I left my local BNI, (Business Network International), chapter a few months ago. I am checking back in to tell what I have been doing to get business since then.

     I left my local BNI, (Business Network International), chapter a few months ago.  I am checking back in to tell what I have been doing to get business since then.

     Make no mistake about it.  I am still networking.  There is no doubt about this.  I have plenty of time to do other networking activities rather than waste my time, over two hours a week, in sitting at a meeting and waste my time with some people that refuse to give me business.  Here are many of the things I have been doing productively as far as networking rather than spending two hours a week at BNI. 

  1.  I called people I had not done business with in a while.  As I am real estate attorney, this involves calling real estate agents and mortgage professionals that I had not seen in a while.  Is there anything that we can do to help you?   Do you have our fee sheet?  Is there any way we can improve our service to you?  These are just a few of the questions we have been asking.  This has been at least somewhat helpful.
  2.  I have been writing legal articles.  Recently, I have written articles on the $8000 tax credit and on the importance of having wills.  I will be writing more soon.
  3.  I am now a part of two networking groups.  Instead of BNI, which meets every week (and has an attendance policy that is almost twice as strict as law school), I now am a part of two networking groups that meet only twice a month.  I have double the bang for my networking buck with regards to time and money.  The annual fees to join both groups are less than the annual membership of BNI.  I am now in front of twice as many businesses people over a two week period than I was during BNI. 
  4.  I have been able to concentrate on other legal matters.  I have been able to look into taking different types of cases.  During my BNI networking saga, I have started to shift my practice area.  I am going to focus largely on helping people save their houses from foreclosure.  The work is fulfilling.  I have been able to spend more time to get the word out on my practice areas other than real estate.  Honestly, doing the work and getting the work is less aggravating. 
  5. I am still working with “friendlies” in my old BNI chapter.  I am getting together with two members to work on projects related to my wills practice.  There are other members in the BNI chapter who I have talked to since I left the chapter.  They have promised to send me business when they can.  Additionally, they have questioned why they are still going to the meetings.  I think it is simply a combination of habit and fear of leaving. 

 

I do not regret leaving BNI one iota.  Things are tough in this recession.  However, I am making the best of a bad economy and continue to network.  I am networking smarter now that I am out of BNI.  Ivan Misner, founder of BNI, has a good quote, “I refuse to participate in a recession.”  I change it to say, “I refuse to participate in BNI or the recession.”