Ivan Misner: Increase what others need to know about you to refer

Looking for More Referrals?

Remembering the GAINS Exchange

By Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder of BNI July 2009

comment email print article rss feed share on digg facebook redit del.icio.us Twitter

So often, I see BNI members who are frustrated about not getting more business referred to them-especially in the beginning as they build relationships with chapter members.

If your chapter members aren't passing on the number of referrals you'd like, take a look at yourself first. Before you can expect to have business referred to you by your chapter members, you may need to actively share more information about yourself.

The fact is it's not enough that you're great at what you do and can offer a lot of value to new clients. To win referrals from your chapter members, you need to ensure that your contacts have all the necessary information about you and your skills so they can persuade third parties to come and purchase your product or service. It's amazing how many people fail to recognize this.

There are five essential areas for the members of your network to get acquainted with before you can expect them to refer business your way. Equally, you need to know these same five things about them so you can reciprocate. I call this process of reciprocal sharing of information the GAINS exchange, based on the first letter of each of the five essential informational points: Goals, Accomplishments, Interests, Networks, and Skills (first discussed in my book, Business by Referral).

Goals: What are the objectives that are important to you? What are the problems you want to solve? Not just financial and business goals, but also personal and educational objectives.

Accomplishments: What big projects have you completed in business or as an employee? What are your accomplishments as a student or parent?

Interests: What are the things you really enjoy doing? The music you like to listen to, the hobbies you spend time on, the sports you like to play or watch? People are more willing to spend time with people they share interests with.

Networks: Each of your contacts is a part of many networks. Do you know what these are, how big they are? Each of us has the potential to connect with hundreds or thousands of people if we cultivate these resources.

Skills: What do you do especially well? What are the professional areas in which you excel? Don't be afraid to share this information with your contacts, and learn about the talents and abilities of the people in your network as well.

These are not mysterious pieces of information. They are facts we are exposed to every day, if we look for them.

By remembering the GAINS exchange, you can make sure you don't overlook this essential information about your networking contacts.

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 latest #1 bestseller, The 29% Solution can be viewed at www.29PercentSolution.com. Dr. Misner is also the Senior Partner for the Referral Institute, an international referral training company. He can be reached at misner@bni.com. Visit www.iLearningGlobal.tv/Networking for downloadable content by Dr. Misner.