BNI: The Power of Referrals
- 2 minsBNI: The Power of Referrals
In my three years as a member of BNI (first as an upstart in Wealthbuilders BNI, and subsequently as a founder and officer of BNI Cove), I’ve witnessed firsthand the power of referrals in Business Networking International, or BNI for short. For any business owners, associates or sales reps looking to grow your book of business, I can attest that BNI is a potent and structured manner in which to gain new clients and customers via word-of-mouth marketing.
BNI is broken out into chapters. In each chapter, there is a spot for only one person per profession type. So, for example, you would only have one photographer, or one banker, or one dentist. Among that group of 20-40 people, each member passes referrals to the other. The strength in this strategy comes from locking out your competition in that chapter so you’re able to freely refer business without worrying about which member to send it to. Members educate each other on what their business is and what sort of referral they seek. Then, when an opportunity arises, the other members know how to describe and suggest each others’ businesses. As so many people are relying on each other, commitment is key to success when participating in a BNI chapter. Education is critical both from other businesses as well as from BNI itself. Getting to network on a weekly basis can boost your confidence and strengthen your presentation skills. Practice, as they say, makes perfect.
If you’re interested in checking out BNI, you can visit an existing group or attend a visitor day when a chapter is looking for new members. Full lists are available at BNI Alabama. My chapter, BNI Cove, is located in the Cove area, but of course is open to all in the Greater Huntsville or Madison area. We even have members who make the trek each morning from Limestone County. If this isn’t a testament not only to BNI but to the high energy of our chapter, I don’t know what is. With so many small businesses in the Cove area and so many professionals that live there but work in Huntsville, the potential is enormous.
I highly recommend BNI from my own personal experience. It serves as a means to enhance your personal networking skills as well as organically grow your business. Please give it a visit - you’ll have the opportunity to build strong business relationships with other professionals in the community.
Brad Garland
A Certified Public Accountant in Huntsville, AL.