Sometimes a member of BNI will not engage fully or even leave the group because “they are too busy” for BNI.
Maybe they are thinking their business has grown, either through or with BNI, to a point where the member’s time is limited. They feel something has to give and the commitment to BNI feels too much so they disengage or leave.
There are a couple of things to think about if BNI feels that way for you and we will look at these first. Secondly, we will look at how to make time spent on BNI related activities more effective.
Things to consider if you feel you are too busy for BNI:
- We generally join BNI to grow our business. What if it works? – If this actually happens because of BNI or other reasons, we should have a plan on how to grow our business to cope. This may mean help from a business coach, personal development or bringing in other skills or investment into your business. BNI can be a massive help in these areas.
- Referrals grow year on year from BNI membership – If you engage fully with your chapter, generally the number of referrals you receive from BNI will grow year on year. Disengaging from or leaving the group stops you benefitting from the gains of length of membership.
- How many took time away from their business to be at the meeting today? – Ask for a show of hands – The answer should be no one! BNI is a business and marketing strategy that is integral to your business. Like any strategy, it has to be implemented to work. If you see BNI as not being part of your business, perhaps a change in mind set will help you to no longer feel too busy for BNI.
- Getting qualified referrals can save time – Entering the sales process at a qualified stage through a word of mouth referral can lead to quicker and more profitable sales.
Strategies to be more efficient in BNI:
- Make sure you get the right referrals – Use your weekly presentation (sales pitch), feature presentation (ten minutes) and one-to-ones to educate members on exactly the sort of referrals you want to receive. Make sure they know the right type of client and business you’re seeking and that the referrals they give you are qualified. This will be very different from member to member. Planning your weekly presentation, feature presentation and one-to-ones will help you to achieve this.
- Use one-to-ones effectively – Without doubt one-to-ones are one of the key factors for success in BNI. But don’t do one-to-ones just because you are supposed to. Initial one-to-ones should be completed using the G.A.I.N.S sheet to ensure you gain a good understanding of the other member and their business and should be held at their business premises. Subsequent one-to-ones should be done most often within your hub and can be held at a mutually convenient location, most easily after the BNI meeting. They should be around 30 minutes long and be very targeted and scheduling them back to back saves travel time. We will look deeper at subsequent one-to-ones next week.
- Learn while driving – Learn how to make the most of your BNI membership by listening to education about BNI while driving or at the gym through BNI University, YouTube or BNI Podcasts. These can really maximise the time you spend on BNI.
- Book a one-to-one with your chapter mentor or BNI Director Consultant – They have the tools and experience to help you see the wood for the trees and assist you to gain an effective return on your investment in BNI.
Summary
Sometimes we forget what made or helped us be successful and we stop doing it, then we wonder what went wrong!
Instead, re-evaluate how to recapture that success and recommit to it.
Reference Material
BNI Podcast Episode 534 I’m too busy for BNI: https://www.bnipodcast.com/2017/11/22/episode-534-im-too-busy-for-bni/
The difference between a solopreneur and an entrepreneur: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/245766
