DO YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR BUSINESS GROW?
| Published: 23rd February 2007 10:10 |
'GROW' YOUR BUSINESS WITH BNI
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BNI is a 21 year old business and professional organisation that allows only one person from each trade or profession to join a chapter. With over 4,200 active chapters, and 84,000 members, it is the most successful business referral organisation in the world.
Belonging to BNI is like having dozens of sales people working for you because all the other members carry copies of your card with them. When they meet someone new that could use your products or services they hand out your card and personally recommend your services.
It's as simple as that! Last year members of BNI passed 4,400,000 referrals, which generated more than €1.5 billion worth of business.
Being active in BNI is like having up to 40 sales people working for you, because your fellow members will be carrying your cards and referring your business to people they meet, without you having to pay them any salaries or commission. Successful businesses depend on 'word-of-mouth' marketing as the best form of promotion there is.
BNI provides a structured, supportive, business environment in which local business people can get together to network, learn valuable new marketing skills and develop the strong personal relationships that lead to trust and the consequent generation of significant business for each other.
- Founder: Dr. Ivan R. Misner of San Dimas, CA
- Established: 1985
- Motto: "Givers Gain"
- Purpose: Networking in order to generate business for fellow members
- Unique Feature: Only one person from a profession is eligible to join a chapter
- Number of Chapters: Over 4,600 worldwide as of 2006 and growing at a rate of 4 per week
- Number of Members: Over 92,000
- Number of Referrals Passed in 2006: 4,900,000
- Total Value of Referrals Passed in 2006: £1.1 billion (€1.523 billion)
- Countries with BNI Chapters: 23 and rising
Compare the value -
word of mouth marketing really works!
HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN YOU INFLUENCE WITH ONE NEWSPAPER AD?
(Average cost in London £1,300)
HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN YOU COME IN CONTACT WITH IN ONE YEAR BY USING A SALES FORCE OF UP TO 40 PEOPLE?
Most business people advertise. We would never suggest that you stop your advertising. What we ask is that you "Compare the Value". Depending on position, one insertion of a small 4"x4" Display Ad averages about £1,300 in the London area. Annual membership in BNI costs a fraction of this amount. In addition, a referred lead is the best lead to get! You "Compare the Value."
The Evening Standard | £1,000 |
Local papers | £252 (average) |
Yellow Pages | £2,670 (quarter page) |
Depending on the day of the week, and the position in the publication, the cost of a 4x4 display could cost you over £2,500, which would pay for several years' membership to BNI!
If you would like to find out more about how you can generate a steady flow of referral business for yourself in a BNI Chapter, visit us and judge for yourself!
......"The Royal Bank of Scotland has supported BNI over the past 3 years and found it to be a lucrative source of new referral business for us"
Jason Oakley - Royal Bank of Scotland
....."In 6 years, we have received £1,600,000 of business as a result of BNI membership. The great thing about BNI is that your chapter members become your unpaid sales force"
Sobell Rhodes - Chartered Accountants
....."Between October 1999 and October 2003 we have received over EUR346,000 in fee income from BNI referrals"
Colin Whelan - Guardian Management Accounting
....."In my 2 years as a member of BNI, I've learnt new skills, taken my start-up business from 6 to 56 clients and doubled my turnover - I couldn't have done this without BNI"
Dave Ogden - Jameson Lomax IT Support
These are some of the comments that BNI members have been making in BNI groups all over The United Kingdom and Ireland in the last 2 years!
I have recently joined BNI to promote this Web Site and I can tell you first hand what it is like to be a member.
For more details or to find out how you can join - email me patriciarobinson@aboutmyarea.co.uk
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