Every BNI Chapter follows a structured agenda for running the meeting. The regular meeting agenda allows for all members to provide a brief introduction of their business. One or two members also provide a more in depth ten-minute overview of their business.

Visitors to a BNI Chapter are also part of the meeting agenda. Every visitor to a BNI meeting is recognized, welcomed and given an opportunity to talk about their business. Plus, the BNI meeting schedule, return on investment and the importance of “Givers Gain” are all explained in the all-important “BNI Visitor Orientation Agenda”.  

Here is a recommended BNI Visitor Orientation Agenda. It should take only 5-7 minutes to complete:

1. Sit down at a table (ideally)
2. Thank members for coming!
3. Ask for permission to explain the 3 most common questions
   1. How often do we meet?
      1. 44 times a year, each week except for holidays, etc.
   2. How many Substitutes can we have?
      1. Two subs each 6 months max: staff, biz partners, clients, or another person
   3. What is my ROI?
      1. Dollars per hour idea: Income divided by hours in BNI meetings/1:1s, etc.
      2. Our chapter makes about 1M per year ($37,000/member/avg)
      3. Our chapter has members doing more than 50% of their biz here
4. Review the membership application
   1. Classification and Industry
   2. Clarify any questions about conflicts or overlaps in business classifications
   3. Explain business References section
5. Interviews will take place within one week of application submissions
6. Other Questions?
7. Call to action
   1. Who is ready to apply?
8. Thank you, let’s continue networking! Go back to the meeting room

Once you have completed the BNI Visitor Orientation, then introduce them personally to members who may be in the same industry as they are (finance, marketing, health, etc.) so they will see that there is a built-in group of members to whom they can meet with apart from the regular meeting. The BNI Capital Business Alliance, which meets every Wednesday in Bethesda, welcomes all visitors. Please contact the BNI Chapter president to find out more about our chapter and request an invitation.

Read our BNI Purpose and Overview…