As with most organisations or professions, there’s a fair amount of jargon to get to grips with when you become part of BNI (that’s Business Network International, FYI).
Some of us dislike jargon or technical language, but it plays an important role in facilitating communication. Jargon is valuable because it allows for shared meaning. Shared meaning means greater clarity in communication. Distractions are limited and conversations become economical which adds depth and significance. It also creates a culture around an organisation that helps to unify those involved.
At BNI we have a few pieces of jargon that are important to understand:
- Leadership team.
Our leadership teams are appointed members of the BNI chapter. The team changes every six months. They play a critical role at BNI in that they provide the guidance, structure and running of each weekly meeting.
- Director Consultant
The DC’s role is to look after the interests of BNI and its customers – that’s the BNI membership. Directors don’t make decisions for the chapter – this is the role of the leadership team. The director’s role is one of guidance and supervision.
- 60 Seconds
This is a key part of each weekly meeting – a 60 second presentation or pitch that every member gives. Ideally your pitch should be between 150-225 words and include:
- Your name, the name of your company and your role within the company;
- What your products/services are as well as the target market;
- What value you can create;
- Your pitch for a referral (name the organisation, the person and job title if possible).
- One-to-ones
Formally known as “dances”, these give you a valuable opportunity to meet one-to-one with a member outside of a chapter meeting. They give you the opportunity to network at a deeper level and gain a greater understanding of another member’s business and service offering (as they get to understand yours). If you meet at the businessperson’s premises, you’ll get to see operationally how their business works. As your chapter does one-to-ones more frequently, all your members will get a far better understanding of the businesses represented and out of this will come more referrals.
- RAPs, caps and referrals
These come towards the end of a meeting. Members stand up and give one of these. RAPs stand for Results Oriented, Accountable & Passionate. These allow members to commend or thank someone for business given or assistance provided. They can be quite broad and are a way for members to show how BNI has helped them or affected their business.
A cap is a re-cap of what happened with a referral that was given in the recent past. It’s always interesting to hear what has come out of a referral – be it business or otherwise.
Finally, a referral is the opportunity to do business with someone who is in the market to buy your product or service. It’s not a guaranteed sale, but an open door to discuss your business. Referrals are the lifeblood of BNI and why we are all here.
At BNI we are all so used to using this language that we sometimes forget that it can be like a foreign dialect to newer members and visitors. It’s all pretty straight forward though and if you have any questions about the terms we use, just ask someone from the chapter.
