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You Achieve What You Measure

Track your referrals for your best year ever in BNI.

By Dr. Ivan Misner

The New Year is a great time to envision what you want your networking efforts to yield over the next 12 months. This generally begins with setting some goals or objectives. However, you can’t really gauge your success at something unless you measure your progress. Hence, you achieve what you measure.

I have collected hard data on this topic that I would like to share with you. It comes from my new book being released this month: Business Networking and Sex. (For the record – the book is about how “gender” relates to networking, but a book called Business Networking and Gender would be... well, can you hear the crickets chirping now?) In this book, one of the things I highlight is tracking business and how that activity relates to networking success.

The book was based on a survey of 12,000 business people from around the world. The following table shows the response to a question about how having a “system to track money” related to whether the respondent felt networking “played a role in [their] success.”

As you can clearly see in this chart, people who had a system to track their business were more likely to have felt that networking played a role in their success. Even more notably, those who did not feel that networking played a role in their success were almost twice as likely not to have a system for tracking their business! Click here to view the chart.

This is a powerful finding for people who wish to develop a referral-based business. Clearly, those people who do not use systems to track their business are much more likely to feel unsuccessful in their networking efforts.

What does this mean for you? Simply: Track the referrals you get and the value of those referrals. Even better – you should get your entire BNI chapter to join you in this endeavor.

To help you, we have developed a thorough description of how to go about measuring this process. Attached, you will find a protocol* that you can use to track not only the value of the referrals you get but also your 1-to-1s and the education you are getting with your BNI group.

Would you like to have your best year ever in BNI? If the answer is yes, then the action you need to take is simple. Read this protocol and apply it in your chapter starting this month.

I’d love to hear from you about how you think you can apply this in your group and/or if you have been tracking your business--tell me how it has helped you in BNI.

(*) NOTE: The attached tracking protocol was developed by many people with input from several countries. However, the biggest thanks must go to John Meyer, Dan Georgevich, and Tom Fleming for their substantial involvement in the development of this material.

Called the “father of modern networking” by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author. He is the Founder and Chairman of BNI, the world’s largest business networking organization. His newest book, Business Networking and Sex (not what you think), can be viewed at www.businessnetworkingandsex.com. Dr. Misner is also the Senior Partner of the Referral Institute, an international referral training company.

Tags: BNI Slips Program, Business Networking and Sex, goals, January 2012 Edition

12 Responses to “You Achieve What You Measure”

Roy Locker Says:
January 4th, 2012 at 10:46 am
Also known as “what gets rewarded gets done.”
Nancy Rogers Says:
January 4th, 2012 at 1:47 pm
I am approaching my ten year anniversary as a BNI member this spring. As a bookkeeper, it took some time to make my services know and trusted. Now, at least eighty percent of my business comes from BNI. I am deligent in tracking my referrals and closed business, so I know how well my BNI networking experience works. Dollar for dollar, BNI is my best method of advertising, and one month of BNI bookkeeping covers my entire year’s BNI expense. BNI is the best use of my money, bar none.
Debby Peters Says:
January 4th, 2012 at 3:23 pm
I am always amazed when sales people don’t know where they stand in relation to meeting their goals. A long time ago when I was a new sales person I felt like a failure. The company I worked for didn’t have a mechanism for listing who sold what and how much. Much to my surprise, not too much later, a sales report was generated and I was on the front page, meaning I was in the top 30 sales people in the nation. I went from feeling like a failure to knowing I was successful, just because of knowing the numbers. Tracking is what it’s all about!
Bonnie Tekampe Says:
January 4th, 2012 at 5:01 pm
Yes, over the holidays, I went through my referrals received and given. I already knew my biggest source of referrals was through BNI but it reinforced my reason for plugging in.

I also sent emails to some of my fellow members to find out the status of referrals I have given. Our meetings are so hectic, it is not always easy to follow up and I am glad that I did. Then in order to continue effective referrals, I scheduled some one to ones for new ideas from the members. They appreciated the follow up. I am excited for the great opportunties in the new year!
Phil Goodge Says:
January 5th, 2012 at 2:02 pm
I took the time in November to look at my year-to-date commission report and found that after 4 years of involvement with BNI I was profiting over $8,000 after I deducted my BNI dues and breakfast expenses. This puts into perspective why BNI is worth the investment in time and money. While this is still a small percent of my annual income, I don’t have any other source of marketing expenditure that comes close to this ROI. Knowing this certainly motivates me to faithfully attend and actively participate in my chapter meetings each week.
Wendy DeWitt Says:
January 6th, 2012 at 9:45 pm
The more everything is out of your head and into a system, and clearly tracked, the more you know where to focus and how successful those efforts are. Being organized like this allows your head to relax and focus on the big picture. The stress level goes way down as awareness goes up.
Barbara Parton Says:
January 8th, 2012 at 12:50 pm
S&S (Systems and Structures), as much as I have resisted them throughout my professional life (I felt dominated by them), now that I am older, I don’t want to waste my time “wandering” around to results. Plus I want to KNOW what is working or not working in how I am sharing what I do. In my first 7 months of BNI last year I was blessed to receive Tier 1 & Tier 2 referrals that have paid my membership for years (yes years) to come.
I am grateful for all the “gym equipment” that has been developed by the BNI Directors. I want to be in the best shape ever, everywhere in my life. Thanks BNI!
Debbie Damesworth Says:
January 9th, 2012 at 8:01 pm
I have been a member of BNI for almost 5 years now and have watched my business soar with solid referrals and residual business return. It has now become 70% of my business because of 1-to-1s and up to tier 6 referrals. Seeing your success on paper gives you the encouragement to keep building. It’s definitely a group to build right relationships that will last a lifetime.
Mike Jones Says:
January 10th, 2012 at 1:43 pm
I am approaching 1 year with the BNI Metro Novi group and it has been an success.
I have sold 12 vehicles through the group and also a counterpart sold 3 through another division.

Tracking is a most important part of managing your referrals from the stand point of where you need focus your energy as well seeing how to receive more referrals by interfacing with your members and clients, because with the proper interfacing you keep yourself as well as your clients and team member working together for the one common goal. Giver’s gain.
David Boone Says:
January 12th, 2012 at 3:55 pm
At the beginning of last year our A.D. Bertrand McHenry challenged us to set a goal for the year and I surpassed that goal by almost 12%. BNI has not only helped me to better understand setting and reaching goals,but to become more confident as a business owner.

David Boone
The Referral Connection
Houston East
Hussein Hallak Says:
January 15th, 2012 at 3:56 pm
What I love about your posts Dr. Misner is that they are very simple and subtle,and at the same time very powerful.

I came here for some inspiration for tomorrow’s Education Slot and I got some great ideas about what to do.

I’m visiting a chapter I’m managing and I would like to help them enjoy a very successful and profitable year.

Thank you again and looking forward to another great read.
Carolyn Frith Says:
February 20th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
I too came here as the educational coordinator looking for fodder for tomorrow’s meeting. I track where all my business comes from through Quick Books. BNI is almost 50% of my business. My only concern is that half of that came from subbing which cannot be done as freely anymore. At least I know what percentage of my business is at risk!

12 Responses to “You Achieve What You Measure”

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