BNI國際組織台灣區負責人
英國蘇薩克斯地區BNI執行董事 安德魯˙霍
98年2月6日訪BNI台北旗艦分會
8分鐘演講內容
翻譯：台北旗艦分會主席 英揚留學顧問公司總經理 張友義
圖左一：分會會長張友義、左二：講員Andrew Hall
在會議開始前我很樂意分享BNI總部剛剛公佈的過去一年最新統計數字。截至今年1月，BNI在世界40個國家共有5291分會，擁有超過十一萬一千名會員，共累積560萬引薦單，共創造約23億美元的成交金額。在台灣，我們已有6間分會，共126名會員。
去年我很榮幸參加在美國洛杉磯舉行的BNI國際會議，有機會深入了解BNI發展的歷史。BNI在25年前創立了全世界的第一間分會--鑽石酒吧分會(Diamond Bar Chapter)，如今該分會已經成為35名會員的分會，每週引薦單數量超過70單。我去參加他們的分會例行早餐會時，令我震驚的是該分會有三個創始會員從開始到如今仍然活躍的參加例會，與發起人Ivan Misner坐在一起積極的互相引薦生意。
在我的心裡擁有一個特殊的地位的，就只有一個創始分會，也就是-旗艦分會-因為這是我們在台灣成立的第一間分會。我很願意看到這一間分會也成為在台灣最大的一間BNI分會，比其他間分會都能創造出更多的引薦生意。我想與大家分享來自我家鄉地區的故事，希望能有助於你們的發展。
我與我的妻子繼紅在英國蘇塞克斯地區(Sussex)發展BNI分會。它是在英國最大的地區，共有31間分會、800多個會員。我們分會-霍夫˙阿爾比恩—(Hove Albion)位於倫敦南部海岸，在觀光勝地布萊頓(Brighton)的旁邊。這個分會不是BNI在英國的第一間分會，但它是在蘇塞克斯地區的創始分會。如同BNI目前在台灣一樣，當時BNI的觀念在該地區仍非常新鮮，人們不知道該怎麼做來具體實現BNI的理念，在運作一年後，他們的會員人數減少到最低只有5人。
這是十幾年前的事，經過恢復和重建期，如今這個分會仍持續發展，目前已經成為擁有41個成員、每週引薦單超過90單的壯大的分會。
當他們逐漸成長到有10名會員時，他們做的第一件事就是要有宛如是一間大型分會的態勢，他們需要當下就採取行動，就好像他們已經是一個大型分會：
在一個大型分會裡，沒有人會缺席。大型分會往往會有許多人等候著試圖加入。缺席意味著你在分會的資格將被取代，你將失去生意機會，故大型分會的出席率都是百分百。我最近電話聯絡一位標誌製造商，他曾是勝利分會的會員，該分會是一個在蘇塞克斯地區有40位會員的分會。他因出席率不佳，會員資格被別人取代，他告訴我因為失去他的會員資格使他一年損失五萬英鎊的商機。關於這點我沒有辦法幫他任何的忙。霍夫分會當時就決定要有100 ％的出勤率。
在一個大型分會，會員都很早就到會。6點就佈置好會場，會員最晚都在6點45分以前就抵達。所以霍夫分會也同意要如此做。畢竟，作為一個小分會，他們需要花多一些時間發展人脈網路，以便能為每位會員創造最大的業務機會。
在一個大型的分會，如果您想讓您的60秒自我介紹能吸引到更多目光，你需要製造一些麻煩事使你的介紹顯得更特別，例如直接尋找客戶或公司。霍夫分會也這樣做，並開始產生一些另人難以置信的引薦成果，即使他們的規模仍然很小。
在一個大分會中，會員在每次聚會時都會提供引薦單與介紹來賓。當你有眾多的會員可以引薦業務時，這是很自然的結果。霍夫分會決定現在就要這樣，所以他們的會員都同意要為彼此更努力付出。在引薦的時段裡，沒有人被允許說“今天沒有引薦”。會員都帶來引薦單、來賓、見證詞，或書面邀請來賓下週參加等等。他們使在一個星期內會忘記BNI這件事成為不可能，分會會長每個星期一都會發出訊息，提醒每位會員在這個星期裡他們要做的事。
這些在10年前做的決定已經成為分會的文化。我們剛與蘇塞克斯地區所有31個分會的領導團隊成員舉辦團隊領導人早餐會，在會中我們提供他們一些最新的組織發展建議，並對最佳的領導團隊給予獎勵。在本地區中獲得最佳績效獎項的團隊就是霍夫˙阿爾比恩分會。
霍夫˙阿爾比恩分會已經達到成功，因為在10年前，該分會每名會員都作出了一項決定，在這個分會中每個人都投資一點點個人的聲譽，使分會達到最佳的表現。毫無疑問的，如果你們可以從他們的靈感中學習，你們的分會也將會成長到不僅是在台灣成立的第一間分會，也是一間真正能掌握BNI在台灣發展方向之舵的旗艦分會。
演講原文如下：
Flagship Chapter Meeting
8 Minutes Presentation
By Mr. Andrew Hall, Executive Director
BNI Sussex Region, England, UK
The latest figures for the past year have just been released by BNI Central office and I thought I would start by sharing these with you. As of January, there were 5,291 chapters in 40 countries across the world, with over 111,000 members. Last year members of BNI passed more than 5.6million referrals generating an estimated US$2.3billion in referred business. In Taiwan, we now have 6 chapters launched with 126 members.
Last year, when I attended the International conference for BNI in the US, I took the time to visit a piece of history. The Diamond Bar chapter was the first group ever to be launched, almost 25 years ago. Today they have 35 members and on the week I was with them passed more than 70 referrals. What stunned me on my visit was that there were three members in the group who had been there from the very beginning, sitting then alongside Ivan Misner as they sought referrals for each other.
There can only ever be ONE first chapter, and this group – the Flagship chapter – holds a special place in my heart because this is our founding chapter in Taiwan. I would love to see this group as also one of the largest groups in Taiwan, passing more business than any other and I thought to help you on your way, I would share with you a story from my home region.
My wife, Jihong and I run the Sussex region in the UK. It is the largest region in the UK with 31 chapters and more than 800 members. Our region is by the coast, south of London. The Hove Albion chapter sits next to a large town called Brighton on the seafront. It was not the first chapter in the UK, but it was one of the first to be launched in Sussex. As now in Taiwan, BNI was very new then – people did not know what would soon be achieved, and as they passed through their first year, the number of members dwindled down to a low of just 5.
That was ten years ago, and what began then was a revival and renewal that has continued right up until this day where Hove currently have 41 members and pass more than 90 referrals per week.
The first thing the chapter did, when it had recovered to more than 10 members, was realise as a group that if they were going to be a big chapter, they needed to act NOW as if they were already a big chapter:
In a large chapter, no one is absent. Large groups often have waiting lists of people attempting to join. Be absent and you will lose your place and the business so attendance is full. I took a call from a sign maker who had been removed from the Victory chapter – another group of 40 - in Sussex recently. He had been thrown out for non attendance and told me the loss of his place would cot him £50,000 a year. There was nothing I could do – the group had already replaced him. The small Hove group would have 100% attendance.
In a big group, members get there very early. The door is set up at 6:00, members arrive at the latest by 6:45, so the Hove group agreed to do that right now. After all, as a small chapter, they needed to spend time together networking to maximise the business they could produce for each other.
In a large group, if you want to be noticed in your 60 seconds, you need to take the trouble to be SPECIFIC – asking directly for company’s or clients that you would like. Hove would do the same – and started generating some incredible referrals even though they were still small.
In a big group, members contribute referrals and visitors to almost every meeting. It is the natural result of having so many other members you can refer. Hove wanted that NOW, so they agreed to work hard for each other. At the contribution section, no-one was allowed to say “Nothing today” – members brought a referral, a visitor, a written testimonial, or written invitations to generate guests for next week. They made it impossible to forget about BNI through the week as the Hove President sends out a reminder each Monday of what they are looking for from the members this week.
These decisions were taken and set as chapter culture 10 years ago. We have just had our team leader breakfast in Sussex, where we get together the team leaders from all of our 31 chapters, update them on the latest tips and also give awards to the best performing groups. The award for the top performing group in the county went to Hove Albion.
Hove Albion have been successful because 10 years ago, each member took a decision to invest a little of their personal reputation in having a chapter that performed at the very highest level. I have no doubt at all that if you can draw from their inspiration, this group too will rise to be not only the founding chapter in Taiwan, but a true Flagship chapter at the helm of BNI Taiwan.
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