Sunday, December 25, 2022

Why is Reporting Important? AKA If it's NOT Reported - It Didn't Happen!

In this article, we are covering reporting which is very important to every member in BNI.  Everything is tracked, so if your activity, i.e. CEUs, 1-2-1s, referrals, TYFCB, etc. are not reported, they didn’t happen!  Every member is responsible for reporting their activity each week prior to their weekly meeting via BNIConnect or the BNI mobile app.  With the BNI Mobile App you can report as you go during the week.

These weekly reports roll up into monthly and yearly reports. This data provides valuable feedback to chapters on their performance as reported by the Chapter Traffic Light reports. In addition to the Chapter Traffic Light reports, the Palms data also provides feedback on the individual members via the Member Traffic Light Reports AKA Power of One Report.


So, why is reporting important? BNI was founded on structure, which is one of the major aspects that makes BNI different from other networking organizations. Being able to give the statistics for the organization is one reason many people in business want to become part of BNI. Our reporting shows a successful track record.

Anyone who is part of BNI knows our philosophy is Givers Gain. I recently read an article that talked about many aspects of BNI and how reporting demonstrates you're a contributing member of the group. It was a very interesting perspective. Here is the link - A Practical Litmus Test to Givers Gain.

BNI members commit to the Givers Gain® philosophy, whereby they work to give business to their fellow networkers, trusting in the principle of reciprocity for the growth of their own business. By measuring members’ giving of their time through meeting attendance and one-to-ones, their trust through referrals, their commitment to chapter growth through inviting visitors, and their commitment to personal growth through CEUs, the Power of One report serves as a litmus test for whether a member is committed to the Givers Gain® philosophy and shows their contribution to their fellow BNI Chapter Members.

Does your Power of One report show your commitment to the BNI Givers Gain philosophy?
Here are some additional resources:


Please contact your Support Director for any questions.

In appreciation,

Annette

Area Director

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Preparing Your Sub to Represent you at Your BNI Meeting – AKA – Dos and Don’ts


 So, you know you’re going to miss a meeting and you need to get a substitute.  This article discusses how to properly prepare your sub to represent you at your BNI meeting along with some Best Practices (Dos) and some Not Recommended (Don’ts).

Best Practices – (Dos)

1.     Plan ahead.  Line up some possible subs before you need them.  It is advisable to contact at least five people and discuss with them that you would like to ask them the favor of them to sub for you at your BNI meeting at some point in the future.  

a.     By planning ahead and talking with them before you actually need them, you can discuss their availability.  How much advance notice they would need.  This way you know who you have to give advance notice to and who you can call at the last minute.

b.     Read the document/article ‘Who Makes a Good Substitute.’  In the article it gives a list of possibilities with the first being someone who can fill a seat in the chapter.

c.     Discuss with them what being a sub for you would entail. 

d.     How it would benefit them.

e.     Invite them to attend before you need them as a sub so they will know first hand what a meeting is like.

f.      When you follow up with visitors, a good question to ask is, would you be open to subbing for me in the future?  Often times visitors are eager to visit again and would welcome the opportunity to sub.

 

2.     Set Expectations. Part of the above discussion is also to set expectations with your prospective sub. 

a.     Let them know that they would be expected to give your infomercial, which you will supply to them in advance. 

b.     The day and time of the meeting and that they would be expected to arrive on time and stay for the entire meeting.  Explain the benefit of getting there early for the open networking and to meet the other members. 

c.     Explain they will also have the opportunity to give an infomercial about their business provided their seat is not filled in the chapter.  And be sure and let them know the time that they will have for their infomercial, i.e. 30, 45, 60 seconds.  You certainly want them prepared for you as well as for themselves.

 

3.     Prepare Your Sub.  The time has come that you know you’re going to miss a meeting. 

a.     Call one of your selected subs and give them as much advance notice as possible.  Let them know the date you will be needing them to sub.

b.     Gain their confirmation

c.     Get them registered in BNIConnect

d.     Send them your infomercial right away.  The better prepared your sub is, the better your creditability will be with your fellow Chapter members.  And the more open your sub will be to sub again in the future.

e.     Follow up the week before and the day before to make sure everything is a ‘go.’

f.      Make sure they are prepared. 

                                                i.     Know the timeframe for the meeting. 

                                               ii.     Know the location and have directions.

                                             iii.     To bring plenty of business cards.

 

Not Recommended (Don’ts)

1.     Don’t wait until the last minute unless it’s an emergency.  If you do have to get a sub at the last minute, hopefully you have someone on your list you can call at the last minute, like your friend, relative, or a neighbor.  If not, then that’s when you could use that person from your office, but letting them know that if their business is the same as yours, they will not be able to talk about their business.  They will only be allowed to give your infomercial.

 

2.     As stated above, it is not recommended to have a sub whose business is already represented in the Chapter because you lose creditability with your fellow members.  This is an opportunity for you to build creditability with your fellow members by having someone who can fill a seat in the chapter or a consumer (like your neighbor, relative, or friend) or a client who can give you a good testimonial.  Read the article – ‘Who Makes a Good Sub’ for a list of suggestions in the order of selection.

 

3.     Don’t use the same sub over and over.*  In most chapters, the recommendation and/or Chapter Rule is that a sub cannot sub more than 3 times in a rolling six-month period for the entire chapter.  Why?  Because more than this, the chapter is giving away the privileges of membership.  Members have paid their membership fees and are expected to meet certain requirements to be a member in good standing.  By allowing subs to attend with no limit, basically is giving away free membership.  The Community Builder needs to track member's attendance and also the usage of subs.  *This also needs to apply to the person from the member’s office because some members are solopreneurs and don’t have an admin or marketing person to ‘fill in’ for them so they need to be abiding by the same criteria.

 

4.     On the list of possible subs is someone from another chapter whose seat is not filled in your chapter, while this is an option, it is way down on the list of recommended selections, like next to last.  Again, it’s about building your creditability with your fellow members and Givers Gain.  The first recommendation should always be someone who can fill a seat in the chapter.  Someone you’ve possibly talked to about visiting.  Call and ask a favor.  A client who can give you a good testimonial.  A Friend, Relative, Neighbor, i.e. a Consumer.  Your sub does not have to have a business of their own.  These make good subs because they can possibly use the services of the other members and that’s referrals you are giving to the chapter.

 

5.     Don’t use an absence because you failed to plan ahead and find a sub.  There will be true emergencies like, getting up sick or having a sick child, having a flat tire/car trouble on the way to the meeting, etc.  That is what the 3 absences in a rolling six-month is intended for not a failure to plan ahead.  Many times I have seen members use their emergency absence when they should have planned ahead and then they have a true emergency and it puts them at three absences.

Attendance is very important in BNI to build creditability and build relationships with your fellow members.  A member who has 3 absences in six months, receives 73% less business. 

Think of it in terms of having a retail store and having to close the door of your business if you can’t be there.  How many times do you think a consumer is going to recommend you or keep coming back when you’re not open for business?  While a sub does not totally count as full attendance*, you’re at least represented at your meeting.  And by planning ahead and providing a sub who can add value, adds to your credibility with your fellow members.

*Lates, Leave early, and Subs count as .5 attendance on the Power of One reports.

Please check with your Support Director for any questions about this information.

Resources:

BNI Podcast #436 – Low Absences = More Referrals

BNI Podcast # 579 – Sub Abuse or is my chapter actually smaller

BNI Podcast #490 – Show Up – Make Money

BNI Podcast #329 – 80% of Success is Showing Up

Clarifying and Reporting Thank You for Closed Business

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