Are you constantly relying on the same substitutes when you have members absent from meetings?
Do absent members create disruptions to your meetings?
Using substitutes in a smart way can be the difference between an energised chapter and one that is not growing. Smart substitution does not have to be difficult; it just takes some forward planning. First let’s revise 4 key BNI rules regarding substitution:
- Chapters should develop a substitute list. This list should consist of people who are available to substitute for any member on an as-needed basis.
- People to consider for substitutes include: your customers, clients, patients, friends, family, employees, and former members.
- The chapter should be aware that a substitute will be attending the meeting. The Visitor Host should be there to greet the substitute and welcome him/her to the meeting.
- A member should have a substitute come when they are absent, but not replace them on a continuous basis.
So who should you use?
Bring someone else from your business in to substitute for you if possible. Of course for some BNI members this will be impossible.
If you have a team however, the benefits of bringing someone else from your business in to substitute for you are enormous. The members will get a lot out of meeting someone from your business and hearing about your offering from a different perspective. The substitute will get an insight into what it is we do at BNI and the absent member will be secure in the knowledge that their business will still be represented at the weekly meeting.
Recently Latham Lockwood, Director Consultant for BNI Palmerston North shared with us a story about smart substitution when Mason Parker, Client Manager for Palmerston North Personnel Limited, substituted for his colleague Robyn Bills. As someone who manages their website and focuses on their own SEO and the collaborative consumption approach Mason noted that the members’ proactive use of Google reviews was great to see.
Collaborative consumption describes the shift in consumer values from ownership to access. Trade Me is a good example. Entire communities and cities around the world are using network technologies to do more with less by renting, lending, swapping, bartering, gifting and sharing products on a scale never before possible. Once the transaction is complete, users leave feedback about the process and this leads to more (or fewer) people using the business. This approach is similar to our use of referrals in BNI.
The use of smart substitution at BNI Palmerston North brought benefits both for the business and for the chapter. Rethink how your chapter is using substitutes to ensure that they energise your group and bring benefits for all.
