BNI is an international organisation with chapters throughout the world. We are also a nationwide organisation in New Zealand. Chapters crisscross the country with meetings going on every week. Part of the power of our organisation is our core values that unite us and provide us with a sense of belonging.
But practically what does this mean for you? One advantage of belonging to an international organisation is that members can go and visit different chapters around the world and in different parts of the country. This is a great way to see how BNI members do things in completely different environments.
What about visiting chapters in your area? Although it is possible for members to visit other chapters nearby, we do encourage chapter members to be looking for new contacts to invite to their chapters rather than existing members in other chapters.
When you need work done by someone in a profession that is not yet represented in your chapter it is a good idea to think about and look for local individuals who don’t already have a relationship with BNI. By doing business with new people you can extend your own personal network. By inviting these new contacts to visit your chapter they may ultimately result in chapter growth. This is how our organisation can grow and how your chapter can thrive by introducing new people with different experiences and perspectives. Stronger chapters experience better relationships, more referrals and ultimately pass more business between members.
If you do wish to visit a chapter, here are a few guidelines to ensure your visit is appropriate and comfortable for everyone:
- Send an email to the chapter’s president and leadership team to say you’d like to visit the chapter at some stage (suggest a date).
- Let them know about you – give them your details (write a paragraph about yourself) including your current chapter, your profession and the reason for your visit.
- Remember that you will need to pay for any costs (for example your meal) when visiting the chapter.
- Be sure to announce during your chapter visit that you are a current member and the reason for your visit.
- You should not repeatedly visit another chapter (2 visits at most, or fill in occasionally as a substitute).
These types of inter-chapter visits can also be very valuable in terms of reassessing what you are doing in your own chapter and picking up new ideas for change. Are you travelling soon, can you plan to visit a chapter as part of your trip? Or perhaps your whole leadership team might like to visit another strong chapter for inspiration. The sense of belonging that unites us at BNI also enables these types of chapter visits.
