Anyone know anything about BNI network?

Snowdrop

Just wondering if any one is a member of the BNI or knows anything about it?

In other words it worth it? As far as I know it is €600 per year plus other costs.

--amadeus--

I was invited to and attended sessions at two different BNI groups but didn't join up.

BNI is a dedicated network group, they restrict the membership so they can only have one of each business type (eg one hairdresser, one accountant) and teh idea is that every week you attend you bring a couple of leads for your fellow members. Much more structured and lead generation focussed than things like the women in biz network or the local chambers. I know of a couple of people in the BNI who never need look elsewhere for work.

However it very much depends on the other members. For example one of the groups I attended had a graphic designer, an accountant and a guy selling phone systems. All target start ups and so they worked very, very well together and generated lots of leads for each other. However another group had fashion consultants (colour me beautiful or whatever), a cleaning company and a cookery shop as members - hard to see how they could help each other with leads! If you have a business that is complementary to other members then it's worth thinking about. I think it's more than €600 though?

mneylon

A lot will depend on your line of business and where you are located.

We were members of the Carlow chapter for a few months but left as it wasn't worth it. We did get some useful contacts from our time there, but not enough business to make it worth our while.

alanmccormack

From reading the posts above I totally agree that it depends on what business you are in and what the composition of the group that you are thinking of joining is. So I would recommend that you go along to a couple of the breakfast meetings and see if it is for you. It does not cost anything to do this. I recommend visiting two or three different chapters as they vary quite a bit and you might find that you like one particular group much more than the others. It does demand quite a high level of commitment in that the meetings are very early in the morning and they expect you to attend most of them and to actively seek out referrals for the other members, in the same way that you expect them to bring referrals to you.

I really liked the BNI chapters that I visited, but the trouble was that the mortgage broker slot was already filled, so, with that in mind, I would like to start a BNI Chapter here in Navan, so if there are any like-minded individuals who don't want to travel to Dublin once a week, please contact me directly and we'll see if can generate enough interest to start up a chapter here in Navan. My email address is: alan.mccormack@themortgageshop.ie

Thanks
Alan

Darragh29

Snowdrop wrote: »

Just wondering if any one is a member of the BNI or knows anything about it?

In other words it worth it? As far as I know it is €600 per year plus other costs.

I was invited to join a newly formed BNI chapter but after a few meetings, I decided that while it had it's value and merit for some, it was definitely not for me. I came to see it as "Networking for Dummies". There appeared to me to be a high degree of spin and indoctrination involved, an almost cult like approach to team building and forming, a lot of repetition involved of "BNI values and principles". I mentioned once to a business contact that I have that I had gone to a BNI meeting and he made the very valid point to me that he thought the approach used by BNI was also used by any good business person, for example he said he could drop into a certain pub for lunch and network with some folks he knew in there for business and have as much success out of that visit in terms of sales leads as he could expect from a BNI meeting.

*Derek*

I was also invited to a meeting last week. i found it quite interesting. If you aren't the best at networking well then i think the meeting can only help you. Once of the most important things i think is chosing the right chapter. I got a job out of my first meeting but intend to visit a few more first just to see if there is one more suited to my line of business.

mctechie

I was a member of BNI in 2006/2007 for 1 year, and filled the IT support slot for that duration.

While I did gain some business during the year, I found that there were many hidden benefits to being a member:

• You develop lasting mutually beneficial personal relationships with other members get access to a team of people who can benefit your business (Solicitors, Printers, Accountants, Designers etc).
• You get practice speaking in front of a group.
• You get practice speaking about your business in a way that others can understand what you do (this is harder than you think!)

Now, I suppose if its so good why did I not renew?
This was a personal decision, as I originally said I to myself I would commit to this for 1 year. During the year the nature of my business changed and I felt I got what I wanted from BNI in the year I was an active member, however it is worth mentioning that the business relationships I developed persist to this day.

Regards,
Martin C.

alanmccormack

Hi, I just wanted to add a bit more to this discussion. I do believe that membership of a BNI Chapter is a personal thing and will not be for everyone and I take the point made by an earlier poster that they thought that it was "...Networking for Dummies...". But I personally believe that there is much more to BNI than this. BNI’s approach to the breakfast meetings is very structured and this might've given rise to the view that it is a bit cultish, which of course it's not. But the structure is necessary, if you have 35 - 45 members, all of whom have to give their 60 second presentations, the referrals have to be passed on and all the 'parish notices' have to be made, all before 8 or 8.30am, then you really do want the meetings to run to a strict agenda and not wander off topic too much.

Where BNI works particularly well is if you are trying to raise your profile and increase your network. Even if you don’t do a lot of business with a particular person because their business is not compatible with yours, they might still talk about you with a friend and you find that your good name is spread and you get business that way. Of course if you were born and raised in a particular area, went to school there, still live close to where you were born, play in the local soccer/ gaa/ rugby team, drink in your local, go to mass, socialise regularly, etc., you might feel that you know everybody you need to know to make your business a success. For me, I could always do with knowing more people.

As I have mentioned previously, of the meetings that I attended as a guest I was very impressed with the level of business referrals that were passed between the members. The way to view BNI is as a pro-active business referral group, where everyone acts as a representative for the other members of the group in order to actively recommend that person.

I wanted to join both of the groups that I guested at, but was unable to do so as my profession was taken, but just to let anyone who is interested know, the Navan Chapter of BNI is just starting to get off the ground, so if anyone is interested in BNI and is in the Meath area, please feel free to get in contact with me at: alan.mccormack@themortgageshop.ie and I will point you in the right direction.

Mr Clonfadda

I was invited by two different BNI chapters to join but didn't feel i could commit to it but i did feel it would benefit my business. I have since joined Open coffee Club less formal but easier to commit to.

Darragh29

alanmccormack wrote: »

...BNI’s approach to the breakfast meetings is very structured and this might've given rise to the view that it is a bit cultish, which of course it's not.

I don't agree Alan, that the structure or format of the BNI model is what causes it to come across as cult like. I can't speak for all chapters but the one that I was initially involved in, I felt like I was being completely indoctrinated by one particular BNI Director who turned up on a few occasions. It was pretty clear to me that he was fully indoctrinated/assimilated into the BNI culture, this thing of "join now to block out your competitors", is only something that a person who was new in business would fall for. I felt like it was a cult I was joining after a few meetings and I ran a mile from it... Just my experience...

alanmccormack

I really don't agree with some of the comments above. That is certainly not my experience anyway.

I think that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I know of plenty of people who do a significant amount of business through BNI and hence generate a sizeable amount of their income solely through their association with BNI.

I would say to people who are interested, don't just wonder about it, go along and see for yourself. The Navan group meets on a Wednesday morning, The Drogheda group meet on a Thursday morning and the Ashbourne group meet on a Friday morning. As for all of the Dublin groups, well there are so many of them, that I doubt that there is any morning when one of them is not meeting. Go along and get a feel for the meetings, you’ll be very welcome. See what you think for yourself and don't be influenced by mine, or anyone else's, comments on this board.

As I’ve said before, it is certainly not for everyone, but if you want to meet more like-minded people and generate more business then it could be for you.

If you need more info, please feel free to email me on: alan.mccormack@themortgageshop.ie

mneylon

alanmccormack wrote: »

I really don't agree with some of the comments above. That is certainly not my experience anyway.

In the Carlow chapter the only people who made any money from it were people selling mortgages and related services...

alanmccormack wrote: »

As I’ve said before, it is certainly not for everyone, but if you want to meet more like-minded people and generate more business then it could be for you.

Again that will depend on your line of business.

Just answer me one simple question. How much is your average sale?

Darragh29

alanmccormack wrote: »

I really don't agree with some of the comments above. That is certainly not my experience anyway.

I think that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I know of plenty of people who do a significant amount of business through BNI and hence generate a sizeable amount of their income solely through their association with BNI.

I would say to people who are interested, don't just wonder about it, go along and see for yourself. The Navan group meets on a Wednesday morning, The Drogheda group meet on a Thursday morning and the Ashbourne group meet on a Friday morning. As for all of the Dublin groups, well there are so many of them, that I doubt that there is any morning when one of them is not meeting. Go along and get a feel for the meetings, you’ll be very welcome. See what you think for yourself and don't be influenced by mine, or anyone else's, comments on this board.

As I’ve said before, it is certainly not for everyone, but if you want to meet more like-minded people and generate more business then it could be for you.

If you need more info, please feel free to email me on: alan.mccormack@themortgageshop.ie

I did attend one of the chapters you have mentioned above, on not one but several occasions. BNI is a franchise that primarily exists to make money for the directors. I have no issue with this if it is made clear but it isn't. I found a high degree of brainwashing/indoctrination going on within the chapter I was involved with with regard to one particular director turning up and repeating the same mantra again and again and again, givers gain, we want farmers and not fishers, blah blah blah...