J25 BNI Derby Business Networking

Imagine you go into a restaurant and order a meal. It is time to order your meal and you ask your server for “food and a drink”. The server looks confused and doesn’t know what you want or what to bring you. So then say, “I’m looking for something. Bring me anything. I eat everything.”

This is the same approach that many people take to asking for a referral.

Unfortunately, this approach usually leads to being disappointed in the number and quality of referrals they receive.

The Power of Being Specific

Many BNI members resist making extremely specific requests. Specificity is counter intuitive at many levels. Here are some of the reasons why members object to being specific:

• People don’t want to be so specific that they miss out on another piece of business.
• Many people think that what they sell is good for everyone.

Marketing to everyone and anyone is their approach. Narrowing the focus goes against this.

Frequently, entrepreneurs are taking this “shotgun approach” and do not have specific markets or targets in mind.

Here are just a few of the reasons why being specific is good business:

The more specific you are in your contact requests more referrals you will receive.

A non-specific request for “any business with between 25 and 50 employees” or “anyone in the health care industry” doesn’t really jog anyones memory. As a result, it makes it very difficult for those who want to give you a referral to do so.

A specific request paints a word picture. A request for an introduction to “the office manager at the Titanium Laser Eye Clinic in Springfield” will paint a picture that will help people connect thedots better than “anyone who works in a doctors office”. It may lead to that specific introduction or (what usually happens) is many more introductions.

Specific requests make you easier to refer to rather than harder.

Specific requests lead to higher quality referrals.

Compare these referral requests:

I’d like to meet a small business person. I’d like an introduction to the Broker of the State Farm Insurance Office on Rockville Pike.

I’d like to talk to a lawyer. I’d like to meet the head of the McLean Estate Planning Council.

I want to talk to anyone who wants to sell their house.

I’m looking for an introduction to the HR Director at PBI.

A good referral is a newspaper. I’d like an introduction to Tom Burch who is the publisher of the Wilmington Sun.

Is Your Request Specific?

Specific requests contain:

• Company name
• Individual name or title/position

They do not contain the following words (or variations of these words):

• Some
• Every
• Any

Try being specific.