In 1985 my co-author Dr Ivan Misner started Business Network International, commonly referred to in the business community as BNI. The primary purpose of the organization is to pass qualified business referrals to the members. Last year the members of BNI passed over two million referrals which generated over a billion dollars' (US dollars) worth of business for the members! The philosophy of BNI may be summed up in two simple words: Givers Gain. If you give business to another professional, you will get business from them.
When we write about Referrals for Life this is the philosophy that we believe in and train through the Referral Institute. The mission of the organization is to train business professionals that the word-of-mouth process is more about farming than it is about hunting: it’s about the cultivation of professional relationship in a structured business environment for the mutual benefit of all.
At the Referral Institute we say that networking is the conscious creation of strategic networks for the fulfillment of specific outcomes. To grow roses you must get your hands dirty, you must dig in the dirt, plant the seeds and nurture the roses for them to blossom. You want results as a networker, begin to live the Givers Gain philosophy and learn the language of WIIFM. The network that you build will always be assessing the state of the relationship by asking the question: “What’s in it for me?” You must be prepared with an answer.
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