Culture is everything
Priya-Marie Robert
Priya-Marie Robert is a successful executive coach and the owner of Priya-Marie Executive Coaching. She has been a member of BNI Advantage in Adelaide for over four years. Her excellent networking skills have earned her the prestigious BNI Champion award in 2022 and the well-deserved moniker of the Queen of Networking amongst her fellow BNI members.
Priya’s commitment to building relationships, her dedication to her clients and her ability to collaborate with others not only in her chapter but in many other chapters in the Adelaide CBD & South region have made her a valuable member of Adelaide’s BNI community.
Building Relationships
One of the core values Priya best associates with is Building Relationships. “To me, this is a really important value because I believe building lifelong relationships is crucial to success in any industry.” Priya values the importance of investing in members, building trust and credibility. Her ability to connect with people and build strong relationships has been the cornerstone of her success as an executive coach.
Priya joined BNI because she had just returned to Adelaide after living overseas for over five years. “Starting a business in a new city is challenging, and I needed a network of people I could trust and collaborate with.” She wanted to grow her business and saw BNI as an opportunity to connect with like-minded business professionals who could help her achieve her goals.
Priya believes that BNI networking events benefit her business by allowing her to establish strong relationships with other members who can become her referral partners.
“As an executive coach, referrals are my main source of quality new business. BNI’s structure allows members to really get to know each other and understand how they can add value to one another’s businesses. In return, they become each other’s best referral partners and fan club.”
That philosophy has paid dividends for Priya and her fellow BNI Advantage members, with her being thanked for more than $1 Million in Thank You For Closed Business in just four short years.
Priya’s best business networking tip is to ask questions rather than sell. Instead of pushing her services, she prefers to ask members who would be beneficial for them to meet to help them to grow their business. This approach has helped her build trust and establish strong relationships with other members.
Going above and beyond to help others achieve their goals
For anyone thinking of taking their networking to the next level by joining a BNI group, Priya’s advice is to attend a few meetings, visit different chapters, and see which one feels like the right fit. “Culture is everything, and finding a group of like-minded professionals who share the same values and are committed to helping each other grow their businesses is essential.” She also believes it’s important to consider the time investment required to get a return on investment from BNI membership.
As a BNI Champion, Priya goes above and beyond to help members in her chapter (and others) achieve their goals. “I ask them a simple question: “How can they make it easier for me to refer to them?” Once she knows their ideal client or contact, she checks if they have met that person within the wider BNI network and makes an introduction. This proactive approach has helped her become a valuable resource for all members and has earned her the respect and admiration of her peers.
Priya’s commitment to building solid relationships, her ability to collaborate with others, and her excellent networking skills have made her a trusted advisor and mentor to many business professionals in Adelaide and beyond. And her “Happy FriYAY!” chant at the start of her referral request each week can’t help but put a huge smile on the faces of members and visitors alike.
More kudos in the guise of a dedicated spot on BNI: The Australian Story came her way recently, where she spoke about the key to getting BNI Advantage to grow to 70 members is all about getting the culture right. To listen to more pearls of wisdom from the Queen of Networking, list to episode 110 of the BNI: The Australian Story podcast.