Good things are happening in BNI. Members are doing some staggeringly successful business (see the story on our July Business Champion Colin McGinley); we’re experiencing excellent growth in the South Island and so far this year we’ve raised $36,228 from both the Hospice Gold Coin collection and the ‘Time to Remember’ events run by various chapters.
Our Gold Coin collection raised $16,488.35 – including a $9,000 contribution from BNI itself – and $19,740 from ‘Time to Remember’ events, bearing in mind that we’re still to get figures from six or seven other chapter events.
This is phenomenal. We really appreciate – as does Hospice – how many of you have gone the extra mile to raise much needed funds for this worthwhile cause. Well done!

 It’s fantastic to see the growth of BNI in the South Island. I have just returned from the launch of our third chapter of BNI in Dunedin (all launched this year), with another waiting in the wings for Invercargill and interest in starting one in Blenheim – again if you know anybody in the South Island who would benefit from BNI, please send them our way.
As mentioned in our last newsletter, BNI New Zealand is a finalist in the 2007 BNZ Waitakere Excellence in Business Awards – one of 28 finalists out of a total of 77 entries in the Unitec Excellence in Product Design Award category.

According to the organisers, the “number and calibre of entries in 2007 has surpassed that of previous years”. In the light of this, to be named a finalist is an achievement of which we are especially proud. Naturally we’re pleased to be in these prestigious event and would recommend entering awards of this type if you want to raise your profile.
As we move towards the final quarter of this year and imminent leadership changes, now is the time to be thinking about how you can use BNI and how you can work the system even harder, to grow your business and give it that extra boost in 2007 through to 2008.
Wishing you all good things
Graham Southwell

A founding member of Auckland’s North Shore chapter, Shore City, Colin McGinley joined BNI eight years ago on the invitation of a plumber – today, having exceeded more than a million dollars in referral business from his chapter, Colin is BNI’s July Business Champion.
Owner of The Print Shop Limited, Colin is a successful commercial printer who only started to record his return from referrals after he had been a member for two years, so he’s certain referrals have accounted for far more than a $1 million for his business.
In that time he has moved from a small, sheet-fed jobbing printing company doing corporate stationery to printing large volumes of high-end design annual reports, prospectuses, brochures and other multi-coloured documents.
The Print Shop also moved from its small city premises three years ago to a site twice the size in Albany and now employs leading edge technology such as its Heidelberg Speedmaster, five colour 52 centimetre offset press.
“Of the referrals that come from BNI, 90 per cent are qualified business opportunities that identify the potential client’s need straight away. I know that if I do my job properly, there is no reason why I shouldn’t get the business because my fellow BNI member has already done the selling job for me,” says Colin.
He says everybody has an obligation to follow-up the referrals they receive without fail because it’s the very least they can do.
“Life, in general, is a two way street. The BNI philosophy of ‘Givers Gain’ reflects that; so I always try to do the right thing by people. I give a lot of referrals, and that comes back to me – the proof is in my sales dollars at the end of the day.”
Colin says ‘dances’ are the most valuable BNI activity because there is only so much members can learn about each other during their 60 second and 10 minute infomercials.
“When you visit somebody else’s premises you get a feel for their culture and environment. Sometimes it can really open your mind about what they can do.
“When I refer one of my chapter members to my customers, and if they do the right thing, it strengthens my relationship with my customers because I put a good person on to them. It’s an advantage for me. You see your fellow members every week and you quickly learn if they can cut the mustard,” says Colin.

Eleven health professionals have been awarded BNI scholarships to undertake a variety of palliative care studies in the next 12 months.
The Hospice New Zealand education advisory group selection panel was impressed by the calibre of applications and has awarded scholarships to Joy Verhulst, of Northland, Auckland’s Georgina Greville, Frances Perkovic, Gladys Allely, Helen Jennings and Sheree Williams, Judy Townsend, of Whangaparaoa, New Plymouth’s Wendy Kerr, Janice Sargent, of Balclutha, Kathleen Crawshaw, of Gisborne, and Bridget Gray, of Te Horo.
The scholarships are designed for people employed by a member hospice or those who are individual members of Hospice New Zealand. They help the recipients to undertake a variety of education papers in hospice and palliative care at a postgraduate level.

The success of your business in 2008 and in the future depends on planning for it now!
As a way to promote BNI and foster good business, BNI has stepped up as one of the sponsors of the Business.IQ Convention - a unique, hands-on business boosting event happening at the North Harbour Stadium on Thursday 15 November.
Members who register early will save $145.00. For more information, visit www.biq.co.nz
Four key business considerations will be covered in depth – Business Planning and Leadership, Staff Productivity and Retention; Customer and Market Share; and Financial Controls and Measures.
At the convention, you will learn how to…
* Turn ideas into action plans – three simple business planning steps to dream it, design it and deliver it.
* Square pegs and round holes – how to realise productivity, profit and happy teams.
* Marketing for profitability – the secret to exploding your sales profits in three easy steps.
* Influence: the secret weapon of successful people - 'speed read' others to find out what they really want.
The convention will feature key speakers such as Alison Mooney, Zeald.com CEO David Kelly, WHK Gosling Chapman’s Mike Atkinson, world champion speaker David Nottage, Andrew Smith, Mike Loftus and other top speakers. Plus, BNI is sponsoring a special networking session.
Other attractions include free parking, snacks, meals and refreshments included, a free executive gift for all delegates and more than $3,000’s worth of spot prizes.
On the entertainment front, delegates will be able to hone their swing with a professional golf pro and the CoachCam, attend the business expo, test drive luxury cars and relax over coffee in the business books lounge.
The convention format allows delegates to learn from the experts, question the experts and brainstorm their business plans. Register today at www.biq.co.nz

Three tips to generate word of mouth business...
A common networking theory is that ‘everybody’ is separated from one another by just six degrees of separation but, like the tooth fairy, it’s a complete myth – only less profitable.
The six degrees of separation theory is dangerous because it encourages complacency in the networking environment.
BNI New Zealand National Director, Graham Southwell, says business referrals and word of mouth don’t just happen because we’re all ‘connected’ somehow; they come about through focussed effort.
In the 1960s and 1970s researcher Stanly Milgram arranged a series of experiments whereby people sent letters to people they didn’t know in another part of the country. They first had to send it to somebody who they thought might know the individual the package was addressed to. That person then passed it on.
It took, on average, six connections for some of the packages to reach their destination, hence the six degrees of separation theory. However, few people know that the overwhelming majority of packages never arrived and the most successful attempt yielded a 29 per cent success rate, and another just 5 per cent.
“Increasingly studies are finding that people are being overwhelmed by marketing messages on a daily basis and are coping by taking short cuts in their buying decisions – they’re asking people they know and trust for advice.
“Research by Intelliseek – a US based market intelligence company – has found that consumers are 50 per cent more likely to be influenced by word-of-mouth recommendations from their peers than by radio and TV ads – and the trend is growing.
“This means word of mouth is going to become more and more important as time goes by,” says Graham.
For members who want to generate word of mouth business, these three steps might come in useful:
1. A sharp focus on one aspect of your business, product or service;
2. A habit of asking people you encounter for specific referrals;
3. Cultivating one-on-one meetings with potential referrals sources (dances).
“Business people should – when talking to other people about their business, no matter what the context – focus on one aspect of the business, even if they’re talking to people they meet regularly.
“Talking ‘generally’ about what you do tends to go over people’s heads and doesn’t have stick-ability. Instead, focus specifically on a profile of your ideal customer or, if you’re an accountant for example, on something that makes your specific skill set or service special – perhaps you specialise in a certain industry.
“Have a case study memorised that you can use as an example. Stories are powerful.”
The second tip is to ask for specific referrals, or people. Identify the decision maker in an organisation you want to do business with, and then ask around for any contacts who can arrange an introduction.
“If your ideal customer fits a specific demographic, tell people. Don’t use the word ‘anybody’ – it’s too general and has no stick-ability,” says Graham.
Finally, when you meet people (particularly visitors to your chapter) don’t just take their business card – invite them to catch up for a coffee. Cultivate one-on-one relationships.
“Successful networking is about close relationships, not the number of people you can meet,” says Graham.

Fundraising isn’t even over yet, but the incredible and creative responses from BNI Chapters countrywide have raised $19,740.10 and there’s more to come.
Some highlights include:
* The Cambridge Chapter - dinner, Ompa Band and charity auction (early September);
* Albany Chapter and other Shore chapters - charity auction in June
* Lower Hutt Chapter – auction;
* Mairangi Bay Chapter - sponsored TV rooms in North Shore Hospice;
* The Lakes and Rotorua City Chapters - charity breakfast and auction;
* Upper Harbour Chapter - wine tasting;
* Viaduct Chapter - movie night; and
* Whangarei Chapter - charity lunch.
To name just a few…

Have you considered the Enterprise Training Programme designed and delivered by WHK Gosling Chapman on behalf of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise? BNI member Deborah Patterson attended the “How to successfully market your services” workshop and not only was Deborah an excellent ambassador for BNI, she found the workshop was excellent value.
“I was a bit concerned about what it was going to be like, but must say it was like being in the corporate world – it was fantastic and so professional. The group that we had was positive and the facilitator welcomed feedback. It was like I had paid $2,000 for the course – fantastic content, great presenter,” says Deborah.
WHK Gosling Chapman Advisor - Business Growth, Ian Skelton, said it was great to see the relationship working well in practice for your members and our delegates.
For more information on this fully-funded programme please visit http://www.whkbusinessgrowth.com/

BNI members in Palmerston North chapter are combining their talents and resources to host a mini seminar and expo on Tuesday 25 September.
BNI Regional Director, Niki Gunning, says the invitation only evening will be hosted at the Novotel in Palmerston North and will feature speakers and exhibits from chapter members of BNI Palmerston North, covering off topics such as KiwiSaver, employment law, networking, building your business, builder and property maintenance and getting the best out of your website.
For more information, email Niki at: niki@nikigunning.com

On Wednesday the 22nd of August a hugely successful BNI Speed Networking event was held – it was the second time that the Hutt Business Catalyst Chapter hosted the event, and this time the invitations were extended to Chamber of Commerce members.
More than 30 business people, the majority from Lower Hutt, came to spread the word about their businesses. BNI Regional Director Paul Brimblecombe was there to promote BNI and Amanda Strong from Radio New Zealand came to see what all the fuss was about (check out the link: the Speed Networking interview is about 9 minutes in the Morning Business News http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/national/mnr/morning_business_news9

The original ‘Speed Dancing’ event was created to encourage inter-chapter networking in a fun environment. Chapter secretary Sofia Moers said it was a fantastic way to encourage those attending to move out of their comfort zones and in a minute and a half promote their business to a wider group of people.
“It’s just too easy to attend a networking event and mix and mingle with those people you already know - Speed Networking provides a great opportunity to meet and share information with a varied group of business owners.”
Some of the speed networkers attending the event who were not BNI members, but were so enthusiastic about the evening that it sparked their interest in attending a BNI breakfast – a great bonus for the chapter.
“We’re looking forward to holding another Speed Networking event in future.”

By Neil Shipman
Impacting the community through an effective local chapter may give “food” for thought of how this can be done.
On one hand, another chapter unfolded last Saturday night in the life story of a BNI chapter that was formed nearly three years ago, called the BNI Gold Coast Chapter.
On the other hand, individual lives may be facing their very last chapter and therefore they may no longer be able to give back into the community. If facing the inevitable, the needy individual could well be at the receiving end of a free community care programme run by Hospice New Zealand.

Maintaining this free community care programme are only the values from caring people and organisations that can make these things possible. One such value comes from the BNI motto “Givers Gain”. BNI has rallied nationally every year to focus on one such worthy fundraising cause.
What you sow is what you reap in all fields of life, including business. The chapter has ‘gained’ from the community so it is with that attitude it wants to ‘give’ back to the community.
The food for thought mentioned earlier required special ingredients to raise approximately $4,000 recently for Hospice NZ;
* One dollop of purpose, a large dose of value, one pinch of strong spice from jazz musicians Moses Ketu and Robert Kingi, a generous cocktail of products and services for auction from community businesses and BNI members;
* A humorous Professionals Real Estate auctioneer Eddie Winkel garnished by 50 bidding people and with the chapter’s leadership team to help stir the event, in a technical bowl of coloured images located at Personna Photography premises – all provided an immense aroma of an evening’s success.
While the evening was tremendous fun, the final benefit is to the ultimate beneficiaries who are often the ones who cross that line to the finish, but can do so with comfort and dignity provided by Hospice NZ.

By Mike Osborne
Absolutely Positively BNI chapter members again enjoyed the warm hospitality, great food and fantastic venue at Villa Margarita in Pauatahanui on a recent July Saturday.
Things started off with a bang at 4pm with clay pigeon shooting and as the sun went down the party moved inside for drinks and socialising with fellow members and their partners. The dinner of spit-roasted pig was succulent with crackling to die for.
As the dinner plates were cleared so were the tables and the dining area became a dance floor. The Villa has a strong Cuban flavour and Mark and Margarita managed to arrange authentic live Cuban music from a recently formed band of Cuban nationals - Cubanidad.

The party was entertained with sultry salsa sounds - and a dance lesson in salsa from Margarita. Members were able to dance, chat, relax in the lounge or refresh themselves outside on a cold, crisp night. This was the second Absolutely Positively BNI event at Villa Margarita, we had a similar event in 2006 - it won't be the last!

A radical new way forward for the entrepreneurial SME.
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Business visionary, entrepreneur, best-selling author and Chairman of E-Myth Worldwide, Michael Gerber, has been leading a small business revolution before anyone knew there was one! In this high impact one day workout with the world's #1 small business guru you will discover your strengths and weaknesses and develop strategies in the seven vital areas: Leadership; Marketing; Money; Management; Lead Generation; Lead Conversion and Client Fulfilment.
Special Offer for BNI members
Register for a VIP seat normally valued at $764.50 incl GST and pay only $654.50 incl GST.
That's a SAVING OF $110+GST.  Pricing Code: BNIVIP
Register for a Corporate Table of 8 normally valued at $5,494.50 and pay only
$4,559.50 Incl GST That's a SAVING OF $935.00.  Pricing Code: BNIBANQ
Register at http://www.theknowledgegym.co.nz/kgym/event-calendar/register.cfm?obj_uuid=1A3B0C2D-967D-07F7-E699-F8FF3583C7FD