Dr. Ivan Misner is the Founder & Chief Visionary Officer of BNI, the world’s largest business networking organization.  Founded in 1985, the organization now has over 8,400 chapters throughout every populated continent of the world.  Last year alone, BNI generated 9.1 million referrals resulting in $13.1 billion dollars’ worth of business for its members.

Dr. Misner’s PhD is from the University of Southern California.  He is a New York Times bestselling author who has written 22 books.  He is also a columnist for Entrepreneur.com and has been a university professor as well as a member of the Board of Trustees for the University of La Verne.

Called the “Father of Modern Networking” by CNN and one of the “Top Networking Experts” by Forbes, Dr. Misner is considered to be one of the world’s leading experts on business networking and has been a keynote speaker for major corporations and associations throughout the world.  He has been featured in the L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times, as well as numerous TV and radio shows including CNN, the BBC and The Today Show on NBC.

Among his many awards, he has been named “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Red Cross and was recently the recipient of the John C. Maxwell Leadership Award.  He is also proud to be the Co-Founder of the BNI Charitable Foundation.  He and his wife, Elisabeth, are now “empty nesters” with three adult children. Oh, and in his spare time, he is also an amateur magician and a black belt in karate.

Show Highlights:

Listen for the language of referrals. -Dr. Misner“I can’t,” “I need,” “I want,” and “I don’t know” are all phrases that indicate a referral is coming. -Dr. MisnerReferrals are very powerful. When I refer you, I give a little bit of my reputation away. -Dr. MisnerThe foundation of everything I teach is based on a concept I call: VCP. Visibility, credibility, profitability. -Dr. MisnerThe number one mistake [with referrals] is what I call the networking disconnect, which is asking for the business too quickly. -Dr. MisnerThe people who are more relational in their networking are more successful than those who are transactional. -Dr. MisnerBe a good interviewer. A good networker has two ears and one mouth and they should use them both proportionately. -Dr. MisnerYou can make a good living while serving a greater good. -Dr. MisnerI may not be able to make a world of difference, but I can make a difference in the world. And I do that by just one step at a time. -Dr. Misner

Dr. Misner’s closing thoughts: Success is the uncommon application of common knowledge. Why accept mediocrity when excellence is an option? One of the ways to get away from mediocrity is to focus on the fundamentals and improve them every single day. Don’t be chasing bright shiny objects.

The Action Catalyst is a weekly podcast hosted by Dan Moore, President of Southwestern Advantage, the oldest direct-sales company in America, and Partner with Southwestern Consulting. With more than 45 years in sales leadership and marketing management, Dan has a wealth of knowledge to share on how to make better use of time to achieve life, sales, and other business goals. Each week, he interviews some of the nation’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Subscribe on iTunes and please leave a rating and review!