Comments on: Conferences – Spend your ticketmoney on building your own

By: Larry

Larry — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:28:46 +0000

Host it online – cut out the crap.
Much cheaper.
Hugely successful conference – http://www.headconference.com/ – done just this over the weekend.

By: Trevor Cullen

Trevor Cullen — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:15:34 +0000

Hi Damien,

Ciara is correct in that BNI has no expectation on its members to recommend one another. It may be in your interest to do so in building up a trusted network but this Island is too small to put your own reputation on the line for anyone that you cannot stand over.
I work with BNI myself growing and supporting Chapters within the North East region and would welcome you along to any of our Chapters. These are interesting times and networking effectively will generate more business than attending a conference without having really done your homework in terms of who you want to talk to.

Best Rgds,
Trevor

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:02:03 +0000

You read my mind Damien

I think Barcamp is and excellent idea especially in terms of exchange of ideas.
Ultimetly I aim to set up a confrence on Business & Video Blogging
Cheers

By: Antoin O Lachtnain

Antoin O Lachtnain — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:23:15 +0000

An arrangement with other businesses requiring you to recommend their services or preventing you from recommending the services of people outside the ‘circle’ would probably be illegal. I am not talking about BNI at all, but every so often, the rules of trade and business associations stray into a very bad place.

By: Ciara Feely

Ciara Feely — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:38:18 +0000

You refer your fellow members if you know and trust their service/product etc. It is up to you to gain that trust and work your network to be your extended sales force. If relationships are built in the correct way, then the referrals will come. But if you never refer any BNI colleagues and they are refered and trusted by other members of BNI then yes, there would be questions asked as to why as they aren’t contributing to the group.

http://www.bni.eu/ireland/bni-experience.php – this is the official explanation.

By: Damien

Damien — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:52:12 +0000

@Ciara That’s interesting, I had thought it was a requirement for BNIs that you *had* to recommend the services of a fellow chapter member and couldn’t give business to a competitor. That’s much more open than the impression I had of them, which is great, I prefer that model.

By: Ciara Feely

Ciara Feely — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:45:56 +0000

Hi Damien,

Great food for thought and of course I am available to find the perfect venue for all of these conferences….

But I have to pull you up on the BNI comment – no one “has to” bring business to a fellow BNI member. It is up to each individual to build the trust of each member so that they will open up their contacts to each member. That takes time and trust and a lot of givers gain… if you are committed to helping a fellow member find business then they will be a lot more committed to finding business for you.

I am going to do a post next on “finding business at conferences” at the BNI event I attended last week I got 2 leads for conferences and I got an introduction to a target client – I am half way in the door there and I was knocking for a while by myself!

All the best. Ciara Feely

By: Antoin O Lachtnain

Antoin O Lachtnain — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:40:38 +0000

Damien,

I think you are basically right. The only thing is that if you aren’t bringing in some thinking from outside of the usual circle of PLU’s (people like us) the conference doesn’t have enough difference from everyday life. Also, you need somebody to stir things up and show a different way. That’s the whole point of broadening your mind.