Anyone heard of BNI?

[multilingual]

I have been invited to a Business Network International (BNI) breakfast meeting.

I am not really sure what to expect. It sounds a bit like the Masons to me. You have to be invited by another member and they have all sorts of rules as to how to conduct yourself. They even take you to one side if you don't give work to other members and give standing ovations to those who pass on more than 5 referals in a week.

:?

Not sure it's for me, sounds a bit too 'American' for my taste.

Anyone been to one of these meetings, or is anyone in here already a member?

JB

[Jayne]

I don't think I'd fancy that either, way too pompous for me! I like to meet real people, not performing chimps, because that is what it sounds like.

Jayne :D

[multilingual]

I will let you know if they are chimps when I get back in the morning Jayne :)

I am going to go along anyway just to see what there is on offer, but just wondered if anyone had any prior experience.

It might not be all that bad, but any networking organisation that pushes members to pass on work every week is not my way of building up long term business.

I am going with an open mind though :)

Oh and it's a 06:45 start :roll:

JB

[Jayne]

I will want all the gossip later then?

Don't forget to say 'Oh Yar' a lot, they'll think you are posh then :lol:

Jayne

[Alpha]

Oh and it's a 06:45 start


if you want to use this as a tool you had better get used to it. As part of your membership you are expected to be at the meetings every week at that time.

:D :D

If you cannot make it you have to nominate someone else to go in your place!!

[DuaneJackson]

As I've said elsewhere, my problem with BNI is that you *have* to recommend the services of others in your chapter.

I want people to recommend companies to me because they genuinely believe they are good, not because they have to keep their numbers up.

Having said that, some people I know think it's great.

[coxadmin]

Is BNI the group that also requires you to attend every week or send someone in your place? Also is BNI the group that only allows one company per trade to attend - e.g. one web designer, one fencer, etc?

[DuaneJackson]

That's the ones

[Admiral Collections]

JB

BNI is a fantastic way of generating business. BNI is arranged in chapters (another name for a group) If you don't feel comfortable in your particular chapter then don't write BNI off totally as you could go to another chapter and fit in extremely well with the people there and have no reservations in recommending their services to people. Every chapter is ran differently, some are stuffier than others.

The referral system is the key point to BNI however, there isn't anything stopping you referrring someone other than a chapter member, but you usually find that you will automatically think of referring someone who has referred you to someone etc etc as John quoted the post about networking 'givers gain'.

All you can do JB is give it a go, if it isn't for you then at least you tried, better than not trying it at all.

For me the 6.45am start was a killer as I have 2 small children and childcare was a real issue, but if I hadn't had that problem I would have joined without hesitation, I found it fun and a great motivator for the rest of the day.

Nic :wink:

[multilingual]

Thanks for the feedback.

As I said, I will certainly go with an open mind and see if there is a mutual benefit in joining.

Hope they put on a good breakfast!

JB

[clairemackaness]

I go to BNI meetings. You can attend up to 4 meetings as a guest in any one chapter and we have over 20 chapters in our area, so I go along without joining. Granted you dont get as much business or as many referrals, but you get some and with a limited budget and not being able to send a rep in my place, I find this the best way to go.

[fastfences]

Hi Multi,
I went to one a few weeks ago, and was suitably impressed. As others have said, I feel it a little too 'demanding' to be held 'accountable' for your referral 'performance' because as Duane says, a referral should be a natural, spontaneous occurence (sort of like making love) rather than a forced objective.

Also, I wondered if the fees were a little high? Someone MUST be pocketing heaps out of it, and I vehemently object to lining someone's pockets when the objective of the (BNI) meeting is to share 'goodwill' amonst each other.

The breakfast is good, though!
Cheers, Nigel

[multilingual]

Cheers Nigel.

:)

[webster]

Is BNI the group that also requires you to attend every week or send someone in your place? Also is BNI the group that only allows one company per trade to attend - e.g. one web designer, one fencer, etc?

Yeah.

[hightide]

There are other alternatives to BNI, which do the same thing in subtly different ways.

There's BRE, BOB, and other smaller scale ones (and maybe larger scale ones I don't know about).

So shop around until you find a system that works for you.

BOB (http://www.bobclubs.com/) for example decided to make there meetings a little less hardcore, and to meet bi-weekly but have the investment half the price of BNI. It comes over less whoo-ha american asa result.

The thing is BOB is too gentle for some people who like the fact that BNI is very target driven. But both of them done well are really good. (my firm is in both and we like them both!).

Different strokes for different folks...

Also bear in mind that whichever club you go to the club is a framework. It's the people that are important. So look beyond the presentation and look at the membership - can you work with these people?

Then if you do join, just take any americanisms or whatever witha pinch of salt and you'll be fine :)

[hightide]

Also, I wondered if the fees were a little high? Someone MUST be pocketing heaps out of it, and I vehemently object to lining someone's pockets when the objective of the (BNI) meeting is to share 'goodwill' amonst each other.


BNI is a franchise operation so needs to pay for the organisation to exist. The franchisors have invetsed cash in it, and do work hard to make the groups run well and that there is a load of training in place which is included in the fees.

Look at it like this:

a) most businesses who go into it with the right attitude will make their fees back and make good gains

b) if you didn't have to invest something in it, you wouldn't value it, and may be less inclined to turn up if you have a lazy morning. If everyone gets into that mind set then the chapter will collapse. And it would be useless

yes this is part of BNI sales patter, and no I don't work for them (!), but at the end of the day it's true, and also at the end of the day why object to someone making a bit of cash? After all you don't object to the price of anything else you buy: you do or you don't based on affordability and the value you perceive getting.

(last bit not meant to be a flame.......... please don't anyone get angry with me.........)

[crus]

UKBF is the only group for me, althoug it is a little demanding ;-)

On a more serious note, recommendations are reflect on youself as well as those that you recommend, so being put in a position of havnig to recommend someone you don't want to is a surefire no-no.

D

[hightide]

definitely - you only want to refer to people who are good at what they do.

in the groups I've been in people have been rejected if their business doesn't stack up. When they get in it will take a while for them to build up relationships and trust and get referrals (particular with professional and advice based businesses or high order value stuff)

If they don't gain trust, or they are generally negative people and no one warms to them, they won't get referrals and they'll drift away eventually.

You don't HAVE to give referrals to anyone.
Sure if you come in shouting that you can get lots of business for accountants and the accountant never gets a bean from you you'll look a bit foolish and people will start to cold shoulder you.

But if you have business you could pass, but don't feel comfortable passing, don't mention it and no one will know (and then refer it through one of your UKBF contacts!)

[Coding Monkey]

I went along to BNI after being invited. Watching that program on BBC1 the other night about estate agents, it seemed the basic same concept: praise people for giving other people success, regardless of whether that person deserves it.

I have nothing bad to say about the people there, but the organisation I find too restrictive - like having 2 jobs. I actually changed accountants to a member of BNI who is now saving me a fortune. I didn't pick him through talking to another member there, but was having a chat and decided to go see him. Some of the people there were very talented, yet there was a lawyer, when I think my lawyer is fantastic; graphic designers, when erm, we do that; printers, when I'd recommend people from here anytime and so forth.

[Rob Holmes]

BNI is right for some and not right for others.

You HAVE to be committed - and frankly I wouldn't want to join a group of half-committed people - the demand of commitment and attendance they make is therefore logical and directly related to the success of the group and individual members.

I went twice a few years ago and still make money and get customers from those 2 visits. For my other business we attend 3 BNI's a week (not me personally) and we make a good amount of profit from BNI each month.

The guy that goes for us is a total BNI nut - loves it through and through and gives as much as he can in referrals every week.

Generally I wouldn't say they are 'stuck up' - they have to be fairly regimented - how else do you fairly fit a minute of up to 50 peoples time in to a 1 - 1/2 hr meeting?

The fact you are accountable means the service level to people who are referred to you is exceptionally high (no bad service or you won't get more referrals) - it's self-policing in that respect - and my impression in general is the sort of people that go are the sort of people that give a high level of service and make an effort with their businesses - as they naturally have some 'get up and go' in them (Because they get up and go every week)

Rob

[FreeLocal]

I have been invited to 2 local BNI and whilst I have a business that is of interest to all members [local information network] I found it very productive. In fact one contact was worth a great deal of business.
I would go along as a visitor and ensure you have your one minute speech prepared and have all your business cards.
It has got to be worth the breakfast.
Keith

[jimbairn]

What I found with BNI was that, while technically they only allow one member from each profession they also allow in profession that are very close. I was the token graphic designer in our group but they also let in a printer and a sign manufacturer - both of whom had inhouse graphics departments. So many referall that should have come my way simply bypassed me and went straight to the pthers. The crunch came when In one month I put our 12 referalls to other members and didn't receive a single one back.

The breakfasts were crap, too...

[multilingual]

Thanks for all the great feedback on this topic.

I have been to the two BNI meetings this week and, although they are all supposed to follow the same format, I did find that one of them was less stuffy and more friendly than the other one.

Some good contacts on the second one too, so might be worth considering.

:)

JB

[hightide]

they only allow one member from each profession they also allow in profession that are very close.

that is deifnitely the one negative element and we found that going in there as designers was particularly tricky. we have changed our BNI category to printer as the original printer dropped out, and in the BoB groups where we are active we have always taken the print seat.

I find that selling print is an easier sell because it's more tangible than design so easier for people to understand and refer. And people think they need a printer for a business card, rather than a designer....
Not useful if you don't have a design / print company but there ya go!

if you're in one of the "clash" territories I would say talk to the people who you may cross over with and see what areas you overlap, and what areas you complement each other. If it's too close for comfort, don't join, but there may be ways in which you can benefit from each other.

For example I'm an occaisonal visitor to one BOB club as a printer, even though they have a printer. That's because I do small to medium runs of marketing materials and business stationery, whereas he works on large runs of brochures: he doesn't want business card work, I don't want orders for 100,000 200page catalogues (actually I do but I know I'm not very cost effective at that level...). So we talk about veyr different areas, and the membership can see clearly where the lines are.