BNI & The Power of One: Episode Summary

Title: BNI 813: Weekly Presentation Coaching 132 - Ross Mitchell - Corporate Gifts
Host: Tim Roberts
Release Date: April 25, 2025

Introduction

In this episode of the BNI podcast titled "BNI & The Power of One," host Tim Roberts delves into the art of crafting effective weekly presentations. The focus is on enhancing members' ability to generate success and increased referrals through strategic presentations. This particular episode features a coaching session for Ross Mitchell, a member of a small 19-member chapter in Australia, who specializes in corporate gifts.

Presentation Overview by Ross Mitchell

Ross Mitchell, representing Wines by Design, shared his weekly presentation designed to attract marketing managers from businesses with 30 or more employees. His company specializes in producing corporate alcohol gifts with custom labeling and packaging. Ross's presentation highlighted his services through a specific example involving Calmar, a marine and freight logistics company.

Key Points from Ross’s Presentation:

• Company Introduction: "We produce corporate alcohol gifts specializing in custom labeled alcohol and customized packaging."
• Client Example: Calmar orders hampers every three to four months to appreciate their long-term staff. Each hamper includes a bottle of Moet Chandon champagne, five to six food items, and personalized branding on the lid of the box with the company logo, milestone, and the recipient’s name.
• Target Audience: Marketing managers at businesses with 30+ employees who already provide thank-you gifts to their staff but may lack branded elements in those gifts.
• Call to Action: Encourages listeners to inquire about their current staff gifts and offer connections to a branded gift expert.

Presentation Timing: Ross noted that his initial read-through took approximately one minute and three seconds, aligning closely with the 60-second target.

Tim Roberts’ Feedback and Coaching

Tim Roberts provided comprehensive feedback on Ross’s presentation, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement to enhance clarity and effectiveness.

Strengths:

• Clarity of Service: Ross effectively communicated what his company does, ensuring that listeners understand the nature of his business.
  • Quote: "We produce corporate alcohol gifts specializing in custom labeled alcohol and customized packaging." [00:XX]
• Specific Client Example: Using Calmar as a case study provided a tangible example of how his services are utilized.
• Targeted Audience: Ross successfully identified a specific target audience—marketing managers at mid-sized companies.

Areas for Improvement:

1. Streamlining Content:

   • Eliminate Redundant Information: Tim suggested removing phrases like "I hold the corporate gifting category for this chapter," as it doesn't add significant value to the presentation.
     • Quote: "I hold the corporate gift category for this chapter." [00:XX]
   • Focus on Essential Details: Allocate more time to strengthen the core message rather than listing roles or titles.

2. Enhancing the 'Who, How, What' Framework:

   • Defining ‘Who’: Instead of using a general example like Calmar, Ross should specify a particular individual within a target company to make his request more concrete.
     • Suggested Change: "My referral request is for Jimmy Smith at XYZ Company."
   • Clarifying the ‘How’: Moving from a passive to a more proactive approach in engaging potential referrals.
     • Original Approach: "The next time you speak with them, ask them what gifts they give to their staff."
     • Suggested Approach: "Can you reach out and have a conversation around XYZ could be a little bit more productive for you."

3. Strengthening the Call to Action:

   • Be Specific in Requests: Instead of a vague request for marketing managers, Ross should identify specific individuals or roles he aims to connect with.
   • Active Engagement: Encourage members to proactively ask targeted questions rather than waiting for conversations to occur naturally.
     • Suggested Addition: "Ask them why they choose those gifts or if they've ever considered including their branding on them."

4. Improving Conversation Flow:

   • Guide the Interaction: Provide a more detailed blueprint of how the conversation should progress from introduction to making the connection.
   • Remove Unnecessary Statements: Eliminating statements that do not directly contribute to the referral goal, such as the initial role designation.

5. Tailoring for Audience Members:

   • Focus on Committed Members: Emphasize targeting existing chapter members rather than visitors, ensuring that presentations are tailored to those most likely to provide valuable referrals.

Implementation Suggestions:

• Varying Approaches Weekly: Slightly alter the presentation each week to connect with different sectors or roles within potential referral companies.
• Visual Cues in Offices: Encourage members to observe branding or recognition items in offices they visit and use these observations as conversation starters.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Tim on Presentation Submission:
  “Appreciate everybody who continues to submit and we are trying to get through all of them.” [00:31]

• Ross Introducing His Business:
  “We produce corporate alcohol gifts specializing in custom labeled alcohol and customized packaging.” [04:25]

• Tim on Defining the Target:
  “Instead of saying, like Calmar, which is a business, not a person, say like Jimmy Smith at XYZ company.” [08:15]

• Tim on Enhancing the Call to Action:
  “Ask them why or ask them have they ever thought of including their branding on it.” [10:47]

• Tim’s Encouragement on Presentation Quality:
  “Ross, this is really good. I mean this is, this is good.” [11:30]

Conclusion

In this episode, Tim Roberts provided valuable coaching to Ross Mitchell on refining his weekly presentation to better attract and generate referrals within the BNI framework. By focusing on specificity, active engagement, and strategic conversation techniques, Ross can enhance his effectiveness in securing high-quality referrals. The session underscores the importance of continuous improvement and tailored communication in leveraging BNI membership for business growth.

Listeners are encouraged to submit their presentations for future coaching sessions and provide constructive feedback to foster a collaborative and supportive BNI community.

Connect and Participate:
Interested members can submit their presentations to bnipowerof1.com and leave reviews to contribute to the podcast's ongoing improvement and value.