Are You Showing Up?
Podcast 20
BNIPodcast4Success.com 

You’ve heard that 80% of life is just showing up? BNI Executive Director and CRO (Chief Referral Officer), Cys Bronner, asks the question “Are You Showing Up?” and more importantly “How are you showing up?”. Knowing the answers to these questions can make all the difference in your business profitability, referability and let’s face it – reputation. 

Are You Showing Up? 

Hi, I’m Cys Bronner, Executive Director of BNI’s Greater Los Angeles regions, BNI4Success. 

As I thought about this topic I wondered if I should talk about how you show up in your business or how you show up in BNI – the answer I came up with is “yes”. 

You see, how you show up to your BNI fellow brethren IS how you show up in your business. 

Most BNI members feel that VCP means that Visibility+ Credibility = Profitability. When in reality, it leads to Profitability only IF your Visibility is more than being on someone’s radar. It’s how you are visible to others.  

We need to remember that our BNI meeting is a weekly business meeting. How you show up matters. Being a part of that business unit is where your potential referral partners see you and that builds trust. 

I know you might be thinking “But Cys, these people see me every week. They hear me talk about my business and current activities in my industry. They know that I am good at what I do. The trust should be there.” 
 
 Think about this for a moment. Humor me, please and think a little more about what I am about to say… 

“These people” as we just put it, do not follow you around each, and every day. I would venture to say that they do not have an opportunity to follow you to your client meetings, sit in on your court cases, climb the ladder and watch the care you take as a roofer. They just don’t know that side of you and your business. 

What they do see is how you show up as a BNI member. Both at your meetings and behind the scenes. So, let’s talk about that…

Professional Appearance 
Whether you are online or in a more traditional face to face setting, your appearance says a great deal about you. 

Does your appearance show that you care? 

Look, we’ve spent almost a year and a half working in various modes, online, offline, combination of sorts – but one thing holds true – we’re working. And we’re doing this among other people. If we want to make a good impression, let’s start with our selves. 

Not too long ago, I had a meeting with another person who was considering leaving the organization by not renewing her membership. I didn’t know this when I reached out to her, it was more geared towards just checking in with our members, my business partners really, and asking my favorite question “How can I help you?”. 

She told me the reason that she was thinking about leaving was that she wasn’t getting the referrals that she needed (Btw, I could do a whole podcast on the difference between want and need). Her role as a high-level banker was to bring in the big fish. Sure, she had a few members bring their own accounts over and one introduction to a new account but nothing to write home about. 
 
After explaining this to me, she said that she felt that the group just wasn’t high level enough for her and they would not bring her the referrals that were appropriate for her position. 

To be honest, and I’m a little embarrassed to admit this here, but I asked, “Why would they?”. She looked at me and said, “What d

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