BNI is a group I work with here in Atlanta, and is best known for generating referrals amongst its members. In other words, 20 or so entrepreneurs get together on a weekly basis with the sole intent of developing relationships, and passing referrals to members based on the contacts those individuals have in the local business community.

If you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, I'd highly recommend it. But as with most things, there is a catch.

Of those 20 or 30 people per "chapter," they can only have one business classification represented at any one time. Which means they can only have one Financial Advisor, one Mortgage Broker and yes, only one Realtor.

And I'll give you three guesses as to which classification goes the fastest. That's right -- the Realtor spot.

Which brings us to the point of this story.

A lot of times I'll talk to people who want to be in a Chapter, but unfortunately, their seat is filled in all of the Chapters throughout the Metro Atlanta area. (Which isn't that unusual for Financial Advisors, Mortgage Brokers or Realtors.) So I say to them, "Well you know, that isn't too much of a problem, because we've got chapters forming all over the Atlanta. What I can do is get you plugged into the process – it will take about 10-12 weeks to get a chapter "chartered" at 20 members – and we'll be there every step of the way to partner you up with other business professionals who want to do the exact same thing in your area. Is that something you'd like to learn more about?" And it's at that point where people fall into one of two categories.

Group #1 talks about all the problems this situation presents.

• "Well I don't know if I want to make all of those phone calls."

• "10 weeks sounds like a long time."

• "Why would I want to do all of that work just to benefit BNI?"

And so on, and so on.

Group #2, however, looks at it a little differently. They focus on the all of the possibilities this situation could create.

• "Hmmm…so I'm going to be making phone calls to people I know. And not just bugging them for another referral, but adding value to the relationship by inviting them to a group that can actually help them get more referrals."

• "Sure 10 weeks is a little longer than I anticipated, but once that's done I'll have a rock-solid group of trusted professionals who can help me get more referrals in the weeks and months to come."

See the difference? One group (we'll call them the "successful" ones), focuses on the possibilities that can come out of this particular situation. They look at it objectively. They don't discount the downsides. But they do make a long term decision based on the carefully considered pros and cons of the situation.

On the other hand, the other group (we'll call them the "unsuccessful" ones), all they see are the problems associated with this situation. They don't look at it objectively. They do overstate the downsides. And at the end of the day, they look at the short term results in the context of the immediate pros and cons. Can this get me more business, right now, with a minimal amount of work? So the question I invite you to consider is this: "How am I looking at today's tough market conditions...as a problem for my business, or a possibility?" And yes I know, the housing market hasn't been great, and the economy is headed in the wrong direction too. But is that a "problem" or a "possibility"?

Do we just want to focus on the problem of not feeling like there are enough buyers to go around? Or is now the time to be networking in your community, and building up a critical mass of strategic alliances and referral partners, since a good part of your competition has already gone out of business? Do we want to keep focusing on the media, and the endless well of anxiety and negativity it seems to breed, or do we make a conscious choice to turn off the television, pick up a book, and be that positive, uplifting person in your local business community that can't help but stand out from the crowd. (And attract a bunch of prospects in the process.) You see, the phrase that pays in today's tough market is very simple: "Are these conditions something I'm going to view as a problem, or a possibility?" Because make no mistake about it, how you answer that question will go a long way towards your continued success. So make sure to choose carefully.

And by the way, if you'd like some more tips on how to get more business in today's tough market, just email info@agitoconsulting.com (Subject: Today's Tough Market), and we'll be sure to send out our free report right away.

And in the meantime, here's to the possibilities of today!

Published: July 1, 2009

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As a popular speaker and author of the resource How to Get More Business in Today's Tough Market, Brian specializes in helping busy agents get more leads and close more deals - even in a market as "challenging" as this. For a free report on 2 Easy Ways to Get More Business in Today's Tough Market, just email my office and we'll send it right over.