Episode 628: Testimonials, Badges, and Applicants (Ask Ivan)

Listener Shout-Out

Carl Hackney in Austin sent this photo to Ivan. He listens to the BNI Podcast in the car. When he hears something he wants to go back to, he writes the episode number on the windshield.

Synopsis

On today's podcast, Dr. Misner answers three "Ask Ivan" questions. The first question comes from a member outside the United States who wishes to remain anonymous.

In many chapters in my country, the regions require that testimonials be in writing. Is that really required in the testimonial portion of the meeting, that you can't give a testimonial unless it's in writing?

Anonymous BNI member

This is an example of feature creep. Whoever came up with the idea that you can't give a testimonial unless it's in writing must have been in the sales prevention department. The testimonials can absolutely be verbal. If you want to back it up by writing it down, you can do that during the referral part of the meeting if you don't have a referral.

Can you talk about name tags? Members of my chapter haven't been wearing them at the meetings.

David

Name tags are Networking 101. You're crazy if you're not wearing a name tag. If you're at a networking event, you should wear a name tag, and it should have your name and your business name or profession on it. There are always people at a meeting that don't know you.

If you wear your BNI name tag to other business meetings, people will ask you about BNI and you'll get visitors. Dr. Misner's wife used to wear her BNI name tag to the grocery store. Wear your BNI name tag and BNI lapel pin everywhere.

We recently had a realtor leave our chapter and there were six more applicants for the position. And the membership committee worked really hard to decide who should fill that position. When the new member was introduced, that membership committee said this was a really hard decision, because there were some very qualified applicants. Several of the members were really angry that their choice wasn't selected. And the new member told me that he felt like several people were angry with him because because he was picked.

John

It's really difficult being on the membership committee, and it's important to be a team player and engage the new member as part of your team. When someone is picked, even if it's not your choice, be receptive and accepting of the new member and make them feel welcome.

Complete Transcript of Episode 628

Priscilla Rice Hello, everybody, and welcome back to the official BNI podcast. I'm Priscilla Rice. And I'm coming to you from Live Oak Recording Studio in Berkeley, California. And I'm joined on the phone today by the founder and the Chief Visionary Officer of BNI. Dr. Ivan Misner. Hello, Ivan, how are you? And where are you?

Ivan Misner I am on my way to Florida this week for the US membership drive winners. We're doing a little Caribbean trip for three or four days, so I'll be hanging out with a couple hundred of my best friends in BNI, people who won the membership drive in the United States.

Priscilla Rice Wow, that sounds great.

Ivan Misner Should be fun. I've been doing, you know, some variation of this for 25 years or more now. So yeah, they are a lot of fun.

Priscilla Rice Yeah, I bet they are. Well, what is this topic that you have us--

Ivan Misner Well, I have three different topics. But I'm going to open it up by sharing something with you. And there's a photograph in this podcast. And the photograph was given to me by Carl Hackney in Austin.

A few months ago, I went to a what I call "Ivan unplugged" session where I just met members here in the Austin area. And it was great to meet him. And he said it was fantastic to meet the person that he listens to every Wednesday on the podcasts. And he told me something that was just amazing. He said, I "listen to the podcast and I have a felt marker.