Interesting business notes from the Shoreline East BNI meeting at the Madison Beach Hotel on April 09, 2013:

EducationMake your 30-second commercials special.  They should always include who you are; where your business is; that you care; and what sets you apart.  Try to make each one special with a story or a prop.

30 Second CommercialsThe following is a sample of BNI “30 Second Commercials”, in which members have 30 seconds to talk about their business and what kind of sales lead they are looking for.

•    Balzano & Tropiano - Alphonse Balzano also handles Workers’ Compensation claims. http://balzanoandtropiano.com
•    PrimePay – Dustin Galvin noted that a “Coming Soon” sign in front of a new business is a great lead for him.  http://www.primepay.com
•    Gracious Interiors - Diana Hall is looking for referrals to people putting their houses on the market. http://www.interiorsbydiana.com/
•    Personal benefits – Mitch Langer represents over 50 different insurance companies, and his job is to find the best policy for each client’s individual needs.


10 Minute PresentationToday’s speaker, Andy Stevens, runs the Nationwide Insurance offices in Guilford, and has another office in New Haven.  Andy has 17 years in the business and six staff supporting him.
Andy recommends letting him do a no-obligation review of your insurance coverage.  The key is to have the proper coverage; not too high or too low.  Proper liability coverage, in particular, is critical, as an unforeseen event could otherwise be financially crippling.  
He also points out that endorsements, which cover optional circumstances, like water/sewer backup, jewelry, etc. are very important.  
The best business lead for Andy is someone:
•    Unhappy with the way their claim was handled
•    Whose rates jumped
•    Whose agent never calls

PerformanceS.E.B.N. has passed $980,000 in business year-to-date, putting us very close to our $1 million goal.  We have closed 81% of leads passed.  Steve Melby passed $15,000 of business alone last month!

Coming Up•    Mike Maler of Maler Photography will do his 10 minute presentation next week.
•    Leadership meeting Wednesday, April 17 at 6PM

About BNIBNI is the world’s largest referral network.  In 2010, Business Network Int'l passed over 6.5 million referrals in 5500+ chapters with over 135,000 members in 45 countries resulting in more than $2.8 billion in business! BNI membership in CT now stands at 2,027 and growing.

Visitors are welcome!  If you’d like to visit the Shoreline East BNI, just fill out the contact form under “Join Shoreline East” on our website (shorelineeastbni.com) and a representative from our membership team will contact you.