International Networking Week in Ithaca - 2013

Referral Institute Ithaca Celebrates International Networking Week!

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Monday, February 4th: Certified Networker Masters
in Ithaca, $60
A gathering of participants of the Certified Networker Program and members of the Ithaca Referrals for Life Community. Certified Networker Masters runs from 8am to 11am at the Referral Institute Ithaca offices at 2333 N. Triphammer Road, Suite 501. If you've graduated from Certified Networker or are in your year in the program, you are welcome to participate in the monthly Masters event.
Details, Pricing and Registration: http://www.referralinstitute.com/franchise/program_details.php?F1=111&P1=207&P2=FS&fe=00986f6b4e

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Tuesday, February 5th: Marketing Your Business with Word-of-Mouth
at Cayuga Community College in Auburn, New York, $79
This is a workshop for business owners, entrepreneurs, sales people, and non-profit board members and staff members. Do you have responsibility for finding and cultivating new prospects, clients, patients, customers, supporters, or donors? This workshop will open your eyes to the dozens of things you can do to be successful at growing your business by referral. Do you need structure to turn your networking activities into fun and results-oriented investments of your time? Do you want to serve more people? This is the class for you.
https://registration.xenegrade.com/cayuga/courseDisplay.cfm?schID=2474

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Wednesday, February 6th:
International Networking Week Party!
6pm - 8pm, Free!
Corks and More (708 West Buffalo Street, Ithaca)

Celebrate and network at Ithaca's First International Networking Week® party! The goal of International Networking Week® is to celebrate the key role that networking plays in the development and success of businesses across the world. Simultaneous events will be held globally to celebrate International Networking Week®. Come and meet members of Ithaca area BNI Chapters, The Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, The SEEN, Tompkins Connect, Rotary Clubs, and many other Ithaca-Tompkins networks.

Free and open to the public!
Details and RSVP: http://www.facebook.com/events/523860090991605/
This event is sponsored by Referral Institute Ithaca.

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Thursday, February 7th: Referral Success 101
in Ithaca, SPECIAL International Networking Week Deal: Use Coupon Code "INW" for a $60 discount off of the program price (regular price is $97).
8am to 11am

Are you getting all the referrals you want for your business?

Do you get referrals predictably and consistently or by chance?

Business owners understand the value of referrals but they don't often have control over their referral business. Referral marketing is the most effective form of marketing for businesses with limited marketing budgets. If you are willing to invest the time to learn specific referral marketing strategies, tools, and techniques you can double, even triple your sales in months without spending additional marketing dollars.
Attend a three hour class on how to make referral marketing work for your business.
If you don't have a referral marketing plan for your business, this session is a must!
You will learn how to develop a strategic referral network, who should be in it, how to find them, and how to motivate those people to refer business to you.
This class will open your eyes to the possibilities of generating more sales in less time by doing business by relationship. Unless you can find more time and work harder than you already are, you can't afford to miss this class. You will learn some specific techniques that will enable you to really work smarter, not harder.

http://www.referralinstitute.com/franchise/program_details.php?F1=111&P1=43&P2=RS&fe=006b6fc858

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Friday, February 8th:

The 18 Tactics to Motivate Your Network
Special INW Price: $99 

Details here: http://www.referralinstitute.com/franchise/program_details.php?F1=111&P1=232&P2=FS&fe=00bf6fc7eb

Use coupon code: "INW" for the $150 Discount

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Special Pre-International Networking Week Program:
Green Drinks at Northstar!
Wednesday, January 30th, 7-9pm
Free and open to the public
http://www.facebook.com/events/410628829012331/



Special Post-International Networking Week Programs:
Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce: Member Orientation
Monday, February 11th, 9am - 10:30am
Meet other chamber members, chamber staff, board members, and learn a lot more about the Chamber of Commerce. This program is free and open to any member of the Tompkins County Chamber.
At the Chamber Office (904 East Shore Drive)

Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce: Business After Hours
Wednesday, February 13th, 5pm-7pm
Franziska Racker Center
3226 Wilkins Road, Ithaca, NY
http://business.tompkinschamber.org/Events/details/february-2013-business-after-hours-at-franziska-racker-center-186638

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I hope you can join me for some of these great networking and learning events! See you at International Networking Week!

Day 1: Your year in photos

We received a new digital camera (Canon EOS Rebel T3) for Christmas last December 25th. As of this morning (December 2nd), I've taken (with the help of Arjan, and a few others) over 8400 photos this year. There isn't an easy way to sum up and entire year that included the birth of Natasha (February 2nd) all the way through her turning 10 months old (today); as well as the amazing growth of my business and the students and participants in my business. To quickly try to get it all - here are two photos from Certified Networker graduation events. These were almost bookends to the year with on on January 5th and one on October 18th. In between are two photos from a local photographer (Dede Hatch) of Arjan, Natasha, and me. The three of us in one photo is rare. So that's the year (and 1 month to go!).

Small Box Challenge: 31 days, 31 posts

I decided to take the Small Box Challenge with the Think Kit which is a daily prompt for a daily blog. The Goal is a blog a day for the entire month of December. My friend (and Referral Institute colleague) Hazel M. Walker turned me on to this idea.

I haven't been writing about anything as much as I would really like to. The Think Kit posts a prompt - I'll try  to use that. This is the prompt for December 1st:

Dec 1: Your year in photos
Did one photo encapsulate your year? Maybe it takes a gallery. Go out and take a new one that represents your year if you need to. Let's see those photos.

Links:
http://www.smallboxweb.com/think-kit
http://hazelmwalker.com/

Why All BNI Members Should Attend Leadership Team Training

I'm a member of a local BNI Chapter here in Ithaca (The BNI Thumbs Up Chapter). BNI is unique because it offers structure, commitment, and training as part of their weekly program.

One level of training is called "Leadership Training" and while there is a focus on helping a few members learn how to run the chapter, it is setup for all members. Here are a few reasons why all BNI Members should attend leadership team training (every 6 months).

• BNI training preserves the system and the culture, it keeps chapters from making the same errors over and over again.
• Training is how we pass along this wisdom to leaders and members so they can avoid having to learn the hard way.
• BNI Leadership Training is about how to lead a chapter effectively.  And the concepts can be used at BNI and transferred to other areas of our lives.  BNI training contains ideas and tips that can help lead any group effectively.
• You cannot expect great results from anyone without providing guidance and training on what the expectations of the organization are. 
• BNI adds ideas and material all the time. The manuals are updated and revised with almost every Leadership Team training. The system is constantly being improved.
• Education is one of the core competencies of this organization. It is one of the things that sets BNI aside from other networking organizations and it is absolutely an important element in the success and wild growth the company has seen world-wide. 
• BNI works when people know the system and understand how to implement it. Don’t accept anything less! BNI without a trained Leadership Team is “BNI-Light.” So, if you ever hear someone in your group who wants to be on the Leadership Team but doesn’t want to go through the training – give them this article and tell them you want a “trained” pilot to fly your plane! 

Ivan Misner's List of Benefits:
1. Gain valuable contacts with other members of Leadership Teams whom you can call for info or to bounce ideas off of-
2. Learn the responsibilities of your Leadership Team role
3. Learn common errors and how to prevent them
4. Get your specific questions answered
5. Receive the Leadership Team manual and learn about it in depth
6. Learn the “hidden elements” of the meeting – WHY we do what we do
7. Bond with the other members of your Leadership Team outside the meeting
8. Learn what other local chapters are doing
9. Get good ideas about how to “energize” your meetings (i.e. meeting stimulants)
10. Get to know your Director(s)
11. Network with other BNI members
12. Hit the ground running when you take over a leadership role in the chapter
13. Learn how to handle chapter problems or complaints (skills which help in your own business also!)
14. Gain access to BNINet (BNI’s database system)
15. Gain access to the Leadership Only section.
16. Get a nifty Leadership Team ribbon for your name badge!
17. Help your chapter grow and prosper
18. Get updates on the organization and changes to the manual
19. Share your knowledge and experience (especially LT members who’ve attended before)
20. Have fun!
21. Cross-train people on the different positions
22. Make sure your plane has a pilot!

Here are some articles on BNI Leadership Team trainings:
http://bnimidlands.wordpress.com/2012/08/27/why-training/
http://www.bnidvr.com/cgi-bin/viewnlcontent.cgi?nlarticle_id=30
http://www.bnipodcast.com/2011/07/20/episode-214-why-leadership-team-training/

Open Networking? What's that?

It isn't net-sit or net-eat - it's net-WORK: So spend some time getting to know the people you are networking with each week. Here are some great questions to make your open networking education and a lot more fun.


1. Who are your three best clients?

2. What is the most common misconception about your business?

3. What is your favorite part of your profession?

4. Do you have children, and if so how many? What are their ages and interests?

5. How did you find out about BNI and why did you decide to join?

6. Do you have any hobbies, interests, or sports you are involved in?

7. Are you a member of a professional association? If so, which one? What does it mean to you to be a member and what has it done for you?

8. What is the one job or client that sticks out in your mind and why?

9. How did your past experiences lead you to the profession you are in today?

10. If you had to start all over again, what would you do differently in your career?

Try using these the next few times you network - add them to your conversational repertoire - and if you really want to increase your effectiveness - create a profile of your referral sources and add the answers to these questions so you can better remember their details.

Room Full of Referrals - 2/15/2012

If you want to have more fun networking this year, be a lot more effective, help a lot more people, and get better results - this is the best program to participate in. The program is $79, and $59 if you register by Friday, February 10th.

Wednesday, February 15th:
9am - Noon: Referral Institute Ithaca's Room Full of Referrals:

Participants will all get to do a self-assessment on their own behavior style, followed by an interactive workshop where they will first learn how to identify the other behavior styles, better know their own dominant style, and then learn to adapt to be supportive and to honor the relationships of the other three styles.

Details and Registration information:

http://www.referralinstitute.com/franchise/program_details.php?F1=111&P1=74&P2=RS&fe=00686f2689

International Networking Week - Ithaca

The goal of International Networking Week® is to celebrate the key role that networking plays in the development and success of businesses across the world.  Simultaneous events will be held globally to celebrate International Networking Week.

International Networking Week® is an initiative of BNI®.

The purpose of International Networking Week® is to raise the profile of networking in the wider community, recognizing it as an essential tool for success in today’s business climate.

This week in Ithaca:
Tuesday, February 7th
7:15am - BNI Ithaca Thumbs Up Chapter, http://www.ithacathumbsup.com/

Noon to 1:30pm - 2012 Economic Summit, Lake Watch Inn, http://business.tompkinschamber.org/Events/details/2012-economic-summit

4:30pm - 6pm - Finger Lakes Entrepreneurs Forum (FLEF) - Gimme Coffee Roasting Facility, RSVP and details: http://flef.org/?event=february-fllef-meeting

Wednesday, February 8th
1pm - 2pm - 'Help! My Logo Sucks' webinar by Certified Networker Program graduate Julia Reich of Julia Reich Design. http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/resources/live-webinars/help-my-logo-sucks/ and http://www.juliareichdesign.com/


5pm-7pm - Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at the Finger Lakes Wine Center, http://business.tompkinschamber.org/Events/details/february-business-after-hours-at-the-finger-lakes-wine-center

Thursday, February 9th
7:30am - BNI Cayuga Lake Connections Chapter, http://bnineny.com/ny-rochester-bni---cayuga-lake-connections/

8:00am - BNI Summit Chapter, http://bnineny.com/ny-rochester-bni---summit/

5:30pm - 8pm - The SEEN Presents - Local Investing for Community Wealth - Sponsored by Certified Networker Greg Pitts of Natural Investments, http://www.facebook.com/events/222442571183114/ and Greg Pitts' website: http://naturalinvesting.com/about-ni/greg-pitts

Friday, February 10th
6pm - 10pm - Grand Opening and Open House of Studio West (516 W. State Street / 516 MLK, Ithaca, NY) - http://studiowestithaca.com/ Hosted by Certified Networkers Danielle Klock, Greg Kops, and Scott Hamilton!
6:30pm - Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting at Studio West (516 W. State Street / 516 MLK, Ithaca, NY) - http://studiowestithaca.com/

NEXT WEEK:
Wednesday, February 15th:
9am - Noon: Referral Institute Ithaca's Room Full of Referrals:

Participants will all get to do a self-assessment on their own behavior style, followed by an interactive workshop where they will first learn how to identify the other behavior styles, better know their own dominant style, and then learn to adapt to be supportive and to honor the relationships of the other three styles.
http://www.referralinstitute.com/franchise/program_details.php?F1=111&P1=74&P2=RS&fe=00686f2689
If you want to have more fun networking this year, be a lot more effective, help a lot more people, and get better results - this is the best program to participate in. The program is $79, and $59 if you register by Friday, February 10th.