Podcast Summary: BNI 856 - Weekly Presentation Coaching 145 (Janice Sanberg - Flooring Co.)

Podcast: BNI & The Power of One
Host: Tim Roberts
Episode Date: September 26, 2025
Guest Submission: Janie Sanberg, Floor Coverings International (Henderson, Nevada)
Theme: Coaching and refining BNI weekly presentations for increased referral effectiveness

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Tim Roberts delivers a practical, real-time coaching session focused on a weekly presentation submitted by Janie Sanberg from a flooring company. The discussion centers on how BNI members can craft concise, targeted weekly presentations that train their network to find quality referrals. Tim dissects Janie’s presentation, offering constructive feedback and detailed strategies to make member asks more actionable, natural, and ultimately more successful.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Review of Janie Samberg's Weekly Presentation ([01:05])

• Original Message:
  • Janie introduces herself, mentions her flooring company, and encourages BNI members to ask anyone they meet, “Do you have any home projects you’re thinking about?”
  • She suggests this is an opportunity to generate referrals for trades.
• Length: 38 seconds

2. Immediate Feedback: Limitation of the ‘Vague Ask’ ([02:00–03:35])

• Tim’s Key Points:
  • Janie’s request is “too vague” and not situationally appropriate for most conversations.
  • Members are unlikely to divert regular business or social discussions to an unrelated “home project” question.
• Quote:
  • “Way too vague of an ask for this to really be super effective for you.” —Tim Roberts [03:20]
  • “What I guarantee they're not going to do is find themselves in some conversation and instantly turn it into that question.” —Tim Roberts [02:50]

3. The Core Formula: Who, How, What ([03:36–07:35])

• Underlying Principle: The weekly presentation is about training—not just telling—your group how to find referrals.

• The Three Essential Elements:

  1. Who:
     • Define the ideal referral (“Who am I specifically trying to get introduced to?”).
  2. How:
     • Describe how a member might recognize the referral opportunity (e.g., through specific conversations, activities, or what they see/hear).
  3. What:
     • Provide the exact language or action to take when a trigger appears (“What do I say to them?”).

• Example (Gym Flooring):

  • Pick a specific product or service each week (e.g., gym flooring).
  • Define the “who” in relatable terms:
    “Your best friend who likes to work out.”
  • Identify a natural conversational “how”:
    “When you’re talking to them about their workout, ask if they ever work out at home.”
  • Supply a natural transition for “what to say”:
    “If they say yes, ask if they have special flooring. If not, ask if they’ve thought about it.”

• Quote:

  • “You gotta teach me how to really bring you up, and be into a conversation naturally.” —Tim Roberts [05:40]

4. Why Specificity and Situational Triggers Matter ([04:10–07:00])

• Members won’t remember or use a generic pitch—being specific enables them to recall and act in real-world situations.

• The presentation should fit into natural, already-occurring conversations, not force awkward transitions or interrogations.

• Each type of flooring can have a different ideal referral and natural conversation starter; tailor accordingly.

• Quote:

  • “You gotta paint the picture. You gotta give them a who, a how, a what.” —Tim Roberts [06:20]

5. Constructive Encouragement & Next Steps ([07:36–End])

• Janie is encouraged to revise and resubmit, making the ask more direct, actionable, and specific.

• Submission is recognized as a great starting point—improvement comes from iteration and applying detailed feedback.

• Listeners are reminded that effective presentations require a different mindset and set of communication skills than typical everyday conversation.

• Quote:

  • “Thank you for submitting though. I think you got to start or something here. If you want to work on it and continue resubmit it, absolutely do that.” —Tim Roberts [07:47]

Notable Quotes

• “Too vague. And the question you're asking I think doesn't really fit for any time you're talking to anyone.” —Tim Roberts [02:10]
• “Again, there are three things we want to hit when training people to find us referrals: who, how, and what.” —Tim Roberts [03:36]
• “It's just not going to happen that way. It's not comfortable, it's not natural, doesn't make sense. So I'm just not going to do it.” —Tim Roberts [06:12]
• “You got to teach me how to really bring you up and be into a conversation naturally.” —Tim Roberts [05:40]

Important Timestamps

• 01:05 – Janie’s original weekly presentation (flooring & home projects)
• 02:00–03:35 – Tim identifies vagueness and inefficacy of the ask
• 03:36–07:00 – Step-by-step coaching on “who, how, what”
• 05:40 – Emphasis on natural conversation fit
• 06:20 – The core of painting a picture for referrals
• 07:47 – Closing thoughts and encouragement to resubmit

Key Takeaway

Effective weekly presentations aren’t generic pitches—they are training tools.
To maximize referrals, BNI members should tailor their asks with precise details:

• Who to look for
• How to recognize an opportunity
• What to say or do next

Personalization and situational triggers make it easy—and comfortable—for fellow networkers to remember, act, and refer.