This Week's Presenter is....

Ian Scott, Managing Director
BNI BC

BNI BC Director Ian Scott works with and provides support for more than 1200 referral marketing networkers in British Columbia.

In his ongoing quest for innovative ways to grow one's business, Ian has found social networking, and particularly LinkedIn, to be very effective. LinkedIn eliminates the need for cold-calling, Ian explained. It's a network of trusted contacts, making it easier and more comfortable for people to promote one another.


Ian invited BNI Connections to play a role as his LinkedIn "test chapter" for 10 weeks, and we gladly accepted the invitation. During the 10-week time period, Ian will refer to our goal sheet, essentially a detailed list of potential members we're hoping to add to our group. He'll keep an eye out for these people, and when he sends their names our way, we as a chapter will decide which of us  would be the most appropriate to contact them. For example, if Ian were to share the name of a Vancouver-based massage therapist, someone on our Health & Wellness Power Team would be asked to contact her.
Although BNI remains a face-to-face networking organization, Ian stressed that we can't allow ourselves to go the way of dinosaurs. Social networking is here to stay. Fully half the population of  Canada is under 30 years of age (a statistic cosmetic surgeons must love), and 96% of those people engage in some form of social networking. 'Nuff said.
So check your Tweets. Update your Facebook status. Join LinkedIn. And remember: Missing a BNI meeting can be hazardous to your wealth!