Rising above Mediocrity!

I look after several BNI chapters in my role as a BNI director. Those chapters vary in size from 14-31.

I am a great believer in aiming high – aiming for excellence and I certainly encourage the chapters I look after, to do the same.

On the path to excellence the building of a strong chapter is vital.

Which begs the question what makes a strong chapter?

The following is my thoughts on this from my experience as a BNI member, a Regional Director and as someone who delivers BNI education programmes.

1)      The Basics. BNI is a set of systems. A set of systems that work in 40+ countries so why would you not work it. The attendance process is there because it supports the chapter. The renewal process is there because it supports the chapter. The new member application process is there because it supports the chapter. Starting to get the picture!

2)      Celebrating the successes and the achievers in the chapter. When numbers are low the focus can shift to what is wrong with the chapter and why are we not growing. Turn your attention to what it is you want from you members. So acknowledge the members that are doing dances, finding solid external referrals, being there every week. Don’t just reward the person who gives out the most referrals – they are not necessarily good referrals. Reward the behaviour you want from your members.

3)      Dancing – it really does work. Chapters that dance together stay together. Encourage those group dances as well as they also support the social side of the chapter. Be open here too. The theory is that two types of businesses join BNI – those that everyone thinks they know about and those that no-one has a clue about. Both need to be danced with to increase understanding and remove incorrect assumptions.

4)      Energising the meeting.  Yes it is easier to have a high energy meeting with numbers however it is not a guarantee, just as small numbers don’t guarantee a flat meeting. I was at a meeting last week with 12 people present and it was truly energising. Why? Because all members contributed and just didn’t expect the President to do it all on their own.

5)      Quality of referrals. If good business is being passed around the table then a chapter will remain strong. What do I mean by quality referrals? Firstly let’s be clear, those internal referrals are really important. They will probably be the first referrals you get. You need to treat them with the professionalism and respect that you treat any client. However for the true growth of chapter members quality external referrals are vital.

6)      Visitors. A meeting with visitors is a different meeting. Use the education slot to teach your members how and who to invite. Make sure the visitor information is put in to the statistics and make sure visitors are followed up. Be aware of how your members are greeting visitors. I have heard of visitors being told they are not welcome by members who feel there may be a conflict. This is unacceptable on all levels. There are processes to follow if a conflict is felt.

7)      Education – MSP and leadership training are vital to the continuation of strong chapters. The years education programme is on the website so there s plenty of advance warning. I find that chapters who insist on new members attending MSP and encourage long term members to re-attend, have a lot less issues because members have an understanding of BNI. We have worked hard to continue to provide quality programmes in your area so take advantage of them. It costs you nothing except some time.

8)      Your Directors. We come with a wealth of knowledge and experience so make sure you engage in our assistance. We can help you deal with any issues, assist you with visitors days and helping members getting the most out of their membership. Also make sure we are involved in the selection of new leadership teams. We have a pretty good sense of what will work and what may not.

As I mentioned, aim high and you will get what you aim for.

As the saying goes – better to aim high and miss than aim low and get there.