What is BNI?
The Most Important ‘Meal’ of the Day
‘Its not net-sit or net-eat its net-work’ – Ivan Misner PhD Founder and CEO of BNI
The essence of BNI is that although the meeting takes place at breakfast the sole reason for coming is to net-work! Efficiency and timings are maintained because every BNI meeting follows a structured 20 point agenda.
If you attend a BNI meeting in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, the United States or
anywhere else, you will find all meetings follow exactly the same format, using exactly the
same agenda.
They are focussed on generating business for the participants and there are no secondary
agendas.
Is BNI for me?
Being active in BNI is like having up to 40 sales people working for you, because your fellow members will be carrying your cards and referring your business to people they meet, without you having to pay them any salaries or commission. Successful businesses depend on ’word-of-mouth’ marketing as the best form of promotion there is.
BNI provides a structured, supportive, business environment in which local business people can get together to network, learn valuable new marketing skills and develop the strong personal relationships that lead to trust and the consequent generation of significant business for each other.
The BNI Mid Sussex chapter meet from 6.30am for a 7am start every Thursday at Hassocks Golf Club, London Road, Hassocks BN6 9NA. If you would like to come along to see how BNI could benefit your business please contact us.
BNI – Tried and Tested
BNI provides a structured, supportive, business environment in which local business people can get together to network, learn valuable new marketing skills and develop the strong personal relationships that lead to trust and the consequent generation of significant business for each other.
How does BNI Work?
BNI is a ‘lockout’ membership. Once you’re in, no one else can join or visit who does the same thing as you. ONE printer, ONE electrician… You get the idea. And the beauty is, everyone in that room, will actively get you business.
We pass business to each other by what we call a ‘referral’. A referral slip is filled out and
passed to the respective business. It can take a little time to find your feet, to get everyone in the room understanding the kind of leads you’d like from the group and once they start, they don’t stop.
Meeting Agenda
6.30-45am for 7am start
Our Mid Sussex Chapter BNI goes a little like this…. We start arriving from 6.30am for a strict 7am start. Coffee, Tea and Orange juice is flowing.
7am – It starts
Visitors are welcomed and everyone takes a seat and the meeting starts. There is a choice of breakfasts which is served during the course of the meeting.
7.10am – Members 60 seconds
Every member has the opportunity to stand up and promote their business during this part of the meeting. All members are given 60 seconds to describe their business and to ask for specific leads and referrals. When all the members have spoken, visitors also have the opportunity to stand up.
8am – 10 minute speaker
Every week, there is a 10 minute presentation from a BNI member. This provides a great opportunity to further educate the other members.
The referral round
This is the time of the meeting where you can offer and receive referrals from other members or visitors. The referrals are written on a referral slip and given to the member to follow up later that day.
8.30am – meeting closes
After a successful meeting people catch up with last minute business deals and head of to their normal days work with spring in their step.