Welcome
It’s extremely pleasing to see that BNI New Zealand’s upward momentum continues – we had a net gain of 60 members in one month, taking us to 1,554 members nationwide and a total of 69 chapters. This compared to 54 chapters and 1,286 members at this time last year.
I have just returned from launching our first ever chapter in Nelson and our new members there chose to call the chapter the ‘Nelson 69ers’ to celebrate the fact that they are our 69th chapter.
We have also confirmed that small business specialist Sarah Trotman will be our guest speaker at this mid-term Leadership Team Dinner in Auckland on Wednesday, September 14, at the Auckland Club in Shortland Street.
Sarah Trotman is also the organiser of the Small Business Expo in Auckland and the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards –which you will remember BNI won in its category for being the leading business referral organisation in New Zealand.
The Christchurch mid-term Leadership Team Dinner was held at the Cousinns Restaurant on Tuesday, August 30, while the date and venues for Wellington and the Central North Island are yet to be confirmed.
If you are a member of the leadership team I strongly urge you to join us – the dinner is subsidised by BNI New Zealand to thank the leadership teams for their efforts this term.
Wishing you a year of Givers Gain!
Regards
Graham Southwell
BNI National Director New Zealand

The BNI mid-term Leadership Team Dinners are an excellent opportunity to enjoy good food and company, do some networking and hear what other chapters have been up to – the Leadership Team Dinner helps you appreciate just how big the BNI community really is.

All Leadership Team members are welcome to attend the Auckland mid-term leadership team dinner – which will be addressed by small business specialist Sarah Trotman. However, there will also be Leadership Team Dinners in the other regions throughout August and September.
This BNI subsidised event is our way to say ‘thank you’ to our outgoing Leadership Teams and like previous events we can promise you fine wine, good food and excellent conversation – not to mention networking opportunities and recognition.
If you are an outgoing chapter president, vice-president, education co-ordinator, secretary-treasurer or visitor host you are urged to attend this outstanding evening with BNI.
For endorsements, ask previous leadership team members who attended past dinners, and we have no doubt they will highly recommend the Leadership Team Dinner.

Over the next three weeks your chapter President will be working with your BNI Chapter Director to select the next President - the incoming BNI Leadership Team will take over running the chapter from November 1 to the end of April 2006.
If you are asked to join the new leadership team, we would urge you to accept because there are many benefits to taking on the challenge – not least that you are able to help determine the direction and success of your own chapter.
Leading a group of fellow entrepreneurs and sales people not only enhances your own profile in the chapter, but also you will learn alot about leadership and will grow in self confidence.

While it's important to communicate to others what you do and how they can benefit from your actions, products or services – in networking it’s more important to learn all you can about your networking partners.
In his best selling book ‘Masters of Networking’, the founder of BNI Dr Ivan Misner says by learning all about your networking partners you can best give them the benefit of associating with you.
In the same book Debby Peters and Deanna Tucci Schmitt point out that a successful networker is a far cry from somebody who sits in the corner of a room – like a hairy, predatory spider – waiting to gush about themselves on the first available sucker that comes along.
“Master networkers look for situations in which they can be the listener.”
It is important to be genuinely interested in the other person, ask questions in a conversational, interested manner and gently steer the conversation in the other direction if it begins to focus too much on you.
“The more people talk, and the more you listen, the more they like you and trust you.”
You build trust by actively listening and hearing the inner voices and feelings of another person - provided you are being genuine in your interest.
“The goal is to discover common ground. It might be a shared interest – i.e. model trains or you both come from the same area – and suddenly you find that having things in common makes it much easier to talk. Confidence and trust grows.”
If you keep asking questions, it becomes more and more likely that you will find common ground – eventually almost any two people can find a common interest.
“Commonalities are not rare; you just need to find them.”
Friendly, casual conversation is a natural activity – use it to get to know the other person first.

A Christchurch member of BNI, Jody Jelas, will be one of the two speakers at a two day Her Business 2005 Business Woman’s workshop at the Crown Plaza in Auckland, September 28 - 29.
Jody said there will be 18 Speakers over the two days. For the speakers list see... http://mmgconz.axiion.com/newsletter/hb/HB_Speakers.pdf
Seats are limited to 210 and bookings – the first $100 as deposit – are now open. Speakers include inspirational business speakers, leading entrepreneurs and outstanding role models from around the country.
www.herbusinessmagazine.co.nz