I have heard it many times and it always leaves me with a feeling of disappointment.
Members leave BNI, and then regret doing so because it actually impacts on their bottom line, which they did not predict. I think this occurs because BNI members have a false sense of security around the loyalty of other members, even once they have left a chapter. So there are two key things I tell members when I do Membership Success Training – don’t underestimate what you earn from BNI, and don’t over estimate the loyalty of BNI members.
Lets look at the first point – don’t underestimate what you earn from BNI.
There is a great tracking system with BNI that allows you to track all your referrals, where they go, what you earn from them and any spin-offs or tiers. It is called the Referral Tracking System and is in the MSP manual as well as under downloads on the website.
The problem is that many members do not track their referrals, so therefore they actually don’t have a clue how much they are earning from their investment. When their membership comes up for renewal they do not have the accurate facts needed to make an informed decision, and hence run the risk of leaving without understanding exactly what they are giving up.
Thank You for Closed Business does increase the requirement of members to track referrals so this will help this issue considerably. Any business coach would tell you that spending money on marketing without any idea of the return on investment is a little mindless. You should know fairly accurately what your seat is worth at any moment.
The second issue of over estimating member’s loyalty is an understandable mistake. The currency of BNI is trust and when you are a member you invest a lot of time and energy in building that trust. So it is a fair assumption that this will continue once you have vacated your seat. In some cases it will, however there is power in being in front of people on a weekly basis.
Once your seat has been filled, and everyone’s seat can be, the members gain from switching their loyalties to someone who is actively supporting them.
So it comes down to this – make sure you track all referrals you are given so you truly know what your seat is worth, and make sure you understand that loyalty is a fickle thing.
People leave BNI for all sorts of reasons and that is fine, however if and when you are looking at doing this, make sure you have clarity around just what you are giving up.
