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Develop Networking skills: BNI founder
The Star
Saturday September 22, 2001

BUSINESSMEN should develop greater networking skills to promote their business, said Business Networking International (BNI) founder and chief executive officer Dr Ivan Misner. He said networking, especially through personal referrals, was often overlooked by businessmen, in favour of other forms of marketing such as advertising.

"Advertising has its place in promoting business, but if you want to develop a business that is strong, one that is even able to withstand an economic downturn and thrive, you need to develop strong business relationships with people in business and referrals is the way to develop the relationships," he said at a briefing for BNI members in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. Misner offered eight tips to generate business through networking:

	Diversify your network by participating in different kinds of groups.
	Be visible, get out and meet people at business events.
	Learn how to work the meetings you attend and learn networking systems and techniques that apply to the different kinds of organisations.
	Prepare effective introductions and presentations to give to other business people at networking events and meeting.
	Develop your contact spheres - these are groups of business professionals who have a symbiotic or compatible, non-competitive relationship with you.
	Learn effective ways to ask for referrals from clients and people you know.
	Offer incentives for people to refer you.
	Most importantly, understand that networking and building your business through word of mouth is about developing relationships with other business-minded people

BNI claims to be the largest networking organisation with over 2,100 chapters (business groups) and 40,000 members in 12 countries, generating RM2.4bil in business from 1.7 million referrals last year. Established in 1985, the organisation launched BNI Malaysia last year. There are now five chapters with a total of 180 members and the total value of referrals has exceeded RM3.5mil.