Lately, I have come across some guests who ask me: ‘can I visit the other Chapter first?’ when I give them a ring to follow-up with them on promoting your Chapter.
I usually cringe at this question. Luckily this is a conversation over the phone, so the guest cannot see my facial expression. But I feel like murder! Not murdering the guest, but the member who has exposed the guest to an unnecessary element.
I wonder, how did they know of the ‘other Chapter’?
Let me share a story:
When I was 18 years old (after my Form Five, awaiting exam results), I was working in a Charles Jourdan boutique as a sales trainee.
At that time, in 1986, Charles Jourdan was a new brand-name in high fashion ladies handbag. And there were so many outlets selling the same product at that time.
But if a customer wants to plan to purchase one, did you think I said to them, ‘why not you visit the other outlets firsts?’
Of course I did not. Because, I wanted to close that sale in my branch, where my sales quota were measured.
Why would I be foolish to send them to another branch?
Yet, precisely, that’s what’s happening right now.
When a visitor arrives at your Chapter, do promote your own Chapter, and only your own Chapter. There’s no need to mention about ‘other Chapters’.
Avoid opening conversations about: ‘Oh, there’s another Chapter is so and so area. Oh, you can substitute in other Chapters’.
What is the relevance of all this in as far as the guest is concerned? The guest is invited to explore a co-operation with you and your PowerTeam, in your own Chapter. The visitor joins a Chapter, just like you did. You joined a Chapter. Not BNI. Your membership is with a Chapter (in BNI’s brand name or course).
Why expose a potential customer to buy from other branches when the transaction can be concluded in your own? Where your own referrals are at stake. If this guest joins another Chapter from your eager conversations of ‘other Chapters’ then it’s your loss. Because then they are members of that Chapter and their referrals are now going to be channelled there, not to your own Chapter.
Always engage with the guests: We really want to exchange referrals with you. Here’s our PowerTeam members who can refer you. Do you see how we can work together? Do you have contacts you can refer to us? We are exchanging lots of referrals between us, do you want to be part of it as well? We really want (their profession) on board this Chapter. We have referrals for you. Have we found this person or should we still be looking.
Promote your own turf! Be smart about this.
Do you send a prospect who came to your shop to buy a product or a service to a competitor? In gods name, I hope you don’t.
Yes, in the context of referrals, the other Chapters are your competitor, actually. How foolish to send a prospect to your competitor! Do you think the other Chapters are sending their guests to your Chapter? I have not seen one, unless co-ordinated by the Chapter BNI Directors, and don’t think I will, because everyone needs to protect their own turf.
That’s the reason why, during Visitor Days, we DO NOT ALLOW, members from another Chapter visiting, or even substituting. This is a closed-affair.
The last thing we want is that a member brought a visitor (which takes an effort) and then have this member from another chapter unnecessarily engaging or exposing the guest to another branch or Chapter.
So, the message here is: be smart, think of your Chapter first.
Remember, a person joins a Chapter, not BNI.
There’s a saying: ‘Charity begins at home’
Unless for a strategic reason, which is situation closely arranged by your Chapter LT and me as your Chapter Mentor, for now, do engage your guests to purely encourage them to be a part of your own Chapter.
Only after a clear level of co-operation, which is normally between a Director to Director, where we have a clearer understanding of each Chapters’ needs, do we cross send guests for mutual growth.
If in doubt, always, you can ask for my assistance. I will be happy to help.
I really want to grow your Chapters for your own prosperity.
In the meantime, just so you know, I am in the midst of rescuing 2 guests who now insists on visiting ‘other Chapters’ because they have been exposed to it quite unnecessarily. And it’s such an energy draining exercise, where that energies could be put to use in mentoring, developing new contacts, etc.
Now to connect the dots: Do you all understand the essence of this communication? Please send to me your thoughts.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment