What are the intangibles of BNI?
Nigel Morgan
Crafting persuasive case studies to help business sell more using powerful stories from their own delighted clients
I was once asked during training for new members, what were the intangibles of BNI networking? My somewhat glib answer was any benefit for which you cannot thank a member for the business.
We know these intangibles are important and it is affirmed that while people apply to BNI for the referrals, they stay for the relationships.
So, I was intrigued by the latest Official BNI Podcast on: “The Intangibles of BNI”, which in my humble opinion went on to list some, tangible, intangibles.
Dr. Ivan Misner was interviewing naturopathic physician Dr. Ben Reebs, who is a member of the largest BNI chapter ever to have existed on the West Coast of the US, Portland Business Advantage. He addressed four areas where he had identified intangibles.
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Now the strategic advice, as a revenue enhancer, came from the bankruptcy attorney in Dr Reeb’s Oregon chapter in the US. He advised that Dr. Reebs was entitled to ERC – Employee Retention Credit, contrary to previous advice he’d been given. This led to over $20,000 from the IRS. Now while there may not be a referral, that 121 has surely led to a TYFTB for the attorney?
Similarly, financial leverage was some good advice from the small business banker that led to preferable rates. Cost savings was another introduction that came via a 121 that led to savings and “made me hundreds of thousands of dollars”. Again, surely the member who made the introduction can be thanked. Without that introduction, that business would not have occurred.
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For diverse cross-industry support the guest first describes the event planner simply doing their job, before talking about a wide range of fellow members supporting an event.
Now, that support is probably the most common of the true intangibles out there. How many times has a member called at the right time for a much-needed chat? Or been the one making the calls?
Dr. Misner was asked about intangibles and said: “Well, there have been so many intangibles, including, you know, meeting my late wife, through BNI. We were married 31 years. And meeting Jody was a referral that came about because of something I did in BNI. Jody works for Jack Canfield, who wrote “Chicken Soup for the Soul” and because of something I did for BNI, I was invited to join TLC, the Transformational Leadership Council and someone in TLC is a partner with Jack and referred Jody to me. So, I’ve gotten married a couple of times, with BNI. That’s pretty good.”
For me that nails it, it is the people you meet and the folks you introduce to one another, where magic happens that does not necessarily have an invoice attached that leads to TYFTB. It is like the podcast began, people come for the referrals and stay for the relationships.
Podcast host Priscilla Rice did bring up a clear example of an intangible benefit when a member used public speaking skills learned in BNI to present at an adoption hearing in Kazakhstan.
Maybe, having served 11 years as a Director Consultant in BNI, which has included delivering the Member Success Program over 120 times, I’ve simply become more adept at linking business back to a member.
Another subtle cultural difference may be TYFCB vs TYFTB – that is in BNI parlance: Thank You For Closed Business in the USA, vs. Thank You For The Business in the UK. Maybe our interpretation is slightly wider? Either way we know as amazing as BNI business is, it is undoubtedly vastly underreported.
What intangibles have you found with BNI? Or indeed any networking?
Master Connector ?? Serial Entrepreneur ?? Keynote Motivational Speaker ?? Property Investor ?? Multi-Income Individual ??
9 个月Training is such an undervalued part of what you get as part of BNI