Welcome to the March 2012 edition of your BNI Australia Newsletter.  This month we have a few exciting announcements and lucrative opportunities in store for you!

Do you want to grow your network, and add more revenue for your business…?  Of course you do!

Excellent, now all you need to do is read on….

STOP PRESS!
Write to Grow Your Business - Become a BNI Guest Columnist 

We are keen to hear from BNI members and non-members who can offer written contributions on networking expertise that are interesting, educational pieces.

Being a BNI Guest Columnist gives you the unique opportunity to promote your business to a large network of readers adept at referral marketing. Reach many tens of thousands of potential new clients with one short, impactful article about networking or referral marketing.

How?  Find out here.

Feature Your Business on the BNI Blog!

How is this for a chance to network and meet new clients: Sign up to be a Featured Member on the BNI Blog and Facebook page!

Just complete our form and be in the running to introduce yourself and your business to your fellow 5,000+ BNI Australia members, and potential new clients.  Check out our latest featured members for some ideas how to create your profile.

Mark Your Diary –
Catch Up with Ivan Misner in 2012 

Dr Ivan Misner has been dubbed the “Father of Modern Networking” by CNN, the “Networking Guru” by Entrepreneur magazine. And he is a New York Times bestselling author.  And he is, of course, the Founder and Chairman of BNI, the world’s largest business networking organisation.

Ivan is considered one of the world’s leading experts on business networking and has been a keynote speaker for major corporations and associations throughout the world.  You can find out more about the man behind BNI here.

This year, BNI International’s founder will be in Australia for a whirlwind tour in May / June 2012.  Ivan will be visiting local chapters and promoting his new book, amazon.com bestseller “Business Networking and Sex”.

This is a great opportunity to meet Ivan face-to-face and, and learn some new tips & tricks from one of the world’s top networkers.

Ivan will visit a number of central business areas around the country, and there are plenty of opportunities to catch him (make sure you contact your local director for your regional events). And then it’s off to pack your bags and take a trip down networking lane!

Don’t miss out, get out your pen and mark your date in the diary now (click city to bookings and details or contact your local director):

• 31 May 2012 – Maroochydore
• 5 June 2012 – Brisbane
• 6 June 2012 – Sydney
• 7 June 2012 – Melbourne
• 13 June 2012 – Perth
• 14 June 2012 – Adelaide

Check out Ivan’s calendar for regular updates or go to our Facebook page for Ivan’s visit dates.

Loyalty: Why Two is Not Always Better than One 

Let’s move to a slightly controversial topic… The BNI exclusive membership rules which Ivan Misner addressed in a recent article.

There are many different types of networking groups – but they are not all equal regarding what they can do for you and your business, and how they achieve that success.  BNI stands out above most of these groups, because there are proven rules and concepts that ensure that you as a member will get the greatest possible benefit form BNI.

The March issue of SuccessNet online carried an article from Ivan Misner, in which he highlights why members can’t belong to two BNI groups.  And why you can’t belong to BNI and a group like BNI.  Read When Are Two Not Better than One? and let us know your thoughts on this hot topic via a comment on the site.

2012 – What Will You Achieve Through BNI?

And while we are on the topic of the benefits of the BNI system for our members: This month we take another look at how the depth and quality of your business network are key assets that can get you through the financial storms have been blowing strongly, around the globe.

Female Business Owners: The Social Über-Connectors 

How does the fairer sex prefer to network? Based on personal experience and the results from the recent AWCCI national poll, BNI Sydney CBD South co-director Louise Greenup shares her insights into how and why women are social creatures uniquely adapt at networking,

Last, but not least, we would love to hear your thoughts on all things networking, so do drop us a line on our blog or Facebook page.

Until soon, in your next BNI newsletter edition.

Warmest regards,

Frederick Marcoux
National Director BNI Australia

Welcome to the February edition of your BNI Australia Newsletter.  This month we are focussing on the best strategy possible for building your business.  That’s right – networking!  We have a feast of networking articles for you, so let’s get started.

But first …

“Business Networking and Sex”

Whoa!  We thought that might get your attention.  And so did Dr Ivan Misner, the founder of BNI, when he chose it for the title of his latest book.

Not only has the book landed on our shores now, but Dr Misner himself will be here for a whirlwind tour in June 2012.  So don’t miss out!  This is an excellent opportunity to meet Dr Misner and learn from one of the world’s best networkers.

Dr Misner’s touring dates and cities can be found here.  Make sure you contact your local director for regional events!

Network With The Best: BNI Australia

From that invigorating start we move on to take a look at all the different types of networking groups it is possible to join.  There are plenty out there – but they are not all equal regarding what they can do for you and your business, and how.

Some are industry-specific while others aim to mix business with social activities.  Are you finding it hard to work out which ones to join?  We outline all the different types of networking groups to help you make the best decision for your networking goals.

Networking As A Group

As we all know, there are so many benefits to networking in a group, but what about networking as a group?  Even more benefits!

And this is the subject of the next article in our Top 10 Tips for Networking series.  Networking “as a group” means networking with “bragging buddies,” that is people who can tell others how good we are.  Read on to find out more about this very effective strategy.

Learn All About It … With BNI Learning

Another great way to become a master networker, is to check out the BNI Learning website.  BNI Learning is packed with great podcasts and training units to help you stay ahead of the competition.  So check it out today.

From Strength to Strength:
How To Make Your Chapter A Success

Love all these networking ideas, and want to see them in action?  No problem.  In this article we look at one of the most successful chapters in the history of BNI in Australia, BNI All About Business (“BNI AAB”).

This chapter just won the regional BNI Best Chapter 2011 award, and more than a third of its members were awarded the Gold Networker 2011 title for conducting 50 plus dances over the last year each. Ramon “Ray” Cura even took away the only Black Belt 2011 award – for doing over one hundred 1-on-1 meetings in the past year alone!  No surprise the AAB lot are so successful, with that level of commitment! Congratulations to all BNI All About Business members from all of us here at BNI Australia.

Roland Hanekroot from BNI AAB (and fresh recipient of the coveted BNI honours of Best Growth Member 2011 and Most Valuable Player 2011 for his commitment to BNI) shares his thoughts on what makes a great networking group with Paul McKinley from BNI Referral Partners.  Read on to find out the secrets of All About Business’s networking success.

Star in Your Own BNI Feature!

How is this for a chance to network and meet new people:  Sign up to be a Featured Member on the BNI Blog and Facebook page!

Just complete our form here and be in the running to introduce yourself and your business to your fellow BNI Australia members (all 5,000 of you!) and potential new clients.  Check out our latest featured members for some ideas how to create your profile.

Last, but certainly not least, we would love to hear your thoughts on all things networking, so do drop us a line on our blog or Facebook page.

Until soon, in your next BNI newsletter edition.

Warmest Regards
Frederick Marcoux
Australian National Director
BNI Australia