There are many ways in which you can tell if your chapter is healthy or not, but the number of visitors your chapter has each week is an easy way of telling if your chapter is growing or in decline.

Over the long term three or more visitors each week mean the chapter is growing, whereas two or fewer visitors mean that the chapter is in decline. Now you may be wondering why this should be the case and the answer is simple. On average all chapters lose one member per month.

Now before you say ‘Not my chapter!’ remember I said on average. Some chapters don’t lose that number, but then others lose more. In fact, my own chapter has lost four members in the past month – it really does happen! So, during the term of a Leadership team, your chapter could lose up to six members (maybe more).

Therefore, just to remain a group of the same size, you need six new members. Now, again on average, one out of every five eligible visitors will join your chapter. However, we all get a lot of ‘other’ visitors as well, so the joining rate is actually more like one in every eight visitors.

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Purpose: To highlight the value of inviting visitors.
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Start by asking the members…

How many members here have some friends? Show of hands please?

Write down for me the names of your 6 best friends who live in the same city as you?

Take your time!

Give them about 30 seconds if necessary. Then tell them….

Now write next to their name what it is that they do?

Give them about 30 seconds if necessary. Then tell them….

Now put a tick next to their name if you have invited them to a BNI breakfast?

Give them about 30 seconds if necessary. Then ask them….

Hands up those people who have some names left without a tick next to them?

For those who still have names not ticked, will you read out the categories of those names?

Repeat some of the categories out loud and get someone from the Membership Committee to write them all down.

For chapters who have a list of categories, this is the start of a Membership drive.

For those chapters who don’t have a list, ask the members…

When was the last time you invited those people on your list? If it is over six months ago, then things may have changed and it might be a good idea to re-invite them.

I want you all to consider the following.

The Referral Master®

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What things do you do to say thanks to a client?

Wait for responses and repeat some of the better ones – say 4 or 5. Now ask them…

Who here sometimes has trouble inviting guests to visit BNI?

Get a show of hands. Then say….

So, here is an alternative that will combine saying thanks and inviting guests.

Give them a complimentary BNI Breakfast!

That’s right! Send them a thankyou in the form of a complimentary invitation – that means you pay the breakfast – to breakfast at BNI. You could do worse than use the SendOutCards system!

Now ask them…

What might be the result of doing this?

Again, wait for responses and repeat some of them. Then say…

So here is the idea and how to do it…

1.    Make up a special invitation card or letter
2.    Make sure it spells out exactly what you are giving them – a free breakfast valued at $15 plus an opportunity to meet a professional group and present to them their product/service
3.    For every new client and all valued current clients, send them an invitation
4.    Do this on a rotational basis of say 1-2 each week
5.    Follow each one up with a phone call

The Referral Master®

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What procedure do you go through when you invite visitors.

Repeat some of the responses.

Now ask them….

Who here still has their introductory CD that they received in their new member kit?

Wait for show of hands and then ask them…

Who has listened to the CD lately? Show of hands please?

Do you remember what is on the tape?

Then list for them the following….

1.    a friendly welcome into BNI
2.    comments on the “how and why” of BNI
3.    some suggestions on the value of BNI
4.    ideas on how to make the most out of BNI

Do you think that this might just be of interest to potential members?

The Referral Master®

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What procedure do you go through when you invite guests.

Repeat some of the responses.

No matter what responses you get, now ask..

Would they like an idea that will almost guarantee attendance?

Here is the idea!

1.    Invite guest
2.    Make sure you get their email address
3.    When they say yes email all your members with the following email.

I have invited ………………. (name of guest) to our next meeting.

4.    cc the email to your guest.

Repeat the above steps to make sure all members got them down.

Now ask….  

What do you think might be the result of the guest being aware of the other members and their categories?

Finish by saying that……..

By using this method they will easily make their invite “stand out” and most probably ensure the guest’s attendance.

The Referral Master®

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Purpose: To highlight the best way to invite visitors.

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Ask the chapter the following question and repeat some of the responses.

When you invite people to BNI what do you say?

Make sure you get some responses and repeat them to the chapter! The responses will probably include words like….. meeting, weekly, join.

Now ask them…..

Is anyone is having difficulty getting acceptances to those invitations?

Do you know why?

Let’s look at some of those invitations and see why potential members are not coming!

What does the word meeting mean to most people?

Seek responses and repeat them. You will get words like …. boring, waste of time, starts late, etc.

Now, how many of you simply can’t wait to join something? In your busy lives you are actively looking for something to join?

Why not simply invite them to ……

A breakfast (no meeting or weekly) where they can talk to other business people about their product/service.

And remember, if they ask how much, simply tell them the price of the breakfast. Because that is all you are asking them to do – come to one breakfast. The rest is up to them once they have seen what we offer!

The Referral Master®

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What is the purpose of visitors to your chapter?

Seek responses and repeat 2 or 3 of the best to the group. Then say…

How many visitors came to our chapter during the last 3-4 months?

So how many of those visitors did you meet?

1.    shake their hand?
2.    welcome them to the chapter?
3.    ask what they did and whose guest they were?
4.    ask how you might help them in their business?
5.    get one of their cards?
6.    give them one of your cards?
7.    arrange to do a dance card with them?

Seek responses and repeat 2 or 3 of the best to the group.

Now some of you will be asking “why would I do a dance card with someone before they join?”

Can anyone suggest an answer to that question?

Seek responses and repeat 2 or 3 of the best to the group.

Something that many of us miss about visitors is that they are customers and they have customers. They buy things and so do their customers? And even more importantly, many of them recommend people they like!

The Referral Master®

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You met Joe at a party last week. He seems like a nice guy. When he told you about his line of work, you realize that Joe would be a good person to invite to a networking meeting that you will be attending next week, because he may be a good fit for the group.

You tell Joe a little bit about the upcoming event and extend an invitation for him to come as your guest. At that point Joe turns to you and says “Sounds good, I’ll try to make it…” You say “Great, I look forward to seeing you!”

…And the conversation ends.

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A new member of a group was left on their own. I was busy sorting out some papers for the meeting and watched as she stood not knowing who to talk to; everyone seemed so deep in private conversations.

Finally, I was able to join her and ask how she was, could I introduce her to someone? But she said that she had tried to join in a conversation or two but no one seemed that interested.

To say I was stunned is something of an understatement!

My first thought was what were the Visitor Hosts doing? Having scanned the room I could see that they were all busy, although not with new visitors or visiting substitutes. I then looked for the Leadership Team and they to all seemed to be doing something. And lastly, I looked at the other members; they too seemed busy, deep in conversation with each other or just waiting for a coffee.

Neglecting a visitor or not, can often be the difference between that visitor wanting to join your chapter or not. So, whether you are a Visitor Host, Leadership Team member, or a member, please never leave anyone on their own.

Take your blinkers off and make sure you watch out for anyone left on their own. Not just visitors, but also substitutes and new members. On occasion even established members can’t find a conversation to join.

Imagine how you would feel left on your own in a room full of people and take action!

SOURCE – My BNI Day

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I  sometimes hear members say that their chapter does not have the right members in it: too many of one thing, not enough of another, that their Power Group is too small. And I always suggest the same thing ….

Do something about it!

Members are the result of people invited. And, any member can influence the make-up of their chapter by simply inviting the type of people that they want as members.

So, if you want more members in your Power Team, invite only people that make up your team. If you want more trades people, only invite those types of businesses. If you want more women in your group, only invite women. The choice is yours.

But you have to do it. You have to invite people. Don’t leave it to someone else because they will invite whom they want, not whom you want.

Your chapter may not look the way you want it because you haven’t invited anyone who has become a member. Invite and keep inviting, and you never know, in a few months time your chapter may just look the way you would like it to.

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