Facebook Network - by Marc Smith
BNI is big. It’s a worldwide organisation with branches in many countries including Ireland. It was founded by Ivan Misner (chairman) who’s here now in the Clontarf Castle Hotel in Dublin. He’s keynote speaker today.
I’m a Visitor to BNI Ireland Conference today. I know many members of BNI in Cork city & during the last year they’ve given me great help with my business. This includes lots of moral support during the ups & downs of keeping going during tough times in a damaged economy. I count some BNI members among my best business friends.
So it’s good to see at close quarters what Ivan Misner has sparked.
There are about 100 delegates here – the conference registration for Visitors is at 11.00. The theme is “Networking Like a Pro” – and this is the 25th anniversary of BNI.
Marian Finucane is a speaker. I’ve never met her but admire her RTE radio programme.
Rob Brown came to Cork a few months ago and spoke on “Reputation Management” to a BNI breakfast at Rochestown Park Hotel. He’s here today to speak. He also spent three hours with Irish BNI leaders yesterday. I met Rob briefly after his Cork bash. Yesterday I wrote a testimonial for him. I’m sure he won’t mind me sharing it.
“It’s three months since I first heard Rob Brown speak to a crowded hotel room in Cork Ireland. Usually, after that long, I’d have forgotten the speaker. Maybe some of their ideas would have stuck – but the personality behind the words would have faded.
Rob Brown walked from the back of the room, right up the centre. His voice strong and punchy, his words arresting – by the time I saw him pass me I was hooked. I’ve heard many good speakers in a long life of listening to corporate voices. Rob is up there with the really good ones.
The man was a bundle of energy, a powerhouse of content, a confidence that infected me. Rob Brown gave the BNI audience so much content on “Reputation Management” that I felt I needed nothing more for the next few years. There was so much compressed experience in his presentation, I was almost overwhelmed with the excitement of it all.
But there was something human about Rob Brown – something that made it possible to find my own space and my own decisions on priorities. I came away well able to decide for myself how I would grow my reputation in a sensible way.
I’d go back to Rob Brown again. Next time I’d want to hear him on another topic because his style suited me – and it’s still vivid after much competition from other interests.”
Brian Moore is also speaking here today.
I’ve met Brian a couple of times at BNI meetings when I was “subbing” for a BNI member. He lives in Limerick and is a trainer with the Referral Institute. I wonder what he’ll be talking about today? You can follow him on Twitter @brianmoore007.
8 Comments
Paul is a phenomenal and intuitive writer who has honed an incredible talent for capturing thoughts, movements, ideas, emotions and events and turning them into compelling words! He’s a genius, a gentleman and a giver!
Hello again Paul,
It was good to meet you on the day and I look forward to meeting with you again.
Well done on the blog and for what its worth I couldnt agree more with Brians comment above!
Dear Paul,
Thank you for coming back to me. I also thought the BNI conference was very informative and interesting and I got many new ideas out of it.
I hope we will meet again.
Kind regards
Kenneth Buchholtz
Jim,
It’s really good to hear from you so soon. I love it whenever a comment arrives here on the blog. When I’m coming to Dublin next, I’ll contact you to see if we can have a coffee together. Meanwhile I’ll have a look at your website and see what that tells me about your business: I’m interested in anything that’ll cut energy costs and reduce carbon emissions – because via Twitter I connect with others who put a high value on “sustainability”.
Kenneth,
Thank you very much for getting back in touch. I’ll be in Lahinch, near your base in Ennistymon, soon I’m sure – I’ll ring you to see if we can meet up there. It would be good to know what new ideas you took from the BNI conference – there were plenty flying about.
Rob Brown,
What a wonderful testimonial you’ve given me. I’ll use it as often as possible – but I’ll have to be careful not to let it go to my head. I’m sure out paths will cross again – maybe even over on your UK patch.
At the BNI conference, your presentation gave me many a prod: some new moves I could take to develop myself and my reputation. The one that come straight to my mind now is your view on “making-up” with people. The idea that I can contact people from whom I’ve become estranged, and recover the relationship – that got to me. Maybe many of us can think of people we’ve conflicted with, dumped, forgotten, split off from? It was good to be led by you into challenging myself: who can I contact today and begin making-up?
Thank you very much.
Paul,
I’ll look forward to it, whenever your up in Dublin next.
Also, i’d appreciate any feedback on the website, new to this whole digital marketing so any expert advice or constructive criticism is most welcome.
As you point out above with regard to Rob Browns brilliant presentation at the conferance, it really did stir everybody up and motivate us all. They should utube his presentation, it would be a great motivator to have at hand and review periodically.
Thanks again,
Jim