Episode 915: 5 More Important Things for Great Networking

Summary

Episode 915: 5 More Important Things for Great Networking
The Official BNI Podcast
Host: Priscilla Rice
Guest: Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of BNI
Release Date: June 18, 2025

In Episode 915 of The Official BNI Podcast, Dr. Ivan Misner delves deeper into the art of networking by introducing five additional critical strategies to elevate one’s networking prowess. Building upon the foundational five points discussed in the previous episode—Visibility, Credibility, Profitability, Being Interested More Than Interesting, Giving Without Keeping Score, Articulating Your Why Clearly, and Following Up or Facing Flatness—this installment expands the listener's toolkit with advanced techniques essential for effective networking in today's dynamic environment.

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1. Nurture Strategic Power Teams

Timestamp: [01:27] – [04:05]

Dr. Misner emphasizes the importance of nurturing strategic power teams, highlighting that not all connections hold the same value. He differentiates between contact spheres and power teams, explaining that while contact spheres represent concentric circles of acquaintances, power teams are clusters of complementary professionals serving the same audience without competing against each other.

"Power teams supercharge your networking. Instead of waiting passively for referrals, you actively create an ecosystem of mutual benefit."
— Dr. Ivan Misner [02:15]

By investing time in understanding and collaborating closely with members of these power teams, individuals can create a robust support system where referrals are not just frequent but also highly relevant and quality-driven. Dr. Misner recommends several past episodes for listeners to explore further, including Episode 775 on "Powering up Power Teams" and Episode 549 on "Boost Referrals in Power Teams," providing a comprehensive roadmap for building and maintaining these strategic alliances.

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2. Be Referable

Timestamp: [04:05] – [06:10]

Moving beyond basic competence, Dr. Misner introduces the concept of being referable. This extends to embodying qualities that make professionals trustworthy and desirable to be recommended, such as integrity, excellence, responsiveness, and consistent follow-through.

"Your brand is not what you say about yourself. It's about what your network whispers when you're not in the room."
— Dr. Ivan Misner [05:00]

He stresses that being referable impacts every aspect of one’s professional persona, from attitude and online presence to how feedback is handled and even personal appearance. The idea is to create a safe and reliable image that others feel confident endorsing. Dr. Misner references episodes like Episode 649 on "How You Show Up in Networking Situations" and Episode 577 titled "I Wasn't Referable," which narrates a transformation journey toward becoming highly referable, illustrating the profound impact this attribute can have on one's networking success.

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3. Read Body Language and Social Cues

Timestamp: [06:10] – [07:45]

Effective networking is not solely about verbal communication; it significantly involves reading body language and social cues. Dr. Misner explains that successful networkers must be attuned to non-verbal signals to gauge interest levels and adjust their approach accordingly.

"Social intelligence or emotional intelligence is underrated and incredibly invaluable."
— Dr. Ivan Misner [07:00]

He elaborates on indicators of engagement such as nodding, leaning in, and maintaining eye contact, versus signs of disengagement like crossed arms or distracted glances. In virtual settings like Zoom, cues shift to include tone of voice and facial expressions. Although there isn't a dedicated podcast episode on this topic yet, Dr. Misner hints at future content featuring experts on body language, underlining its significance in forging deeper, more meaningful connections.

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4. Tell Sticky Stories

Timestamp: [07:45] – [09:10]

Dr. Misner introduces the art of telling sticky stories—narratives that are memorable, relatable, and impactful. Unlike mere facts or statistics, stories resonate on an emotional level, making the message more enduring and persuasive.

"Stories make you relatable. They make you credible and unforgettable."
— Dr. Ivan Misner [08:20]

He advises using a simple structure involving a challenge or solution followed by the result, ensuring the story remains authentic and compelling. Real-life anecdotes, such as helping a client overcome a hurdle or making someone’s day, serve as effective anchors in others' memories, increasing the likelihood of being referenced when opportunities arise. Past episodes like Episode 252, "Storytelling in Business," provide further insights into crafting such narratives.

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5. Be Consistently Present Online and Offline

Timestamp: [09:10] – [10:30]

The final strategy focuses on consistent presence both online and offline. Dr. Misner asserts that networking is not a sporadic activity but a disciplined practice that requires regular engagement.

"Reliability and visibility is what establishes credibility."
— Dr. Ivan Misner [09:50]

He encourages professionals to maintain an active presence by sharing content, commenting meaningfully on others’ posts, attending events, and consistently showing up, whether in-person or virtually. This consistent visibility ensures that individuals remain top-of-mind within their networks, fostering trust and reliability. Dr. Misner underscores that being consistently present helps build a solid foundation of trust, making it more likely for others to refer you when needed.

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Conclusion

Dr. Ivan Misner wraps up the episode by reiterating a fundamental principle of networking: quality over quantity. Instead of aiming to know tens of thousands of people, the focus should be on fostering deep, meaningful relationships with a smaller, strategic group, thereby creating a network that supports and elevates each member.

"The best way to stand out is to help others in a structured, positive, and professional process."
— Dr. Ivan Misner [10:00]

Priscilla Rice complements Dr. Misner's insights, particularly highlighting the effectiveness of sticky stories in making networking interactions more engaging and memorable. The episode concludes with an invitation for listeners to apply these strategies within their BNI memberships and share their experiences, emphasizing the practical application of the discussed concepts.

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Key Takeaways:

1. Strategic Alliances: Build and nurture power teams with complementary professionals to enhance referral quality and quantity.
2. Being Referable: Cultivate a professional persona that others feel confident recommending through integrity, excellence, and reliability.
3. Non-Verbal Communication: Develop the ability to read and respond to body language and social cues to deepen connections.
4. Storytelling: Use engaging and memorable stories to illustrate your value and leave a lasting impression.
5. Consistent Presence: Maintain regular visibility both online and offline to build trust and stay top-of-mind within your network.

By integrating these advanced networking strategies, professionals can significantly enhance their ability to generate meaningful referrals and foster a robust, supportive network.

Transcript

[A]

Episode number 915, five more important things for great Networking.

[B]

You're listening to the official BNI Podcast with BNI Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, Dr. Ivan Meisner. Stay tuned for networking and referral marketing tips from the man who's been called the father of modern networking, along with suggestions and insights into getting the most from your membership in the world's largest networking organization, bni.

[A]

Hello, everybody. Welcome back to the official B and I Podcast. I'm Priscilla Rice and I'm coming to you from Live Oak Recording Studio in Berkeley, California. And I'm joined on the phone today by the founder and the Chief visionary officer of BNI, Dr. Ivan Meisner. Hello, Ivan, how are you? And where are you?

[B]

Hey, Priscilla. Okay, so where am I? Yeah, don't tell anybody, but I'm on vacation this week. We were at the BNI conference last week in France, and my wife and I are taking a week off here in France to enjoy this beautiful country.

[A]

That's great. You're gonna drink some wine, I bet.

[B]

Oh, yes, wine will be involved. It always is involved, especially in France.

[A]

Yeah, I bet. Will you let us know how it goes?

[B]

Of course.

[A]

Future podcast.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Okay, sounds good.

[B]

So this week we have five more things to learn to be great at networking. Last week, go back to the podcast. If you. If you didn't listen to last week's, listen to last week and then come back to this one. The first five were the VCP process, visibility, credibility, profitability. I know I cover that a lot, but I. I talk about a couple of slightly different things in. In that podcast. The number two is be interested more than interesting. Three is give without keeping score. Four is articulate your why clearly, and five is follow up or fall flat. So that's what I talked about last week, and I had episode podcast episodes with all of them. And I will do the same this week. So this week, five more things to be really great at networking are these six. Nurture strategic power teams. Great networkers know that not all connections are created equal. Learn how to use your contact spheres to create power teams. And if you don't understand the difference, some of the links that I'm going to give here will explain the difference between a context here and a power team. It's like concentric circles. A power team is part of a context sphere. So power teams are clusters of complementary professionals who serve the same audience, but they don't compete. When one wins, the others can too. Power teams supercharge your networking. Instead of waiting passively for referrals, you Actively create an ecosystem of mutual benefit. So the more you understand your partner's businesses, the better you can refer them and the more they'll want to refer you. Invest time getting to know these people really well because they're in compatible non competitive professions. Here I have five episodes that I'm going to recommend to you. One is episode 775, Powering up Power Teams. The next is episode 698 and these links are all in the transcript. Episode 698, Referral Flow Empower Teams. Episode 549, Boost referrals in Power Teams. Episode 272, Power Teams and Contact Spheres. That's the one that talks about the difference. There is a difference, but they are related. And episode 237, it goes way back. That one I think goes back to 2012. Episode 2, 3, 7, boost your referrals with power teams. So there are five different episodes I recommend on the topic of nurturing your strategic power teams. Number seven is Be referable. Always, always be referable. This isn't just about doing a good job. It's about being the kind of professional others are proud to refer. That means integrity, excellence, responsiveness and follow through. Your brand is not what you say about yourself. It's about what your network whispers when you're not in the room. That's. That's the most powerful piece. That's what your brand is. Being referable includes your attitude, your online presence, how you handle feedback, and even how you dress. If someone introduces you and you drop the ball, it reflects on them. So people will only refer you when they feel safe doing so. So make it safe. Be that person. I have three episodes I'm going to recommend here. The first is episode six, four, nine and that's kind of about, you know, how you show up in a networking situation. It's the 12 by 12 by 12 rule. The next is episode 632, maximizing your professional image. And then episode 577. I wasn't referable. Love that podcast. And it was by a director of ours who, who admits that at one point she was absolutely not referable for a number of reasons and then became very referable and ended up becoming the executive director of her region. So it's a great podcast. Okay. Number eight, read body language and social cues. Networking is partly science, partly art. Learn to read the room, not just the words. Is someone disinterested? Do they want to go deeper? Body language speaks volumes. Tune in and you'll connect in richer ways. Look for signs of engagement. Nodding, leaning in eye contact and disengagement. Crossed arms looking at the door. Distracted glances. That's a big one. Distracted glances. On Zoom, it's the tone of voice, the facial expressions, and responsiveness or non responsiveness. So adjust your energy to match theirs or respectfully give space when needed. Social intelligence or emotional intelligence is underrated and incredibly invaluable. I don't have a podcast on this one, but I'm considering inviting somebody in who's an expert on body language and social cues, and we may add a podcast in the future. Number nine Tell Sticky Stories. Here's what I mean by that. Facts, tell stories, sell. Master the art of sharing brief, memorable stories that highlight your value or your impact. Stories make you relatable. They make you credible and unforgettable. It's a rare trifecta in networking, so use a simple structure, a challenge or solution. The result? Stories don't need to be epic, just real. Think of a time you helped a client, or overcame a hurdle, or made somebody's day. These stories become anchors in people's memories. I'm going to repeat that. These stories become anchors in people's memories and they make them more likely to refer you when the moment arises. So this is why just giving facts about your product or service is not nearly as powerful as telling a story. A sticky story. Something true. Something at least a little bit compelling. So I have a couple of podcasts on. This one goes way back. It's episode number 252. Episode 252 storytelling in business, storytelling in business and episode six nine three givers gain in storytelling. Those are two great podcasts on storytelling. And then the last is to be consistently present online and offline. You can't network from the guidelines. Show up in person, even if it's on Zoom. You show up. Show up online, share your content, comment meaningfully, attend events, be visible consistently. Not just when you need something. The network your network rewards the reliable. Reliability and visibility is what establishes credibility. Don't be the person who disappears until business is slow. Make networking a discipline, not a reaction, even a weekly rhythm. One event, one follow up, one post builds momentum. People refer people who they know, like, and trust, and that starts by seeing them regularly. So stay top of mind and you'll stay top of the list. Here's my final thought on the second five. You don't become great at networking by knowing 10,000 people. You become great by helping 100 people know each other and trusting that goodwill will cycle back. Remember that in networking, the best way to stand out is to help others in a structured, positive and professional process. Any thoughts?

[A]

Oh, I, I like all of it. I especially like the sticky stories. I know. I, I, I remember some stories that you told, and you, you always tell these wonderful stories, and, and it's fun. It's interesting and fun, and it makes you laugh, and it's really good.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, I think the secret to storytelling is to give good information, to, to wrap it in some kind of emotion. You want, you want to compel somebody to take action when they hear the story. You want them to go, yeah, I need, I need to do that. I really need to do that, or I need to be better at that. And when that happens, then it transforms their life in some way. And that's really the formula for a great story in my mind. And it becomes sticky when you're tugging on the emotions, either humor or the heartstrings. And it's very personal. People remember that and they'll remember the message that you're giving along with that. Yeah, well, that's everything I have for today, Priscilla, unless you have any other question.

[A]

Oh, no, I think it's, it was a very good podcast. Thank you so much, doctor.

[B]

My pleasure. So everybody listening to the podcast? I just gave you 10, five last week, five this week. I'd love to hear your comments and particularly how you used any one of these items to help you succeed in bni. Thanks, Priscilla. Back to you.

[A]

Okay, that's great. Thank you. This podcast is sponsored by MeisnerAudioProGrams.com and these audio programs will provide you with the tools and the inspiration to powerfully enhance your BNI experience. So go check out the great material that's available to [e-mail] and use the promo code IVAN5. Oh, for 50% off of everything, all of the proceeds go to the B and I Foundation. Thanks so much for listening. This is Priscilla Rice, and we look forward to having you join us again next week for another exciting episode of the official B and I podcast.