I joined the CT Valley BNI team almost 3 years ago. One of my co-workers had joined another BNI group and suggested that I look into joining one myself. I remember walking through the door for my first meeting. I wasn’t too sure what to expect and I was a little nervous about talking to a room full of strangers. That feeling was gone in the first minute. Joe, our Mortgage Broker, saw me come in and immediately greeted me with a handshake and a smile. He put me at ease and began to introduce me to other members of the group. Everyone there was extremely friendly and genuinely interested in learning about and coming up with ideas on how they could help me with my business. I later learned that this is the BNI philosophy, “Givers Gain”. If you concentrate on giving, referring and supporting the members in your group, it will return to you tenfold.
So now that I am a member of the group, how do I get the most out of it? It’s easy, “Givers Gain”. I really pay attention to what the other members have to offer. Then when I am with someone that needs one of their services, I simply hand them their business card with the confidence that my fellow BNI member will take great care of my referral. BNI is all about building relationships and trust. It’s about giving that little bit extra to the referrals you receive because BNI is your most important customer. And the more you give, the more you’ll get.
Here’s a small example of what can happen at BNI. Last week our Home Inspector (Mark) gave our Contractor (Nick) a referral for one of Mark’s customers that is purchasing an existing condo. This week Nick asked me for a price to replace all of the flooring, the kitchen backsplash, and granite counters in the same condo. I am currently working with a granite fabricator that I met through another local BNI group.
This referral was given by one BNI member and will benefit three members. That’s the Power of BNI, and that’s why I am a CT Valley BNI member.