BNI’s goal is to “change the way the world does business.” That’s lofty! However, we also believe in sharing our formula for success to get there. You’ll often find BNI members inviting others to BNI meetings. Frequently, the first thing those would-be visitors ask is a variation of “What is a BNI meeting like?”
The best answer to that is that you should really come to see one in action, and you’ll often hear everyone from BNI Founder Ivan Misner to your local chapter members responding that way. However, people usually want more information.
Each chapter’s meeting will vary since what makes each chapter special is the people involved. However, there is also a meeting agenda that every meeting for every chapter in every country will follow. These items have been tested for efficacy, making for the most productive meetings and successful chapters.
Here are a few agenda items you’ll find at a meeting.
Open Networking
The first 15 minutes of a BNI meeting consist of open networking. That’s when visitor hosts will introduce visitors to the people who they might be most interested in meeting, and members will catch up with each other.
This is the least structured part of the meeting and one of the most important because it allows members to work on their relationships.
Networking Education Moment
Each week, the chapter’s Education Coordinator will share a relevant lesson to help the members of the group network or better utilize BNI.
One of the benefits of BNI is the 40 years of experience the organization has accumulated and shares with its members through online training, podcasts, and more. While it’s available to all members, the education coordinators work to shepherd their chapter members to the most helpful information for their chapter at the time.
Leadership Reports
The chapter president runs the majority of the weekly meetings, but there are other leadership team members who share relevant reports with the chapter.
VP Report
The vice president reports on membership, qualified referrals passing the average seat value, and other valuable statistics.
Secretary-Treasurer Report
The secretary-treasurer lets members know of any dues or room fees and lists the speakers for the next several weeks.
Membership Committee
A member of the membership committee reports on upcoming renewals and specific open designations the chapter would like to fill
Weekly Presentations
During the weekly presentation, members will stand up one by one and share a short presentation about themselves and their business. Depending on the size of the chapter, this presentation can last between 30 seconds and 1 minute.
Often, this presentation will include a perfect referral, a success story, and other relevant information about the individual’s business.
Featured Speaker
Each week, one to two members get on the floor to present their business in a more in-depth way. This is an opportunity to share why they’re in the business they’re in and give members more background and better ways to refer them.
Referrals and Testimonials
BNI’s philosophy is “Givers Gain®” so as the giving portion of the meeting, in many ways, the Referrals and Testimonials portion is the best part of the meeting, too.
This is when members share one referral they’re passing to another member or a testimonial for a member in the room who helped them or someone they know.
Frequently, referrals and testimonials are followed by the referral reality check, where the president will call out 1 to 3 specific referrals from a previous week and see what stage in the process the referred members are at with the referral.
Other Items
Meetings also typically end with announcements, a door prize, and a positive quote, though you might not see these at every meeting
So What’s a BNI Meeting Like?
BNI’s highly structured agenda was designed to maximize the benefits for members without wasting any time. However, though the key elements will be the same in any of the thousands of chapters, each group brings its own flavor based on the members' personalities.
So, to find out “what’s a BNI meeting like?” visit a chapter (or a few) near you.
