Hall of Fame Profile: Ivan Misner, Business Networking International (BNI)

Dr. Ivan Misner is the Founder & CEO of Business Network Int'l (BNI), a business and professional networking organization that offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and most importantly, referrals.

BNI was founded in 1985. The organization has over 2,800 chapters throughout North America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa and is now the world's largest professional business networking organization. Last year alone, BNI generated over 2.5 million referrals resulting in over $856 million dollars worth of business for its members.

Dr. Misnerís Ph.D. is from the University of Southern California. He has written six books, including his New York Times best seller Masters of Networking. He is a monthly contributor to the Expert Section of Entrepreneur.com and serves on the faculty of Business at Cal Poly University, Pomona as well as the Board of Directors for the Colorado School of Professional Psychology.

Called the "Networking Guru" by Entrepreneur magazine, Dr. Misner is a keynote speaker for major corporations and associations throughout the world. He has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, L.A. Times, N.Y. Times, CEO Magazine and numerous TV and radio shows including CNBC and the BBC in London. In addition, Dr. Misner has twice been nominated for Inc. Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

The following excerpt comes from the "Reach Out And Connect" chapter in Get Slightly Famous. Here, Misner discusses the importance of developing networking contact spheres, which are at the heart of any "slightly" famous marketing strategy.

Tips from the Guru
Ivan Misner on Developing a Networking Contact Sphere

Dr. Ivan Misner, co-author of Masters of Networking, and founder of BNI (Business Network International), the largest networking organization in the world, believes that every goal is attainable if you cultivate "human" resources. "Networking is a natural part of life. Each of us relies on a network of people we know and trust," says Misner.

A network starts with any group (formal or informal), organization, institution, company, or individual you associate with for either business or personal reasons. We all have many networks, both formal and informal, to which we belong - groups some call "contact spheres", in which you can develop and benefit from symbiotic relationships.

"My favorite example of a contact sphere is the caterer, the florist, the photographer, and the travel agent. I call this the "wedding mafia" says Misner. "If one gets a referral to a wedding, then they all get a referral to the wedding. These professions, more than most, have truly learned how to work their contact sphere."

Here are a few basic principles Misner recommends for focusing your efforts:

• Identify as many professions as possible that fit within your company's contact sphere. Take a look at the professions your industry tends to work with, so as to get an idea of the natural sources of repeat and reciprocal referrals. Create a list of these professions.
• Identify specific individuals who could fit into your contact sphere. Go to various networking groups, and build your business-card file and database.
• Invite these people to participate in networking groups with you, so that you can formalize your relationship and have a way to stay in regular contact. Maintaining the relationship is key. A good way to do that is to participate in groups that bring you together on a regular basis.
• Evaluate those professionals in your contact sphere to whom you refer clients. If they are not reciprocating, you may have to replace them with others who are willing and able to reciprocate.