Summary: Synopsis Dr. Misner has recommended getting involved in service organizations since he wrote his very first book. Involvement in these groups expands the depth and breadth of your networking. In this episode, he thought he'd get more specific about how to decide which groups to get involved with. People who volunteer demonstrate their commitment to a cause without concern for personal gain, so you should be volunteering with organizations that you have genuine interest in and concern about. Volunteering is not a recreational activity: it's a serious commitment. Here are 9 points to consider. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time, and is there any connection to serving the community? What hobbies do you enjoy, and do they provide any opportunities for volunteering? What sports do you know well enough to coach or teach? What brings you joy and satisfaction? What social, political, or health issue are you passionate about? What are three organizations that you can identify that appeal to you? Choose the one that most appeals to you and research the group online. Will that group give you the opportunity to meet one of your professional or personal goals? Will you have an opportunity to connect with other people who will be supportive of your business? After visiting the group, do you still want to make a final commitment of your time? Are other group members satisfied with the organization? Brought to you by Networking Now. Complete Transcript of BNI Podcast Episode 362 - Priscilla: Hello everyone and welcome back to The Official BNI Podcast brought to you by NetworkingNow.com, which is the leading site on the net for networking downloadables. I am Priscilla Rice, and I am coming to you from Live Oak Recording Studio in Berkeley, CA. I am joined on the phone today by the Founder and Chairman of BNI, Dr. Ivan Misner. Hello Ivan. How are you and where are you? Ivan: Hi Priscilla. I am doing great and as you know, I have been touring much of Europe for BNI. This week I am in beautiful Paris. I brought my wife and we are taking a little bit of time for ourselves as well as pulling away to do these very important podcasts. Priscilla: Oh that sound wonderful. I wish I was with you. Ivan: It's part of our 25th wedding anniversary, so it is, you know, probably just us. Priscilla: Okay, well I won't tag on to your trip. Ivan: Today we are going to talk about something I haven't talked a lot about in podcasts. That is visibility through volunteering. Starting with my very first book - which most people don't realize that The World's Best Known Marketing Secret was actually my second book. My first book was Networking for Success. I think it sold 20 copies. Nobody knows about it. But even in that book, I talked about the importance of diversifying your networks. Social organizations, I should say, were one of the kinds of groups that I recommended. In other words, volunteering. I have been pretty consistent with that over the years. I think volunteering is a great way to get visibility in the communities. So I recommend it. What I thought I would do here for BNI members is kind of give some ideas on what kind of groups and what should you think about when you are volunteering for a service organization. One of the first steps toward networking your business is to be more visible in your community. Remember that people need to know you. They need to like you, trust you, in order to refer you. Volunteering can actually position you in order for you to meet key people in the community- a connection with people who share your passion. It gives you opportunities to demonstrate your talent, your skills, your integrity plus your ability to follow up and do what you say you are going to do. It instantly expands the depth and the breadth of your networking. It’s counter- intuitive. People don't think with volunteering they are wasting their time from a business perspective.
