Making The Best Use of The "Tools" in Your Toolbox
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers

This past spring I took on the enormous task of project manager for the city wide membership drive for BNI (Business Network Int'l).  www.bni.com

Toward the end of the drive (end of May), I found myself kvetching w/ my counterpart in El Paso Texas.  We discussed what appeared to work, what didn't, and why we thought so.

The Texan relayed an insight to me in conversation which later hit me over the head - you can call it my "AH-HA" moment if you want.

Basically, he was touting the side benefits of inviting business folk to check out BNI ... whether they came to the visitor's day or they didn't, he had opened a doorway for them to expand their contact spheres & opportunities to conduct more business.  The side benefit was that since he had already established a rapport w/ these invitees through invitation letters & follow-up phone calls, this had opened a doorway for him to make sales calls on these folk.

He had opened a savings account called "social capital", and was steadily putting away a few cents here, and a few cents there.  If you are unfamiliar with this term, I suggest you check out www.entrepreneur.com, and do an advanced search under archive blogs & Dr. Ivan Misner, founder of BNI.

I'm intrigued to find out "what happened next?" with the Texan... stay tuned - I'll share, alright?

Melinda Potcher

www.bniNewMexico.com

www.HomeLoansAlbuquerque.com

Currently listening : Goodbye Jumbo By World Party Release date: 2006-04-04