Recently I came across a remarkable and super successful real estate agent in the US named, John Lennon. He has probably made as much money as the other famous John Lennon. He has sold over US$ 3 billion, yes you read that right, not million but Billion, of real estate in Miami. Now at a 3% commission you do the Maths, this is one super successful real estate broker. The amazing thing is that he only deals with 6 uber luxury buildings in one street in the SoFi area or South of Fifth! That’s right he only deals with real estate on ONE street and only 6 of the buildings there!! There are many lessons that you can learn from him, but one of the key things I take from this is this: SPECIALISE!! It’s as simple as this SPECIALISTS GET MORE BUSINESS.
In my 6 years in BNI where I have met with hundreds of successful entrepreneurs. The ones that are in a niche or specialise end up getting more business then those that are generalists. There are a number of reasons for this:
Specialists stand out of the crowd - It’s always easy to remember a specialist and in the referral business if I can remember you then I can refer you. Specialists always stand out from all the generalists out there.
Specialists are easy to refer - Because their operate in a niche it tends to limit their potential target markets and this makes it easy for us to identify a prospect. Though the number of referrals may be small they are a better quality.
Specialists are more competent - specialists tend to have domain knowledge and skills that generalists rarely posses. Their quality and competency of their work is better. They tend to have solutions that others may not have come across.
So what do you specialise in? Share your story of how being a specialist has helped you be more successful.
In the last couple of months I have been paying close attention to Linkedin as it is becoming more and more important to business people who are looking to create credibility for themselves. In one month (June 2010) Linkedin added over 5 million new users, taking the total to 70 million users. The great thing is that these are serious business owners and professionals on here. These are potential clients, suppliers and referral sources here. This is a serious business network. Having a good profile on Linkedin is crucial part of your social media strategy. Here are my 5 top tips for creating maximum impact.
Make sure you have a good professional headshot. A good picture speaks a thousand word. Dress like you would if you were meeting your best potential client. Make sure it is easy to see your face. It is worth getting a professional to take some good head shots. This will enhance your credibility. It surprises me to see so many people still not having a photo on their profile. People may suspect that you might have something to hide. Continue Reading »
These are the key networking mistakes you have got to avoid. Watch this short video where Niiraj takes us through how to overcome the most common ones.
Many times Doctors may wonder why they should network with business professionals? Let me share some recent experiences as we are working with many Doctors from Dentists to Eye Surgeons to Gynecologists that are members of BNI. I asked a number of them why there were involved & how they have benefited. These are the 3 reasons they shared: Continue Reading »
With Facebook now having over 400 million active users and Twitter growing at a crazy 700% Social Media is changing the way in which we live and work. More and more BNI members and other small business owners are joining the social media bandwagon and finding business through these media.
Recently one of our members, Sampath Iyengar put on his status update that he had been to his BNI meeting and who was the 10 minute speaker who had a particular USP which he added in this update. Within minutes of posting this Continue Reading »
We are pleased to announce that the Yuva Bharat show on ETV that features successful entrepreneurs has featured BNI India and its co-founder Niiraj R Shah.
Please find herewith the channel-wise Telecast Schedule of Yuva Bharat in ETV Network channels.
One fo the things that people comment on when they meet me is how I manage to remember people’s names and profession. It’s not something I was good at but with a few simple steps I have been able to master the same. Have a look at this short video about the same:
If networking is not part of your strategy, please reconsider. Here’s 7 top tips for successful networking by Rick Armstrong.
1. What’s Your Reason?Don’t network for the sake of networking. What is your goal for your networking? For example, you might be in it to find new business, key people who can help you step up the career ladder or to keep up with the latest developments in your industry. Whatever your goal, know what it is and make sure your networking takes you there.
2. Be Patient. Build your network in good time. Don’t rush out to network to fulfill a sudden need. You will be so focused on that urgent need that you won’t be building relationships. People can sense the difference between someone out to use them for a short-term fix and someone who is looking for a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship. So, build your network in advance, so that it will already be there in time of need. Continue Reading »
Every movement needs a song and when Richard Swan came along to BNI, BNI found its song! Unveiled at the recent International Networking Week event in London. Have a look at Richard performing it on youtube.com by clicking on this link.
See how these group of entrepreneurs refused to participate in a recession and generated over Rs5 crores of new enquiries in one single day!
BNI Business Genies chapter has always set new standards in the history of BNI-India. The biggest chapter of BNI-India with around 55 members and Rs. 62.56 cr (US$12.51m) worth of business done in less than 3 years , it is among the 10% chapters in the world who has been awarded Continue Reading »
In the last couple of months I have been paying close attention to Linkedin as it is becoming more and more important to business people who are looking to create credibility for themselves. In one month (June 2010) Linkedin added over 5 million new users, taking the total to 70 million users. The great thing is that these are serious business owners and professionals on here. These are potential clients, suppliers and referral sources here. This is a serious business network. Having a good profile on Linkedin is crucial part of your social media strategy. Here are my 5 top tips for creating maximum impact.
