I heard a member complaining the other day about the stupid badges that BNI makes us wear.
So the question is, why do we wear a badge? Is it that BNI like their little rules, their little symbols of corporate being? Is it just to make us feel stupid? Well the answer is no, no and no.
I would just like you to think about these few things and then tell me you don’t think our BNI badges are a good idea.
A major part of our weekly meetings if for the benefit of visitors and after that our new members: they have never seen BNI or us before. So what better way of putting people at ease than a badge with your name clearly printed on it? And from your own point of view, isn’t easier if a new member has their name on a badge in case you can’t remember it?
But if you want the most compelling reason of all as to why you should wear a badge – it’s because if you don’t, it will cost you money!
How? How could such a little thing cost you money?
Well, all the things above have one thing in common. I don’t know about you but I know that there have been many occasions when I’ve walked into a room full of people, walked towards two people, both of whom I knew – but I couldn’t remember their names. One wasn’t wearing a badge, the other was and I could see their name clearly. Which do I talk to? More importantly, which one gets to tell me about their business, what they are looking for and to grow a relationship with me?
I think we all know the answer! I may have been just the person the person not wearing the badge needed to speak to that day, but we will never know. Possible business gone – Just for the sake of a badge!
Source: My BNI Day
2 comments
Graham, thanks for publishing this story. After some 9 years as a BNI member, I cannot understand why any member would consider wearing a name badge as stupid.
On the rare occasion I have found myself without my badge, I have felt “naked”. What you say is 100% on the button.
I have a suggestion to take this one more step. Why don’t we show on our name badge the time the member has been in the chapter? For example, “chapter member since…..”, or BNI member since……(for those members who have moved chapters).
Visitors would more readily get the message, when they see they are talking to a member of say 2 or more years membership don’t you think? And would it help to stimulate the question from the visitor, “how has BNI helped your business over the last 9 years?” I think so.
I am 100% in support of the wearing of a name badge- and make the above suggestion to stimulate discussion on enhancing their “power” of the badge. What does everyone think?
Cheers
Dom
I like this idea – especially as in your case you will be due a 9 year member badge! We are moving in this direction and have had some 5 year member ribbons printed – the only challenge we have is that in the early days of the database – if someone assigned thier membership – we simply changed the name on their records – so if you were to put a colleague into the chapter – they would have shown as being there for 9 years. More recently we have refined the database allowing us to transfer memberships without losing the full history.
We are looking to start this recogniton process before next year – in anticipation of our 10th year anniversary.
Thanks for your suggestion and your support over the last 9 years.
Kind Regards,
g
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