BNI Podcast Episode 202: “What is the Greatest Thing That Has Happened to You Today?”

In this week's podcast, Dr. Misner asks a question...what is the greatest thing that happened to you today? This actually stumped Ivan (when he was asked this) and he explains why it is such a great networking question. You can listen to the podcast by clicking here

President's Weekly Letter, Champions SoCal BNI

Woooooooo, CHAMPIONS!

As you can see from the video, today was bring your kids to BNI week! Our Director, Lem Bucago complied and here we instruct young Marly and Logan Bucago the proper way to call the Champions...definitely an acquired art! Randy Clement also brought his son and they did a tandem SMM...award winning actually...more later!

The highlights:

Four visitors, Lisa Stewart, ACI; Wayne Hertzka and Chris Huang from C3 Office Solutions, and Donna Cahoon from Today's Windows and Doors...three took apps!

EC moment focused on a new one-to-one technique developed by an anonymous BNI member...who is a member of the Platinum Coast BNI, has been married to your faithful President for 31 years, is the mother of three Buchanans and soon will be a "boot camp" graduate...OK the anonymous member is Carla Buchanan! The technique focuses upon three tens...ten for each member's business, ten for Q and A, and ten for specific suggestions to help each other. I used it today with Christina Pham and it worked brilliantly!

SMM and International Tabasco Award...another first...last week our first woman and this week the first father and son team! Give it up for the Clement tandem...well choreographed. Randy you know that your son must return next week as the Tabasco ruler!

The Champion spark plug award was awarded to our very own Rosanne Grigsby who attended for the first time since receiving her diagnosis and defying all odds in her recovery...a true CHAMPION!

Keynoted by Angelo Dionisiou of Argo Insurance and Steven Stakley of Burnham Gibson. Both did an exceptional job of laying out the whys and the hows of finding just the right referral! I saw the two of them afterwards power teaming with Brett Adolph. These three are generating a lot of BNI bucks with their strategic referring!

Our visitors ALL said that felt very welcomed today...man, I LOVE hearing that! If we continue to provide an extraordinary visitor experience, our chapter will grow in quantity and quality! Great job to ALL of you!

Please remember:

Evening Among the Stars part deaux October 7th, 2011

Champions bowling night May 12th, 2011 6:00 PM, Concourse Lanes in Anaheim

Next week, structure your SMM with a Cinco de Mayo theme! Should be a blast.

Please keep Clay Colwell in your thoughts and prayers! Stay strong brother. We love and miss you!

Three weeks to go in the BNI game...invite, invite, invite and 1-2-1, 1-2-1, 1-2-1, and train, train, train...oops...workshop, workshop, workshop! Let's not let the mellow yellow team run away with the cash and prizes!

Thanks for flying with us this week! We know that you have many choices when you fly and we are happy that you chose the Champions!

Your faithful President,

Allen Buchanan

http://themobilemarketer.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/7-habits-of-highly-horrible-networkers/

Here is a great description of what not to do! You can read the entire article by clicking on the link below.

http://themobilemarketer.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/7-habits-of-highly-horrible-networkers/

Steven Malanga: California Dreamin' about Texas jobs

I provide location advice to owners and occupants of industrial buildings in Southern California. This author outlines the job growth, creation and company exodus very adequately, in my opinion. You can read the entire article by clicking on the link below.

Steven Malanga: California Dreamin' about Texas jobs

"How to Set up your BNI Connect Profile Page"

Wooooooo, CHAMPIONS! The attached You Tube video outlines the steps necessary to create your own BNI Connect profile page. Just watch the video and become an expert in seven minutes!

World Talk Radio - Annie Armen Live

Woooooooo, CHAMPIONS:

You can tune in to a live internet radio broadcast by clicking the link below. Featured on this week's show is Dr. Ivan Misner with a special guest appearance by your faithful President.

World Talk Radio - Annie Armen Live

Champions SoCal BNI President's Weekly Letter

Woooooooo, CHAMPIONS!!

Well the visitation was more like the old days...four qualified, five other chapter members (Christina Pham rolled 'em out for her keynote), and our own Bernadette Lazzara...ambassador to the stars...'er Champions!

Qualified:
Tom Roby, Spectrum Financial
Richard Sheridan, Sheridan Financial
Chad Evers, Advanced Parking Systems
Mark Ives, Business Development

BNI Chapter Guests:
Michelle MacNeil
Ronald Charest, Liaisons
Michael Giovannetti, Premier Professionals
Danny Chen, Strategic Alliance
Leonard Brezarich, Velocity
Bernardette Lazzara, our ambassador

ITA:

The International Tabasco Competition for the hottest sales manager moment was indeed heated today. I am happy that I did not award the pepper as I had four or five well qualified recipients...Angelo, Gary Lorge (via sub), Michael Figueroa, Steven Stakley. In the end, our very first female recipient is...Kathy Penton! Kathy sang, danced, rapped, limericked, and sweated...not all at once...and finally Jody Houseman (last week's recipient and this week's ruler) awarded the ITA. I believe Kathy was more excited than the day she was inducted...and we made just as big a deal! Way to go Kathy! Next week, you commence. Remember...catchy, timely, and specific...and you too can win!

Champion Spark Plug winner:

There were three that went above and beyond...Rutger for the 1-2-1 er web site for ease of 1-2-1 scheduling and Kathy Penton who created a grid for the "Champion specific ask" note taking. Jim McCracken won however for his very well organized meals on wheels program for Rosanne as she is recovering in the Orange Hill Convalescent home. Rumor has it that RG might be home soon! A true Champion. Thanks Jim!

EC Moment:

Mr. Sando discussed the do's and don'ts of visitor orientation. Timely, since we had several today.

Keynotes:

One rookie (although she definitley has BNI in her DNA and it shows) in Christina Pham of Select Graphics and one steely eyed vet in Jim Salem of First Team Realty concentrated upon their respective companies, what to look and listen for and several high gloss handouts so that we could touch, see and feel the product...printing in Christina's case and homes in Salem's case. We should have film at eleven on both as Robert Perez was at the ready on the video cam!

Stand and Deliver:

For those of you keeping score at home...I believe we thanked for approximately $100,000 in TYFCB today...along with the 1-2-1s, referrals, and visitation, trainings, etc.

That is REAL quantifiable $$$$ folks that resulted from both direct and strategic referrals! One of the strategic referrals was a connection from one of our members who introduced another chapter member to his new employer. This referral resulted in a new position and an annual salary of $87,500 for the other chapter member!

The visitation glowed with accolades for the Champions! I always enjoy other BNI members who find something that we do that they are planning to take back to their home chapter or visitors who say that the Champions made them feel welcome!...much of that today

Announcements:

Remember to bring your child, grand child to the meeting next week as it is bring your child to BNI week...hey, they count as visitors and who knows...they may buy!

Remember to tune in at 3:00 PDT today to http://www.anniearmen.com. I am a pop up guest on Annie's radio interview with Dr. Ivan Misner...should be fun!

Please keep Rosanne Grigsby and Clay Colwell in your prayers!

Life and coins have one thing in common...you get to choose how you spend 'em but you only get one chance!

Make it a Champion week ya'll!

Your faithful President

Allen Buchanan

President's Weekly Letter, Champions SoCal BNI

Woooooooooo, CHAMPIONS!

Oh where, oh where have our visitors gone? Oh where, oh where can they be? Oh well, maybe they are waiting for daylight savings time...oh wait, that occurred already. Spring break, maybe? Nope. C'mon Champions, let's fill the room with visitation like we used to! Remember that visitors buy and the more the merrier! We were blessed with the presence of two "jewels" today in the person of Richard Gartman and Julie McInroy of the Hidden Jewel chapter of SoCal BNI...our neighbors from Villa Park. Julie and Richard witnessed an epic International Tabasco competition...still no female winners, two wonderful keynotes, many, many testimonials, and a heck of a lot of one-to-ones, TYFCB, and referrals. I am predicting that the week may have set some records. Jim McCracken completed 13 1-2-1s last week...Go mello yellow! I almost forgot that the EC moment was one of the better ones of late. Once again, Mr. Sando used the "Sando players" to help act out his point! Don't sit too close to Jim or you may get drafted for his next casting call. So here was the flight of the Champions during this 12th day of April 2011:

Pre-board:

Visitor table set tight and right by 6:45
10 early birds...smiling, arrived by 7:15, and name tag prominently displayed
Gartman and McInroy arrived
Collette's had plenty of food, "hot" coffee and early availability

Take off:

Champions called promptly at 7:45

Climbing altitude:

EC moment included Kathy Penton, Bo Lowe (fresh from facilitating his first visitor day at Tustin BNI), and Jim McCracken who demonstrated the improper and proper ways to welcome visitors to our meetings...now we just need some!

International Tabasco Winner this week...Angelo Dionisiou awarded the pepper to...Jody Houseman. Jody used a hammer and some wood to demonstrate, "if you hear this in your neighborhood" ask your neighbors if they have a painter...exceptional! Jody, during stand and deliver, credited a 1-2-1 meeting he had last week with Dr. Real (a two time Tabasco winner) on the genesis of the SMM. It is a good thing that Dr. Real didn't recommend breaking some plates to appeal to Angelo's Greek heritage and their propensity to fracture dishware. Brett Adolph did give Angelo a referral in hopes of persuading Angelo to choose him. So the question remains...who will be our first female winner...Ela, Kathy, Christina, or Carmina?...stay tuned!

Cruising altitude:

Keynotes...Gary Lorge commented during Stand and Deliver that these two were the best he has experienced in some time. Give it up for Brett Adolph of Payday Payroll and Rutger Hensel of Branding Personalities. Both of these Champion vets outlined new stuff...Brett a new logo and Rutger two new packages of offerings. Rutger and Brett played upon each other and leveraged the technology. After the keynotes a recommendation was made to the chapter to schedule 1-2-1s with both and have each invite a good referring party to attend...a CPA in Brett's case (tax season is almost over Greg) and an IT or web designer in Rutger's case.

I was pleased to have been thanked for $3500 in TYFCB during stand and deliver. This came from a California to Germantown, Tennessee referral for a moving and storage company. The cool thing was that I attended their meeting on Wednesday last and gave a testimonial about the mover...a fellow president named Mike Rupper.

Richard Gartmen, enjoyed the dynamics of the Champions and Julie McInroy liked the organization. I cannot wait to see the TYFCB and referral totals from today...I believe they will set records!

Congrats to Patrick O'Kane for volunteering to organize our upcoming bowling outing on May 12th at Concourse in Anaheim...more to follow. Patrick took away the Champion Spark Plug award today for the Champion who went above and beyond last week!

We are starting our approach to land:

The Evening Among the Stars Part Deaux is October 7th

The Champions believe it is a good idea to participate in bring your child to a BNI meeting on April 26th...should be a blast!

Thoughts and prayers to Clay and Dawn Colwell! Come back soon, Clay. We miss you!

We are cleared to land:

At promptly 8:58, the meeting was closed with a quote.

Please make it a Champion week everybody! We know that you have many choices when you fly and we are happy that you chose the Champions!

Your faithful President,

Allen Buchanan

President's Weekly Letter, Champions SoCal BNI

Wooooooo, CHAMPIONS!

Today's meeting was intimate. Only one non-Champion graced our presence today...George Varela from the Business Connection chapter. I believe that the Champions may be saving the visitors for later in the contest which kicked off today! Let' not wait, people and remember, visitors buy! I can tell you first hand that I bring the energy every week(as do most of us)! Let's share this positive energy with visitors! Please follow Mr. Sando's specific ask during his EC moment today and invite one or more visitors to next week's meeting that fit into our top three categories...Family Law, Electrician, or Plumber. Several Champions were MIA today...we heard from Doug and Clay. Chuck, Jody, and Joe Lynch, we miss you when you are gone!

As I was saying...

The theme of the EC Moment centered on the rules and scoring opps for the contest. Remember the 1-2-1s and invite, invite, invite!

Notable Keynoters:

Ela Corcoran and Richard Lane spoke on their professions today. My greatest take away from Ela's talk was that we should choose nutritional supplements based upon their anti oxidant and alkaline content. These two items have a host of health benefits that Ela discussed.

I have purchased computer equipment from Richard and gave a testimonial during stand and deliver. Richard speaks "tech" and English and translates quite well! I thought that Richard's premise of "what does it cost you to ignore your IT?" was well thought out and clever.

Please schedule a one-to-one with each of these professionals (especially the green team) :)). Both can assist you in living a better life!

Chapter Biz:

Our VP and Sheriff (did you know it is tax season?), Greg Beck reviewed our progress in certian key categories.

Referrals average month-124, March 2011 156
one-to-ones 1435 YTD...way exceeding our goals!
Visitors 65 YTD...need to invite, invite, invite!
TYFCB $353,873 YTD...on pace to reach our goal!

I'm guessing the game will help us surpass these numbers for April and May

Recognition:

Referrals leader for March-Aric Gless
One-to-one leader for March-Bo Lowe
Visitors leader for March-Brett Adolph

International Tabasco Award winner this week-Angelo Dionisiou...Dr. Paul was the first winner of the Snoopy bobble head this week for snoring (all part of the act) during his SMM
Champion Spark Plug winner this week-Steven Stakley (interim Secretary/Treasurer). Thanks again Steven for the moral support and the cool head!

Also thanks to Joe Davis for taking the reigns of the secretary treasurer position for the remainder of the term. Great to have you at the dais, Joe!

Information updates:

Evening among the stars Part Deaux-October 7th...more to follow!

Rosanne Grigsby has been moved to Orange Hill Convalescent Home, 5017 E. Chapman, Orange, California. Please stop by and have a one-to-one meeting with Rosanne. No need to call ahead...just show up. Please limit your visits to 15-20 minutes.

Action quote:

"There are two ways to face the future. One way is with apprehension and the other way is with anticipation." Your action for this week is to face your calendar with anticipation!

Make it a Champion week!

Your faithful President,

Allen Buchanan

At $23 million, O.C. building a bargain | building, investors, doors - The Orange County Register

Our friend and colleague, Bob O'neill has made a career of buying and selling this building. This is a great sign that the industrial market in Orange county, California may be stabilizing. You can read the enitre article by clicking the link below. At $23 million, O.C. building a bargain building, investors, doors - The Orange County Register

The advantages of relocating your headquarters to a pro-business city | Smart Business

This article was written with the midwest in mind but their are many pro business cities in Orange County, California. You can read the entire article by clicking on the link: The advantages of relocating your headquarters to a pro-business city Smart Business