Visit Us: A Visitors’ Guide to BNI
The Anatomy of a BNI Meeting
Each BNI Meeting is broken down into 4 major parts:
- Open Networking: The first 10 minutes of each meeting is dedicated to open networking. Members have the opportunity to talk with each other to discuss business opportunities & ideas and exchange referrals.
- 50 Second Commercial: The Meeting is called to order and each member is given 50 seconds to talk about their business and what they are looking for in a referral.
- Presentations: Each week, two members give a 10 minute presentation on their respective businesses.
- Passing the Bucks: This is the referral portion of the meeting. One last time, we go around the room and each member discusses referrals they have passed to other members, one-on-one meetings they’ve had with other members, testimonials for each other and we pass in Green Slips (how much $$ we’ve made from a referral).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What time should I arrive?
A. Please arrive by 7:00am. The Visitor Host will greet you upon arrival and begin introducing you to other members.
Q. What should I wear?
A. Wear whatever you would normally wear to work. Our Chiropractor wears scrubs, our Insurance Salesmen wear suits and our Electrician & Handyman wear jeans.
Q. Will I be expected to speak during the meeting?
A. Be prepared to speak during the “50 Second Commercial” portion of the meeting. For a basic commercial you should:
- State your name and business name
- Where you’re located
- What types of services you provide
- What a good referral would be for you
Q. Should I bring my business cards?
A. YES! Please bring 30-50 business cards with you as you will have an opportunity to pass them out to each Referral Zone Member
Q. How many times can I visit?
A. You may visit only twice as a guest. Afterwards, you will need to make a decision on whether to submit an application to become a member of our chapter.
Q. Can anyone apply?
A. Anyone can apply to our chapter, but we only take one person per professional specialty. Once you are accepted as a member, your competition is locked out!