What is the purpose of weekly BNI Meetings?

Bijay Shah - BNI National Director

As I write my 1st blog - I thought I'd tackle this question first. It's something which EVERY BNI member should understand so that there's no doubt in what needs to be done and why.

THE PURPOSE OF WEEKLY BNI MEETINGS

BNI essentially happens (or should be at least) outside of the weekly 90 minute agenda. In the normal day-to-day course of a member's activity, he or she should be taking time out to meet with fellow members to get to know them and their business better, build relationships and identify how the member can be helped and supported. I recommend that you invest at least 2-3 hours each week and meet up with at least 1 member from your chapter for this purpose. In a chapter of 25 members, this alone will take you 6 months to get to know each member of your chapter. In addition to this, referrals are actualy generated in the course of the week as you meet new people, prospects, customers, clients, patients, suppliers,colleagues, associates, friends & family and you identify their needs which can be provided for by fellow members in the chapter.

So why then should you be meeting every week? I beleive there are only 2 reasons for this:

1. AN EXCERCISE IN ACCOUNTABILITY AND COMMITMENT - The requirement to meet every week provides the opportunity for members to hold each other accountable. It also shows each other's commitment. Members get the opportunity to educate and update each other on the referrals they are seeking and the structure provides transparency for everyone to what and how each member is adding value and contributing towards the overall good of the chapter members and their businesses.
2. TO SHOWCASE BNI / A RECRUITMENT DRIVE - Think of the time when you first got invited to a BNI meeting as a visitor by a member. You were told everything you needed to know about it perhaps but without experiencing a meeting first-hand, I can assure you did not sit there saying to yourself - "Yes, this is exactly how I anticipated this to be!". Until a visitor does not attend a meeting, no one, and I mean NO ONE (including myself in the position I'm in or even someone like our famous Founder and Chairman Dr. Misner) can fully explain exactly how BNI works. You got to be there in person to experience. Otherwise, it's a bit like asking for a haircut over the telephone. Without the meeting, visitors would not know what BNI is. Without visitors there would be no members. Without members there would be no referrals. And without referrals, there would be no business!

The BNI meeting agenda is designed towards a structure, accountability, commitment and most importantly showcase to visitors how it works. It's a performance for visitors. It's the result of the weekly efforts of members. Successful members are those who live BNI. It's part of their lifestyle. It constitutes as an integral part of their business strategy. For those who take it as merely another activity will find it a chore and burden. They may benefit in the short run but in the long term, this is not for them.

IS BNI FOR YOU? IS IT ALLIGNED WITH YOUR VALUES AND ETHOS?