Education Moment: What Is the Point of One-to-Ones?

The simplest answer is that in order to find success in referral marketing, the relationships you are building with your referral partners have to be nurtured just like any other relationship. In BNI speak, there are 3 phases of networking, which is known as the VCP Process: Visibility, Credibility, and Profitability. A business relationship without visibility or credibility cannot be profitable, and effective one-to-ones can help to establish both.

Our weekly 45 (soon to be 30) second commercials are not enough visibility. Meaningful one-to-ones help you take relationships with other members, especially newer members, from casual and surface level to solid and strong from repeated exposure from learning more about each other’s businesses and ideal clients. Initial one-to-ones should be structured using the GAINS worksheet. GAINS stands for Goals, Accomplishments, Interests, Networks, and Skills. This sheet is available on our website. You may need to have multiple one-to-ones with each member in order to truly feel like you’ve learned enough about them in order to feel comfortable referring to them.

This ties into the next phase of networking: credibility. Quality one-to-ones help foster credibility, especially when done right. When you show up on time, are focused, have an agenda, ask specific questions about the member’s business, give examples about what makes your product(s) and/or services effective, you are building credibility and instilling confidence, which helps your fellow members to better refer you.

By: Alexis Diaz, Esq.

Alexis Diaz is the founder of Diaz Law Group, P.C., a personal injury law firm. She is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey. After working as a trial attorney for several prestigious law firms, she opened her own firm in 2019. She handles motor vehicle accidents, construction accidents, and premises liability cases from inception to trial. She prides herself on giving her clients the personalized attention they need and fights hard from day one to get them the compensation they deserve. Alexis has also been selected to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list in 2023 and 2024.

Phone: 212-227-7475
Email: adiaz@diazlawgroup.com
Website: https://www.diazlawgroup.com