We’re midway through November. Halloween is just behind us, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner with a slew of holiday parties to follow! It’s this time of year that BNI members often pull back a bit to put some focus on their loved ones. And while we know we all have full lives, in many ways, this is the worst time of year to skip your BNI meetings!
Why Are BNI Meetings Around the Holidays So Important
Longtime BNI member, Executive Director, and Podcast Host of The Power Of One, Tim Roberts, recently filled in for Dr. Misner on the Official BNI podcast. His topic was the Easiest and Worst Time Not to Network.
Care to guess when that time is?
It’s the holidays, of course.
As far as we know, no one named Ebenezer Scrooge has ever been in a BNI chapter, and we don’t expect you to give up any of your holidays to show up at your meeting. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t attend BNI Meetings close to the holidays.
Why?
It’s that time of year when we know where everyone will be - visiting friends and family, many of whom will need the services of other members of your chapter!
Tailoring Your Presentation for Where Your Members Will Be
Since this is the rare time of year when you know that members will all be around family and friends at a specific time, you can use that as an advantage when preparing your weekly presentation!
Tailor your presentation over the next several weeks of BNI meetings to prepare your fellow members to talk to their friends and family at the next gathering.
Are you a contractor?
Tell your members that when they’re visiting family, listen for the complaints about something they need fixed!
Are you a baker or caterer?
There’s no better time to get people to refer to you!
What About the Less Obvious Professional Designations?
Some members reading this may be thinking, well that’s all well and good for cooks and carpenters, but I’m a dentist/massage therapist/marketer/you fill the blank.
Just because your service isn’t one that people naturally need during the holidays doesn’t mean that there won’t be an opportunity for your fellow BNI members to find referrals for you.
Every week, at your BNI presentation, you tell your fellow chapter members what you do, who your perfect customer is, and how they can recognize them. But you never know who they may be speaking with outside of meetings.
Right now, there’s a good chance that you do.
So even if you don’t have a service that people will definitely talk about during the holidays, teach your members how to recognize the signals that someone might need your service, the questions to ask to see if you’re a good fit, and the best way to get your perfect customer excited to speak with you!
Eat, Drink, Be Merry, And Refer!
Life is about more than business, but the beauty of BNI is that we get to help others succeed, and when we get to trust our chapter members, we know that sending them to our loved ones is a gift in itself! So don’t be shy as you attend your next several BNI meetings to teach your members how to mention you at their holiday table!
