Referrals, networking goals of BNI
Crystal Finrock-dove sat at the table with a box that contained an assortment of business cards.
“This is a box of trusted people,” she said, when it was her turn to speak to the others in the room. “We give other people our business cards…people who will stand behind you when you give their name as a referral.”
That business card/referral exchange is at the heart of BNI, or Business Network International, the world’s leading business referral organization with more than 286,000 members in more than 10,600 BNI Chapters worldwide.
The Moon Lake Chapter meets weekly in Wapakoneta, and on Wednesday morning, in deference to Small Business Week, opened their doors to visitors, sharing more about the organization in the hopes of gaining new members.
There are 12 Moon Lake members; they typically meet downtown in the chamber of commerce
conference room. On Wednesday
they were at Anthony’s, sharing coffee and pastries, as well as
information about their businesses and the club to the visitors in the room.
The local chapter was established in 2011, said Ryan Place, this year’s president. He said the member
interaction that happens each week makes his attendance worthwhile.
“We’re all on the same page; we’re business people,” Place said. “We all serve people, we just do it differently.”
A variety of business categories are represented — real estate, retail, insurance, health care,
non-profits, interior design. Place said the bylaws limit membership to one person per category, but in an industry such as insurance, members can concentrate of different aspects or subsets of the field.
The meetings, Place said, are structured, which makes them efficient. Members, who are encouraged to
never miss a meeting, are in and out in 90
minutes. Each meeting sets aside time — one minute per member — for an ask, or a “what are you looking for” presentation.
“Someone might be looking for leads;
someone else could be looking for employees,
others something related to their business,” he said.
Ann Niemeyer is a member of the local BNI Chapter; she represents Back The Blue. Wednesday she was looking for support of
two upcoming events — a May 18 Blood Drive and the May 21 5K run.
Open networking follows the elevator
speeches, and then it’s time for one member to be featured in a 10-minute presentation.
On the BNI website, the mission statement
sums up the goals for the organization: The
mission of BNI is to
help BNI members increase their business through a structured, positive and professional referral marketing program that enables them to develop long-term, meaningful relationships with
quality business professionals.
The local chapter’s goal is to host at lease
one visitor per meeting, Place said. Meetings are every Wednesday morning at 8:30 a.m. in the
chamber’s conference room. Place is joined
on the leadership team by Tyler Copeland and Chris Ewald; they can be contacted to share more information.