FAQ from Members

• The President runs the meeting and has overall responsibility for all chapter matters. The President also has the direct responsibility of overseeing the mentorship program and MSP briefings.
  
• The Vice President keeps track of absences and referrals. They also oversee the Membership Committee.
  
• The Secretary/Treasurer keeps track of membership dues, and schedules the speakers and introducers. They also submit all membership information to your Executive Director.

Q: I Heard That Leadership Teams Receive Free Dues. Is That True?
A: Yes! Your Executive Director pays their dues while they are in office. They must have at least three months of dues remaining on the day their term begins and attend training. They come out of office with the same amount of remaining dues they had going into office.
 

Q: Who Is My Assistant/Area Director And What Is Their Purpose?
A: Your Assistant or Area Director (AD) is listed along with your chapter information on this web site. Click on Find a Chapter on the left menu, choose your chapter from the drop down list and see your AD's name and contact information. Your AD is the person to go to after your Leadership Team if you have questions about your membership or BNI in general. They will visit your chapter frequently and provide training and support.


Q: What Is The Ambassadors Role?
A: BNI Ambassadors are people who help the Assistant/Area Director with your chapter. Either an Ambassador or an Assistant Director can provide assistance or present a workshop at a chapter.


Q: What Are Other Leadership Roles Within The Chapter?
A: Visitor Hosts: The Visitor Hosts are also members of the Membership Committee. They arrive at the meeting 15 minutes or more before the meeting. They help set-up the meeting. They greet visitors and introduce them to members. The Visitor Host then helps the visitor walk through the meeting, and helps them submit an application after the meeting. They are the most visible representatives of your chapter to visitors.

Membership Committee: MCs take applications and qualify applicants prior to accepting them as new members. They also review all membership renewal applications. They handle any situations that occur within the chapter. Vice Presidents lead the MC. MCs have a spot in the agenda which they use to inform the membership of any pending applications, any open categories, and help the membership understand BNI policies. They generally take turns performing the Visitor Host duties. They must go through formal training at the beginning of each term and agree to abide by, and enforce the BNI Code of Ethics, Policies, and Procedures.

Event Coordinator: They coordinate the BNI special events. They are normally part of the membership committee. However, this is not a requirement.

Education Coordinator: The EC has 2 to 5-minutes in each meeting to teach members about networking. They use BNI supplied training material to share with members. ECs don't necessarily have to speak each week, but they are responsible for making sure that the 2 to 5-minute spot is filled. They will probably be asking you to make one of these short presentations in the near future. The EC also attends Leadership Team training at the beginning of each term. It helps give them insight into the duties they will be performing, and qualifies them to step into the Leadership Team should there be an unexpected opening on the Leadership Team.


Q: Can I Transfer Chapters?
A: Yes, But! There is a formal process that needs to be followed. Please read the 'Transfer Policy' listed under the policy section of the 'NET-LEARN ARTICLES' on this web-site.


Q: What Is A Team Membership?
A: This is an old membership option. We no longer accept or renew team memberships.


Q: Will You Please Explain The Absence Policy?
A: You can miss up to three meetings each six-month period. (October through March and then April through September) You can send a substitute to a meeting when you cannot attend, and this counts as an attendance provided you do not abuse this privilege. (Remember, Do not abuse the privilege by exceeding the region policy of one sub a month average.) Being there, arriving on time, and staying for the entire meeting is the single biggest relationship maker in a chapter. Not being there, arriving late, or leaving early is the single biggest relationship breaker in a chapter.


Q: How Does The Substitution Program Work?
A: You can use a substitute up to six times a year without being counted as absent. A full program overview is now contained in our current Basic Training Supplement.

Q: Does The Size Of A Chapter Make Much Difference To Overall Productivity?
A: Yes! If your members have good attitudes and are practicing the skills in the Basic Training Supplement you should see dramatic increases in the number of referrals and dollar values in bigger chapters. This is most noticeable in breakfast chapters of 30+ and lunch chapters of 40+. It is not only easier and more productive, but it is also more fun in larger chapters.


Q: What Is The Average Return On My Investment In A BNI Membership?
A: There is such a wide diversity of professions in BNI, each with their own profit margins, that it is almost impossible to give you an average. What I can tell you is all members have the ability to create one-third or more of all of their new business each year through BNI. If you compare this productivity to what it costs to be a member you will get a pretty good idea of your ROI.


Q: What Is The Best Way To Invite Visitors?
A: Create a sense of curiosity, a fear of loss, and a desire to gain in each person you are inviting. Let them know you are doing them a favor by inviting them to your chapter. Remember, you are not asking them to apply for membership, just to visit and evaluate the opportunity. We cover this subject extensively during membership committee training. There is also a section on this in our Basic Training Supplement.


Q: What Do I Do If I Receive A Bad Referral?
A: The first thing to do is to speak to the member who gave you the bad referral. Schedule a one-on-one with them to educate them on what is, and is not a good referral for you. If you continue to get bad referrals from this person you need to take the issue to the membership committee. If you are getting bad referrals from several different members you probably need help to modify your commercials and 12-minute presentation. Ask for help!


Q: What Is More Important To A Chapter, New Members Or Referrals?
A: They are both of equal importance. New members create more referrals.


Q: What Is The Average Turnover Rate Of Chapter Members?
A: Most chapters see a turn over rate of about 30%. This rate may vary geographically, but it is usually very close to a combination of housing turnovers and job changes.


Q: What Is The Single Most Valuable Attribute Of A BNI Member?
A: ATTITUDE! ATTITUDE! ATTITUDE! I have seen one or two members with negative attitudes destroy a chapter. Help members with a negative attitude understand the importance of demonstrating a positive attitude. If they do not respond, it is probably time for them to go. I believe the most important phrase in the BNI Code of Ethics is; I Will Display A Positive And Supportive Attitude.


Q: What Are The Generally Accepted Standards Of Conduct?
A: For a good overview see the page NETiquette: How to Excel in BNI in the current Basic Training Supplement. It does not cover everything, but I believe it will give you the answer to what you are asking.


Q: What Constitutes Denying Membership To An Applicant?
A: Category interference with another member is the primary reason. Living and working outside where the chapter meets, and the attitude of the applicant are a close second. Former members who did not depart in good standing may not return without a waiver from your Executive Director. Remember, discrimination of any sort is strictly forbidden.


Q: We Have A Member That Sends Unsolicited Faxes and E-Mails To Fellow Members, How Do We Get Them To Stop? A: Educate them! Politely inform them our Policies and Code of Ethics forbid this. If this does not resolve the problem you will need to bring this to the attention of your Membership Committee. Members must never try to SELL to other members. They should try and create an environment where other members, who need their products or services, will want to BUY from them. Without this level of comfort, members will never refer their important contacts to other members.


Q: What Constitutes Denying The Renewal Of A Membership To A Current BNI Chapter Member?
A: Attendance is the number one reason. Attitude is the number two reason. Failure to satisfactorily actively participate in normal chapter activities such as passing referrals and bringing in qualified visitors is another major reason.


Q: How Do I Edit My Information On The Website?
A: Login to your BNI Connect profile and edit any information right from your account. If you are changing either your name or company name, the BNIDVR Regional Office will approve the change after you have submitted your information on BNI Connect.

• If you are looking to change your category, please contact your Secretary Treasurer to fill out the proper change of category form. 

Q: Can I Offer A Monetary Reward To Members Who Give Me A Referral?
A: NO! Giving referrals to each other is what we do. We don't sell them. Any fee puts us in the position of selling referrals. This would destroy the meaning of Givers Gain, and compromise our ethical standards. If a member gives you a really great referral you can invite them out for a one-on-one meeting at a nice restaurant. (You can pick up the check, to show your appreciation, if you feel it is appropriate.) Spending your valuable time with another member is a large part of the relationship building process. BNI encourages one-on-one meetings with members as a means of learning about each other, building trust, respect, and hopefully a commitment to helping each other. This one-on-one will help both members learn how to better help each other give and receive more referrals.


Q: A Recent Applicant Requested Your Employer Identification Number To Get A Check From Their Company And Was Told You Do Not Provide This Information. Why?
A: Providing our EIN is only required if we are catagorized as a vendor. BNI, Delaware Valley Regions does not sell corporate memberships (multiple memberships to the same client). We only offer memberships to individuals. This allows you, as a chapter, to have far more control of who you can accept or reject as members. It also means that we are not considered a vendor. As a result of incorrectly being reported as a vendor by past members the Internal Revenue Service has recommended that we no longer provide this information, to avoid unnecessary audits.

If you have an applicant or member that requests our EIN please inform them of this answer. Recommend they pay for their membership themself, and report it on their expense report. Your Treasurer has a pad of forms that should help. (Receipt for Marketing Products and Services)


Need More?
If you have a question about BNI, and you cannot get an answer at your chapter, please feel free to talk to your Area Director, or your Executive Director.