Hey everyone, my name is Steve Black, Executive Director for BNI West & South-Central Texas and founder of Referality. My job is to network with other people. Meet new people. Engage in conversation. Prior to the pandemic, that is what I did every single week. The last 18 months, not so much. They say networking is a contact sport. You need to be there. With the changes in the world and with technology I don’t think that it is as necessary as it used to be, but old habits die hard and...

Accountability essentially means 'being held responsible for the things you do'. It's essentially a form of responsibility that means 'the buck stops with you' and it's actually incredibly important. Here I’m going to talk about what accountability really means in terms of psychology and at why it's so important.

Most businesspeople are at their best in face-to-face meetings with prospects, when they've got notes and sales materials with them and are prepared for the meeting. But, what about when you don't know who you'll be meeting a the next networking event? Being knowledgeable about your profession is just one of the keys to creating influence that lasts.

Is there someone in your profession or industry, and in your local community, that people automatically think of when when talking about what you do or what your job is? They're well known at the local chamber of commerce, or everyone seems to know who they are when you attend networking or social events. Could you name that person? Do you want to be that person? On this podcast I'm going to be talking about becoming the known authority and expert in your industry and in your local community.

Today, I’m going to be talking about listening. To be more accurate, I’m going to be talking about actively listening versus just hearing. It’s easy to confuse listening with hearing, but understanding the differences will help you communicate better. Whether you’re interested in improving personal or professional relationships, active listening is essential. Can you hear me? Are you listening?

Your ideal customer is also your ideal referral. Do you know how to describe them to your referral sources or BNI Members in your chapter? At the end you'll get the opportunity to register for my free Masterclass Training, Get the Right Referrals Every Time. You can also register here and not have to listen to the podcast: https://www.referality.com/ideal-referral. I'll be sad you missed the podcast of course.

What is influence and why does it matter?

Each of us belongs to many different societies both online and in the real world and our social and technological changes in recent years have made these skills an absolute necessity, especially in business. Therefore, brushing up on our social skills is vital to our business success. This week, I’m going to talk about 9 different ways you can develop social skills to help you be more successful.

Think about all the emails and sales pages you’ve seen just in this last week, touting a new class, product, or service. Very often businesses will highlight the features and benefits of their latest creation but then fall short because they didn’t include a story. The art of storytelling in business can be crucial to your success. It can mean the difference between having a sales funnel full of referrals or barely getting a client because you’re connecting with the wrong people. People will...

Everyone needs a tribe of raving fans, right? The more digital we become, the more customers expect to have even more interaction with the businesses they love. Think about your two-way communication as an opportunity to expand by understanding what your customers want and what you have that helps them. This communication builds lasting relationships and a loyal customer base. People need to feel that they are an active part of the companies they follow. You have great products. You provide...

Nothing beats a good first impression, except for a good follow up but that’s for another day... Making a great first impression isn’t always easy, but it can make a huge difference to how quickly you can build a relationship with other businesses that will benefit both you and them. Today I wanted to share a few ideas on what would impress, or not impress me the first time we meet, either virtually or in person. While I think this is not only great advice on making a good first impression,...

How on earth do you expect people to give you great referrals if you don't know who they are? Every business markets their products or services either through paid or free advertising sources, or both. Paid advertising includes things like print, TV, Radio or Billboards. Free advertising sources could be social media (though you can choose to pay to play on those platforms as well). If you have done any form of advertising or marketing, you probably knew where to market your products and...

According to the book The 29% Solution, written by Dr. Ivan Misner and Michelle R Donovan, “Networking is the process of developing contacts and relationships to increase your business, enhance your knowledge, expand your sphere of influence, or serve the community.” Which means, the things we do that we would normally call networking, such as attending networking events, helping other people, giving referrals are actually the tools and systems we use in networking. What most of us lack, me...

Give thanks. Pay it Forward. We all need to be in a good place and giving thanks for what we have and giving thanks to other people can make a difference in our lives as well as theirs. Happy Thanksgiving!

While there’s no one pathway for discovering your life’s purpose, there are many ways you can gain deeper insight into yourself, a larger perspective on what it is you have to offer to the world. The word “inspire” comes from Latin, meaning “to breathe life into.” This makes sense because when you’re working toward things that inspire you and that you feel passionately about, it makes you feel alive. So, what topics and subjects can you talk about for hours? What makes you feel a fire in...

This week I decided to talk about your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Every business should have a USP, no matter how small and even if you are an individual or independent contractor. The USP needs to be about how you are different/better than your competitors. Your message, if done correctly, will resonate with your target market and help you get more of the right customers and referrals.

Today I wanted to introduce myself and why I do what I do and then start talking about the first steps to being referable, your brand. Without a brand that targets your ideal customers and identifies who you are and what you stand for, any referral asking or messaging you do my just end up going to the wrong people or even worse, get you the wrong referrals.