BNI MNE PODCAST | EPISODE 19 | SANJEEV VARMA

[00:00:00]I said you good morning. Good morning.

[00:00:02]How you doing today? I'm doing fine.

[00:00:03]Perfectly all right. All right. So for all the benefit of the viewers this podcast is being done to highlight and limelight some of our high performing members of the region. Also some of our regional leaders is something that we want to highlight who have been contributing tremendously to their chapters. Yeah.

[00:00:23]Sanjeev, my first question to you would be why don't you try and introduce yourself to the audience that you're going to be seeing there because you're going to be podcasting this to 800 members in Vienna North East alone. Would you like to introduce yourself? Yeah, definitely.

[00:00:37]Well, good morning BNI members. This is Sanjeev Verma. I'm a proud BNI member of BNI Galaxy.

[00:00:45]I'm from the category of IT infrastructure and my journey in BNI started nine good years back.

[00:00:53]So we specialize in providing turnkey IT solutions and people better know me as selling at less than Amazon price.

[00:01:06]That's me for you in short. So Sanjeev, I know I have bought a lot of IT equipment from you laptops and even servers and so on and I've always had an amazing experience working with Sanjeev.

[00:01:18]So Sanjeev apart from being where I'm also a proud member, he is also the director consultant. He managed Wizards before and now he's managing BNI Energy. Okay.

[00:01:34]Tell me a little bit about your experience as a regional leader.

[00:01:38]How do you feel and how are you what is it that you've learned coming out of the leadership experience that you've had?

[00:01:45]Well, to put it in a few words BNI journey for me has been like a lifeline.

[00:01:53]It's not only a lifeline, it's a way of life. Uh, the leadership role which which happened during this journey has helped me develop my own personality, my own perspective towards my giving a holistic overview to the business which I thrive in.

[00:02:10]And it helped me a lot in shaping up the company policies which I run myself in my organization.

[00:02:16]And yes, now I can probably say that it is more than 70% of business is generated by BNI. Wow. This is business so much.

[00:02:25]So, what the kind of business you got from BNI?

[00:02:29]So, recent success story is like we bagged an order from um primarily as a vendor for Strabag India, which is catering to 44 km of Atal Setu. So, we set up the backbone infrastructure for that. Oh, wonderful.

[00:02:46]>> So, that kind of referral and business I'm getting from BNI. Okay.

[00:02:53]So, you you went through some real serious health issues, right? Yep.

[00:02:58]So, I would love that all the audience hear your experience of how BNI supported you during that period and how BNI is not just about doing business, but is much bigger than that.

[00:03:11]Um, uh, first thing I would like to tell my audience is basically uh, the most important core value I which I value from BNI is building lasting relationship.

[00:03:23]And that has helped me during Corona when I was on deathbed. It was like a movie scene and nobody came forward except my BNI colleagues.

[00:03:34]It's that ecosystem which I built up over the last 9 years that helped me through that phase. And secondly, when I was struck by brain stroke, it was only through BNI that uh I could sustain my business.

[00:03:49]So, that kind of deep-rooted uh concern, help, comradery which I enjoy in BNI. And BNI provides that to me.

[00:04:00]So, I am indebted.

[00:04:02]Yeah. So, I would like to mention to the audience that here is a member who's 9 years into BNI and uh renewing uh continuously.

[00:04:12]Obviously, BNI is bringing a lot of value to every single member. And uh being able to carry not just business, but a lot of safety nets. Uh like what Sanjeev has experienced is another big part of BNI.

[00:04:27]There are a lot of people here who uh come out of their comfort zone and uh help each other to make sure that, you know, there is nobody who's uh left alone in the system. Yeah. So, I would like to tell the audience that, you know, BNI is just not about someone coming here to make their business.

[00:04:45]Business is an outcome of uh relationship as Sanjeev rightly said that.

[00:04:50]But uh in in times of uh you know, let's say a calamity or, you know, difficult times, it is this community that stands by you. So, BNI is not just about making money. It's also big making a family which stands by you through all the difficult times. And I would love to have uh a lot of uh entrepreneurs who feel lonely at the top to come and experience this comradery, to come and experience this uh business network.

[00:05:18]But Sanjeev, I would love to ask you, how do you manage to sell below Amazon price? You say that, you know, you you sell below Amazon price and I have experienced that. Okay? I always send you an Amazon link and say "Ye mere ko chahiye ye model." And you give it to me at below Amazon price. How do you manage it?

[00:05:34]Well, it's a trade secret, but it's no big secret as such. Uh a true businessman also would like to put a foothold into an organization. Now, what you would like from that uh acquisition is whether you want to squeeze the sheep from the very first beginning or you want to build up a relationship with a client and giving it a good bargain and staying along with him throughout the journey of his and growing with him.

[00:06:07]So, that's the motto and driving force behind giving Listen Amazon deals. So, uh viewers, you know, we all think that you know, Amazon and Flipkart are offering us extremely good prices, but my personal experience is that there are there are you need to check again with entrepreneurs like Sanjeev. Uh I'm sure we have a lot of BNI members who offer services at extremely competitive prices and very high quality.

[00:06:35]So, guys, do keep your options open and Sanjeev, I I want you to think about one moment which you can never forget as a part of your you know, journey in BNI Galaxy.

[00:06:51]You know, because I'm connected to Galaxy. One that moment maybe when you are in the leadership team or maybe when you are in a certain role. What is that role that you really got impressed? Give me that one single memory that's lingering for a very long time with you.

[00:07:05]It's not that uh old memory, but it's a very recent interaction which I had with you.

[00:07:12]Uh you uttered a very strong word, feed forward.

[00:07:17]And that's that's an expression which is going to stay back with me for whole life long and it's a learning. And that's a moment I want to share.

[00:07:27]All right. So, as Sanjeev brought this up, Sanjeev and me we were driving and my audio was on in the uh car and I was listening to Marshall Goldsmith and one of the things that he really mentions here is uh difference between feedback and feed forward, okay? Feedback is you ask people to give you feedback about your past performance or what you have done before, okay? Now, it is interesting to hear this and, uh, get a get a view about it and try to build that into your next plan. But, what is more important is to ask people "How can I achieve my goal?

[00:08:08]And what is it that I need to change in the next 1 year that will help me achieve my goal, okay?" And people around you are ready to help. But, this is feed forward, okay? They give you a idea, they give you a feedback based on their interaction with you. It's a very powerful thing. Do do get into Marshall Goldsmith.

[00:08:23]>> I would like to add something to that.

[00:08:25]As an entrepreneur, we, uh, go through a routine work, a day-to-day work, and we do all the right things, maybe. But, our thought process are not filtered. It is only when I came into the real role and the leadership role that I got those thought process aligned with what actually means to be a successful leader.

[00:08:48]Perfect, yeah. Uh, so, I'm going to give you what the last question is to, uh, allow you to ask for one ask which is going to be very important for you from all the viewers, and hopefully they connect.

[00:08:58]Well, let's say my tagline is, uh, "We offer less than Amazon these." So, and, uh, we save a lot of money for professionals for, like, CA, advocates, uh, doctors, uh, uh, MEP consultants, turnkey project contractors, and commercial architects can be great connect for me. And, uh, of course, a direct referral could be an introduction to IT head or admin head of a corporate.

[00:09:26]>> So, guys, if you know an IT head or an admin head corporates, please pick up the line and dial in to Sanjeev Verma, and I'm sure he's going to give you a product that are absolutely amazing and an excellent service following that uh, as compared to Amazon and as compared to Flipkart. Yeah. So, thank you Sanjeev for coming in. I think for me I've known you personally for now almost 9 years and excellent experience friend also a good mentor.

[00:09:53]Every time he's been a mentor for our chapter for many many members. So, thank you for doing what you're doing for BNI.

[00:09:59]Thank you. Thank you so much great knowing you and happy networking.

[00:10:03]Absolutely.