final product.
- The magic of the results are found in the process.
- You don’t have to wait until the end to celebrate but you can celebrate daily victories.
- You become the sum total of what you do daily. Your daily habits define your success.
- You are more “seed conscious than harvest conscious.â€
- It’s not so much what “you get†that matters as much as who you become while “getting.â€
When you focus on the process, you will create more relationships, give more referrals, create more closed business for your members, increase and grow your own business, have more visitors and have larger chapters. Your chapter will grow to the extent that you and your members grow.
Robert Allen Mitchell Sr