Ivan R. Misner's Blog, page 141

BNI Business Index 2nd Quarter Findings–Leaner and Meaner!

The BNI Business Index is a website that was created to consistently gauge the ever-changing economic state of business based on quarterly global survey results of retailers, service companies, and manufacturing companies all around the world. The statistics gathered from the survey results are intended to keep small business owners, entrepreneurs, and companies, as well as the media and the general public, educated and informed as to the changing state of the global business economy and the current business trends that become apparent over time. The findings for the 2011 2nd Quarter BNI Business Index are in and they continue ...

What's Your Burning Networking Question?

Do you have a burning question about networking that you just can't seem to get a decent answer to?  I have great news . . . You can go to www.AskIvanMisner.com and submit your question directly to me!  Watch this video where I explain what the website is all about and then go to www.AskIvanMisner.com to submit your question and get FREE access to the quarterly Ask Ivan Misner live telebridge call.  After you've visited the site, come back to this blog and leave a comment letting me know what you think of AskIvanMisner.com and, if you submitted a question, give ...

Credibility Is Crucial, But How Do You Build It?

It's amazing what a word-of-mouth campaign can do for your business.  People rely on recommendations from trusted sources much more than they do from mere advertisements.  The best thing is, the costs associated with running a successful word-of-mouth campaign are usually a fraction of what a traditional advertising campaign can run! However, as the saying goes, "there is no free lunch."  What you save in dollars spent, you must replace with time and effort.  Simply saying to yourself that you are going to market via word of mouth does not guarantee immediate success. I consistently tell people interested in networking ...

Do Men or Women Get More Referrals?

[Business Networking and Sex is scheduled to be released in January of 2012.  Stay tuned to other topics from the book by visiting www.BusinessNetworkingAndSex.com.] Do women get a higher percentage of business from networking or do men?  That's the lively discussion taking place between the co-authors of Business Networking and Sex in this short video and they want you to weigh in on the topic as well! Watch the video and leave YOUR opinion here.  Tell us which gender you believe gets a higher percentage of their business from networking and WHY.

What Does 'Overnight Success' Mean to You?

During the course of the past two decades, I have had the privilege and honor of giving many keynote presentations and participating as a featured speaker at events across the world.  I have a great passion for public speaking and I feel very fortunate that organizations and associations continue to invite me to present at events internationally. As a speaker, it is important to have a speaker's reel video to send out to organizations who are considering you as a presenter at an upcoming event.  I recently enlisted Marrick Production Services to create my new speaker's reel (click on the ...

Can't Do or Won't Do?

People often ask me how they can get someone in their networking group to take action and participate at a higher level in the group.  I love this question and I have the perfect answer for this . . . Have someone in a leadership position within the networking group go to the person and ask them: "How can we help you do XYZ more effectively?" Then – listen to their answer.  Their answer will almost always be either a "can't do" answer or a "won't do" answer.  The person will either explain why they are having difficulty with the ...

Your Behavioral Style IS Affecting Your Referrability

As a networker, there's no question about whether or not your behavioral style is affecting your referrability–it IS.  The question is, how can you learn to effectively communicate with a diverse array of other behavioral styles while maintaining your own style for an optimum outcome? In this video, Dawn Lyons (whom I consider to be one of the world's leading experts on behavioral styles/profiles and referral networking), my partner in the Referral Institute, talks with me about how behavioral styles affect networking results and referrability. She discusses behavior profiling programs that help networkers adapt to and accommodate a variety of ...

The Power of a Rolodex–What's Your Story?

Hazel Walker (pictured below) is not only one of my Business Networking and Sex co-authors and one of my business partners in both BNI and the Referral Institute, she is also the author of the great article below about the importance of remembering that you never know who might be in someone's Rolodex. As Hazel explains, assuming for any reason that somebody couldn't possibly know anyone that might be able to help you in your business is wrong and it does you a great disservice. I've heard some amazing stories about hugely valuable, highly legitimate referrals that came from people ...

"Money on the Table"–How to Generate More Referrals for Networking Partners

If you're not familiar with Power Teams or Contact Spheres, they are two things that any networker aiming for maximum networking results will want to get very familiar with. I have just released a new book with my co-author, Lee Abraham, called Money on the Table which is all about how to use Power Teams and Contact Spheres to generate more referrals for your networking partners.  Why should you take the time to learn how to get more referrals for those in your network?  Because this will ultimately pay off in more referrals for you and maximum results for your ...

BizPer Social Media Marketing

I met Starr Hall at an Entrepreneur Magazine Conference that we both spoke at last year and she did a really impressive presentation on social media marketing. One of the things she discussed was the concept of "BizPer" Social Media Marketing. She said that about half of your social media posts should be about business and about half should be personal. I love the concept but, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the percentage.  I definitely believe that people want to see a little of me as a person via my social media - but, I don't think that half the ...