Please note, we are having a closed meeting on Tuesday 25th May which will be open to members only.  We will be discussing aspects of membership and the meeting will not be a typical meeting.  Therefore in order to see the true power of BNI and the referral process it would be more advantageous to attend on a subsequent week.

Whilst we have no visitors expected that week, we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Regards

Shane Beardsley
Wilberforce BNI

Wilberforce BNI Induct John Cammish

We had the pleasure of inducting a new member into our chapter this morning. John Cammish of John Cammish Training is the 28th member of our chapter and fills the role of personal trainer.

A bit about John, his background and his philosophy towards personal training.

“My name is John Cammish, and I currently work as a Personal Trainer at the Village Hotel and Leisure Club in Hessle. I have always been interested in sport from as young as 5 years old, where I began playing football. As I went onto Secondary school my interest in other sports grew, and I excelled in Cross Country Running, Athletics, and Badminton as well as football. Academically, I became more and more interested in human biology, and how the body functions as a whole.

Growing Interest at School
Since playing football at a high level from ages 12-18, my interest in sports conditioning grew to the point where I wanted to become a PE teacher. After school, I completed A-levels in Physical Education, Psychology, Biology and General Studies, as well as gaining a Community Sports Leadership Award, so that I could coach children the basics in sports. Studying Biology developed my interest in the human body further to the point where I wanted to learn more and more. Up until my A-levels, how the body worked was not only fascinating, it provoked thoughts about improving fitness and athletic performance in individuals older than schoolchildren. Obesity was rising, and headlines about inactivity and diet were everywhere. I went to University undecided whether to be involved working with adults or children – but definitely wanted to be part of sport and/or fitness. Altogether, these A-Levels inspired me to go onto study Sport and Exercise Science at Sheffield Hallam University.

University
University was a big learning experience, where I could read about past experiments, what they had set out to find – and more importantly what they had found. My knowledge about the body, its energy systems and what influences exercise behaviour all grew to the point where I had to make a decision regarding what I wanted to specialise in. After the first year, I had decided that I really wanted to work in the fitness industry, and specifically where I could share my exercise and nutrition expertise. In years 2 and 3, Sport nutrition and dealing with elite athletes became my favorite subject, while Exercise and sport Psychology also intrigued me. I graduated in May 2004 in search of more knowledge, and people to share my information with.

The Work
After University, I began working at the Village Hotel and Leisure club as a gym instructor, doing 2 main things: Conducting wellness consultations and constructing exercise programs. Wellness consultations consisted of a client interview screening and a health check. The screening identified injuries and medications that could be affected by exercise, and the goals the individual was working towards, and the health check measured blood pressure, bodyfat, lung capacity and flexibilty. The exercise program was then done the day after or as was convenient. Also, before working at the Village, I had gained my Lifeguard Qualification and my 4-day First Aid at work Certificate.”

Wilberforce Chapter is really excited to have John as our 28th member, as Chapter Director with a few pounds to lose, I will be working with John over the next 3 months on a program which we will be blogging about so you can see the progress John can help me with using his innovative approach to fitness.

John’s website is a gold mine of information and can be seen at www.johncammish.co.uk

by Andrew Crozier – Insight Photography

www.insightphotographers.co.uk

The Wilberforce Chapter of BNI inducted a new member this morning. After a long search for an electrician, Dean Vannuci filled the category and we are now looking forward to sharing a fistful of referrals with him.

As Hull was hit so badly during the floods of 2007, the chapter had found it hard to attract flat out tradesmen to the group. But now as the restoration work has tailed off, it’s a perfect time for Dean to start his networking adventure.

Claire Bryant, Chapter Director, inducted Dean and commented that Dean would make a perfect addition to the home services power team which is already a well oiled networking machine.

“Dean will find his presence within the group will open many opportunies for him, the other tradesmen in our group are regulary passing good quality, third party referrals to each other and I’m sure it will be just the same for Dean”

Dean is based in Anlaby and provides a range of electrical services including domestic, commercial, alarm systems and CCTV.

Wilberforce BNI is pleased to announce the new leadership team for the chapter who will take their places from April 1st 2009.

Chapter Director: Andrew Crozier – Insight Photography

The CD’s role is to chair the meetings of the chapter every week ensuring that we follow the structured agenda developed by BNI. The CD also has the role of providing the guidance and coaching to the rest of the team to ensure the chapter operates for the benefit of the membership as a whole. If you have ANY questions the CD will help you find the person who can help you best.

Membership Co-ordinator: Claire Jacques – Intrasource (IT Outsource Specialists)

The MC is responsible for the smooth running of the chapter together with the Membership Committee. If you have any questions regarding the policies and procedures of BNI then the MC will be able to help.

Secretary Treasurer: Fiona Dwyer – FD Communications (PR Consultants)

The S/T is responsible for administering the subscription payments of the members and to manage the finances of the Chapter. The S/T also manages the 5/10 minutes speaker rota. If you need a standing order form or have to change your place on the speaker rota then this is the person to speak to.

Visitor Host Team – Lead Visitor Host: Robert Wadsworth (Osteopath)

Led by the Lead VH the whole team arrive very early for every meeting as they have the task of setting up the room. Sign-in table, members’ information table, 10 min speaker table, visitor orientation table etc. Then they have specific tasks as members and potential members begin to arrive, throughout the meeting and after the meeting.

Registration:

Robert Wadsworth (Osteopath) & Martin Harvey (MH Plumbing Services)

As visitors arrive they are given a big welcome by the GOFIs and taken through the sign-in process.

Ushers:

Stuart Wells (Transwaste Recylcing), Alan Key (Burstwick Golf), David Kitney (Beardshaw Murray Recruitment), Bryda Atkinson (Artist/Illustrator)

After signing in they are then found a seat by the GOBIs, served with a refreshment and introduced to the chapter director. GOBI’s also ensure that each visitor is looked after throughout the meeting.

Orientation & Follow-up:

Oliver Hudson (Hudsons Estate Agents)

Just as the meeting closes the GOLIs take the visitors to the Visitor Orientation Table and guide them through the application process and answering any questions the visitors may have. Later that day they follow up with the visitors by phone.

Membership Committee

Led by the Membership Co-ordinator the Membership Committee are responsible for the smooth running of the chapter. They meet after the first chapter meeting of each month as well as dealing with anything else as it arises. If you have an issue to raise the appropriate time to do this is outside the meeting with a member of the committee. Each member has a specific role.

Attendance: Colin Wilson (Jenko Design)

This person tracks the attendance records of members and is responsible for helping members understand the attendance policy, following up with absent members and issuing controls letters when required all on behalf of the membership committee. If you need coaching on finding substitutes then this is the person to talk to.

Application Review: Tony Rose (Local Life Websites)

This person is responsible for reviewing the new application submitted, checking categories and following up on ALL references. They also review the renewal applications made by members. If you need to make the committee aware of any information regarding a visitor who may make an application to join or a member coming up for renewal, this is the person to speak to.

Chapter Growth: Andy Steele (Sadofskys Chartered Accountants)

This person is responsible for planning and deploying the growth activities of the chapter such as visitor days and other incentives. They will constantly be reviewing the visitor numbers and conversion rates and working with members to help them invite qualified potential members. They also work with the GOLIs to improve conversion rates. If you want help on inviting or converting visitors then this is the person to talk to.

Mentoring: Ian Ashbridge (Heritage Landscape Centre)

This person is responsible for the support processes that help new members get a great start in the chapter and help existing members give and receive outstanding results from their membership. This is achieved by putting together experienced members with members with a specific requirement. If you would like the support of another member this person will help you identify the person with the right skills.

Training & Events Co-ordinator: Nicola Petitt (KendleBell Telephone Answering Service)

This person is responsible for tracking the training attendance in the chapter and promoting both BNI training and networking events both in the meeting and via email. If you want to attend an event this is the person to talk to.

Education Co-ordinator: Mark Harris (Utilities Warehouse)

This person is responsible for filling a weekly 3-5 minute education slot in our meetings. If you would like to offer your services for one of these slots or if you have an idea for a topic this would be the person to talk to.

BNI Wilberforce is delighted to welcome two new members to its chapter - florist Anne-Marie Holmes and Alan Key, from Burstwick Country Golf.Â

Anne-Marie Holmes is a qualified florist and offers a full range of floristry skills in both fresh and high quality silk flowers. From modern and traditional personalized baskets, handtieds and bouquets to planted containers and arrangements for any occasion, including weddings and modern and traditional funeral tributes.

Anne-Marie, the Florist with the Personal Touch, said:

“The members of BNI Wilberforce are extremely supportive and encouraging.  I find the meetings really stimulating and I enjoy being amongst such positive colleagues.”

Alan Key is the General Manager of Burstwick Country Golf. Their 18-hole par 70 course offers a challenge and a lot of enjoyment to golfers of all ages and abilities.Â

Burstwick Country Golf also host corporate and society golfing days as well as catering for corporate functions, weddings, balls and any other celebration in their event marquee.

Alan said:

“Joining BNI has given us a fantastic opportunity to tell everyone about our business and what we can do to help them further their business or just relax for a great game of golf. I would encourage anyone in business to come along to one of our weekly meetings.”

If money only grew on trees! It’s something we’ve all said at one time – but for one local osteopath and keen gardener the old adage came true!

 Senior partner at Wadsworth Osteopaths, Robert Wadsworth, came up with a novel fundraising idea when his apple trees produced so much fruit he didn’t know what to do with it all.Â

 He said:Â

 “We have a large Bramley apple tree which literally produced thousands of fruit last Autumn. Having used and stored what we could and given many to friends and family we decided to leave the rest in the surgery waiting rooms.”

 Ten large baskets, full to the brim, were left in his surgeries in Cottingham, Beverley, Hull and Driffield, along with the following notice – “FREE apples – help yourself and leave a donation.”

 The response from patients was tremendous – and in total, Wadsworth Osteopaths raised an amazing £112 which they have donated to Dove House Hospice.

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Jenko Owners Graham Jenkinson and Colin Wilson

Marketing, design and display company Jenko has helped one of its clients beat the recession with a staggering 65% sales growth for the past year.

 Varlink, a Yorkshire-based mobile computing and data capture product distributor, congratulated Jenko for its contribution towards the company achieving such outstanding results in 2008.Â

 Graham Jenkinson, Managing Director of Jenko, said:

 “Working with Varlink has been a truly cooperative project; it is one of Jenko’s strengths that we can support an in-house marketing team with our own skills and expertise to produce innovative ideas and techniques to promote their products. I am delighted they are succeeding at a time when many manufacturing businesses are suffering.”

 Mike Pullon, CEO of Varlink, said:

 “It is a spectacular achievement at a time of recession when many industries are in decline. We chose Jenko as our marketing and design agency five years ago, because we felt their creative design and marketing services integrated perfectly with our in-house marketing team. We have worked together on several innovative marketing outputs including a branded mini catalogue that allows our resellers to market our broad range of mobile computing technologies to a huge reseller base.”

Varlink made the announcement at a major ‘meet the manufacturer’ event in York last week which attracts visitors from across the UK and international exhibitors from Korea, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and USA.Â

Jenko Creative Director Colin Wilson said:

 “We are well aware of the pressures on our clients in the current economic climate and work closely with them to develop imaginative and cost effective solutions to win business and defend market share.”

Jenko was established twenty years ago and services a broad portfolio of clients from specialist SMEs to major international brands. It expanded its current base in Hull last year and has developed a full portfolio of marketing, PR, design and display services.

Making the most of Networking Opportunities.
by Andrew Crozier – Insight Photography – www.insightphotographers.co.uk

Networking can become a full time activity, but is the amount of time you spend ‘doing’ it proportionate to the amount that you actually benefit and benefits can come in different guises as we know.

1. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to a group.

2. Have something interesting to say or ask an interesting question to the person you are networking with.

3. Be Genuine in your interest.

4. Be friendly and try to bring others into your group

5. Be a facilitator and watch your credibility in the group soar.

6. Sell yourself first before you sell your company.

7. People will be interested in what your company does after they have developed an interest in you.

8. Be passionate about what you do and don’t be afraid to tell people why they should consider doing business with you.

9. Confidence is contagious and your new contacts will appreciate your zest for what you do.

10. Offer Solutions.

11. Really listen to others – it can be easy to miss important signals.

12. You have 2 ears and only one mouth, consider using them in that proportion!

13. Use the back of business cards to make notes and indicate actions – this is so important.

14. You should make sure you find the contacts that you know are there that you really want to see, don’t lose your focus.

15. Mix and Mingle – work the room and have a few ‘moving on’ statements prepared – remember you are here to ‘work the room’ not just socialise!

16. Don’t rush away at the end of the session, scan the room and pick up on those that you haven’t had chance to talk to yet – they may want to talk to you!

Do Not Sell to Your Network – Educate Them
By Dr Ivan Meisner

Posted by Andrew Crozier – Insight Photography – www.insightphotographers.co.uk

When entrepreneurs try to develop a qualified, consistent and dynamic circle of networking partners who are going to provide them with referrals for new business, their tendency is often to “sell” those individuals on their product. It’s as if by showing them all the finer points of what’s available, convincing them to try their product and closing the sale with their networking partners, they’ll somehow realize an influx of referrals.

It’s not disagreed that in order for the members of our network group to refer you effectively we must be familiar with what you have to offer; however, it’s important to resist the urge to sell to group members. What is meant by this?

Educating this chapter’s group members about the type of referrals you want–specifically, the names of the individuals with whom you want to meet and develop relationships with – is much more important to the success of your networking in a closed contact network than selling to other members. This demands a shift in how we see our networking partners. We are not the clients; we are, in effect the sales force. And for a sales force to sell effectively, we have to know who to sell you to and how to sell you.

Here are four tips for incorporating this educational style into our networking meetings:

1. Teach members what your “dream referral” looks like.

If you could go to your next networking meeting with a walking, talking dream referral in tow, what would he or she be like? Describe this person in detail to your networking partners. The more details you can provide, the greater the chance that your partners will recognize that person when they come across him or her outside the meeting.

1. Share customer profiles and case studies of current customers.

This is a highly effective way to educate the network about what it is you’re looking for in a new client. By sharing the qualities of your current clientele, you’re illuminating the canvas for the rest of the group so they can see the picture you’re painting for them. When appropriate, consider bringing in a customer or client as a visitor and talk about how you’ve helped him or her. These kinds of interactions go a long way toward educating the group as to the type of person you wish to have referred to you.

1. Break your business down into its lowest common denominators.

It’s very tempting to start your personal introduction with a statement like: “We’re a full-service XYZ Widget Company” - Resist this urge! We have 52 opportunities over the course of a year to talk about our products and services, don’t waste the opportunity to highlight one aspect of your business by by flinging a bucket full of jelly at the wall and hoping a bit of it sticks Be detailed! Educate usweek by week about the specific things you provide. Bring support material and do demonstrations, when possible.

1. Ask specifically for the referral you want.

Networkers often say things like “Anyone who needs a. . .” or “Everyone who’s looking for a. . .” Usually, when people hear “anyone” or “everyone,” they tune out, because we know so many anyones and everyones that we end up referring no one. When you’re asking for a specific type of business referral, your request from your networking partners should be specific.

By keeping the focus on educating the group about what type of referrals you wish to receive, you’ll find that the referrals you begin to get will be of a higher caliber and offer more chances of becoming closed sales than if you try to sell the members on what you’re offering. We should be trying to educate a sales force instead of trying to close a sale and that will certainly lead to more gains based on this giving of education.

Laser Guided 60 Second Presentations
by Andrew Crozier – www.insightphotographers.co.uk

Incorporating some of the following phrases into your 60 second presentation with your own unique spin can help us really understand the nature of your business and hopefully stimulate referrals.

• The kind of referral that works best for me is….

• The kind of referral that does not work for me is…..

• I do my best work with….

• I’m most interested in working with the type of clients who……

• The three major benefits of what I do are….

• What I do best is…

• Clients I work with include…..

• The people I work best with are…..

• The companies I work best with are……

• I decided to do what I do because….

• What makes me different as a …………….is……………

• My special qualifications include……………..

We have used the pointers above really successfully and you may want to try using some of these questions when you are having your one to ones to zero in on specific information about your networking colleagues to help bring in quality referrals.