Episode 603: Too Busy for BNI

Synopsis

Mike Macedonio joins Dr. Misner this week to talk about how to handle it when members say they're too busy for BNI and are thinking of leaving.

Leaving BNI because it brings you too much business is forfeiting an asset. Don't stop going to the gym just because you're in shape. Instead, increase your capacity.

Take a look at what you're busy doing and who you're doing it for. Are you doing your best work for your best clients? Are you taking on tasks you should hire someone else to do? You may need to let go of things that don't serve you to make room for things that do.

Sometimes a member who's thinking of leaving BNI says "I'm too busy" in order to avoid mentioning the real reasons, such as a conflict with another member.

If you're on the membership team, make sure to ask whether there's any other reason this person is thinking of leaving.

Watch Mike Macedonio's videos on this subject and more at BNI-educationalvideos.com.

Priscilla:

Hello everybody and welcome back to the Official BNI Podcast which is brought to you by The Networking For Success Channel on YouTube, which features Dr. Ivan Misner and many other networking experts. I’m Priscilla Rice and I’m coming to you from Live Oak Recording Studio in Berkeley, CA. I’m joined on the phone today by the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of BNI, Dr Ivan Misner. Hello, Ivan. How are you and where are you?   

Ivan:

Well I just came back from the US conference which I mentioned last week and I’m actually doing a writing retreat in Texas Safari Ranch this week which is like a log home and there are wild animals everywhere, none that are threatening to people but wild animals everywhere. It is a blast. It is a great place to do a writing retreat. 

I am really excited. I have a good friend today on BNI Podcast. It is one I have known for many, many years. That is Mike Macedonio. He has been on the Podcast before. He is a New York Times best selling author. He is an entrepreneur. He is a Co-Executive Director for BNI in the Bay Area. In this role, he has helped thousands of local and international business owners build their business and a spectacular life. Two of his proudest moments were twice competing in the - is it Leadville Trail, Mike?

Mike:

Yes.

Ivan:

Leadville Trail, a 100 mile bike race in California. You are a better man than I. I can’t imagine even starting that. He has a passion for not only his marriage and wonderful wife, Dawn Lyons, but for entertaining friends. I have had the opportunity to have had some of his amazing meals many times at his home. So, Mike, welcome to BNI Podcast.

Mike:

Thank you, Ivan.

Ivan:

It is great to have you on and I absolutely love this topic. I reached out to you because I watched you do a video on this andI thought it was brilliant. It is basically dealing with people who say they are too busy for BNI. Mike, I am just going to let you run with it and share what I saw on the video. I may jump in from time to time, but the mic is yours.

Mike:

Ivan, I am sure you have heard it way more than I have, but it is just one of the most disturbing things to me when I hear business owners saying they are getting too busy for BNI, meaning they are going to move on and stop their marketing. It is disturbing for me because in many of these cases, I know the people and their businesses well enough to know that though they may be busy and have a lot of time crunches, their businesses are not necessarily working on all cylinders and they are certainly not optimizing everything they can. 

Again, when I hear these messages that they are too busy, I feel like I want to jump in and save them and just ask them some questions. It is just like, okay, you are too busy? Is it because you are not working with the right type of clients? Are you too busy because you are doing the type of things in your business that you should no longer be doing? 

I guess in my view,