Your Professional Image Starts in This Room
When we think about referrals, we often focus on skills, credibility, and results. But here’s the truth: before anyone here refers you to their clients, they’re making decisions based on something much simpler — how you show up in this room.
Every single week, you are auditioning. Whether you realize it or not, the impression you make during chapter meetings is the impression people assume you’ll make with their clients.
If you show up late to meetings, people assume you’ll show up late to appointments.
If you’re distracted — driving during Zoom calls, looking at your phone, or multitasking — members assume you’ll give the same half-assed attention to their referrals. And trust me, we can tell when you’re multitasking.
On the flip side, if you show up prepared, dressed professionally, engaged in the conversation, and going above and beyond for the chapter, members assume you’ll treat their clients with that same level of professionalism and care.
No one in this room is obligated to refer to anyone else. We are here because we want the best of the best in every industry, so that we WANT to refer to one another. Because we want to show off the skills of the members to our clients.
Think of it this way: Referring someone is not a small thing. When I refer you, I’m attaching my name, my reputation, and my credibility to your work. If you shine, I shine. If you fumble, I take the hit right along with you. That’s why your behavior in this chapter matters so much — it’s the preview we all get of how you’ll represent us to the people we trust most: our clients, our colleagues, our friends.
BNI is more than networking — it’s trust-building. And trust is built through the small things: showing up on time, giving your full attention, dressing like a professional, and engaging with respect. Those little habits tell us exactly what kind of professional you are outside these walls. Think about the way that you act when you are having a meeting with your MOST IMPORTANT client. And then act that same way in BNI meetings. Because we may just make the introduction to your next MOST IMPORTANT client.
Action Item: This week, ask yourself: If a visitor watched me in this meeting – and we’ve got a few visitors here today, would I look like the kind of professional they’d want to hire? And then, take one small step to elevate your presence — whether that’s showing up 5 minutes earlier, dressing a little sharper, cleaning up the piles of laundry in the background of camera, or closing your laptop tabs so you’re fully present. Because how you show up here is how we’ll trust you to show up out there.
Author:
Emma Tang
Website and Graphic Design
585-703-1256
design@emmatang.com
https://emmatang.com
