BNI - Business Networking International

[Air Jer]

BNI is a cult? Humm... my experience isn't that but I suppose. I appreciate the insight shared by many. I asked the question because I have been in a BNI group for a year & this group is just a little over a year old itself and quite honestly we have not been of much use to each other. When I joined, I became the 14th member but within 4 months we were down to 9 members. Of those 9, another 3 were insurance agents of different specialties but with connections that made it unlikely we would refer much to each other. Since that point we have grown to 17 members but none of them have the "infrastructure" mentioned as most involved are just starting out. So I reach the point of deciding to renew or not. I sort of hate to walk away with the growth of the last few months and if it continues it could be a group of 25 this time next year. Then again, it could be a group of 9 with 4 insurance agents. Thanx everyone!

 

[Franz Kafka]

I would go if I didn't have to pay anything and there was no Pre Paid Legal guy. Pay and have the PPL guy work me to death? Must be nuts.

 

[VaDwayne]

You meet the same people more than once through Linked In and Meetup. "because they have skin in the game", means that if I don't pay you, you have no reason to build a relationship with me?

BNI and Powercore are nothing more than professional cults.

Linked in doesn't require just ONE insurance agent, ONE real estate agent, ONE printer. They know that there is enough business to go around. If you are that insecure in feeling otherwise, then there is nothing I can say to convince you otherwise.

It's sad to think that if you are in a BNI or Powercore group, and you have an insurance agent (Life agent, for argument's sake), and then you meet - not through BNI or Powercore - another Life agent, who is a wonderful person, and actually has what a prospect would need, that you would NOT give them that lead because they have no "skin in the game", and they are not a "trusted partner" because they don't belong to BNI or Powercore.

Small minded thinking.

I know four P and C agents, and I have referred people to all four. I base this on several factors: area, personality type, specific policy type needed. NOT whether they "have skin in the game".

I know, like and trust all of them, and two of them are good friends, and don't mind sharing business. BTW, we met through a Meetup group.

That's funny, a cult, I wondered why they had that sweat lodge set up when I joined. I'll stay away from the Kool-aid too.

 

[stuy119]

You meet the same people more than once through Linked In and Meetup. "because they have skin in the game", means that if I don't pay you, you have no reason to build a relationship with me?

BNI and Powercore are nothing more than professional cults.

Linked in doesn't require just ONE insurance agent, ONE real estate agent, ONE printer. They know that there is enough business to go around. If you are that insecure in feeling otherwise, then there is nothing I can say to convince you otherwise.

It's sad to think that if you are in a BNI or Powercore group, and you have an insurance agent (Life agent, for argument's sake), and then you meet - not through BNI or Powercore - another Life agent, who is a wonderful person, and actually has what a prospect would need, that you would NOT give them that lead because they have no "skin in the game", and they are not a "trusted partner" because they don't belong to BNI or Powercore.

Small minded thinking.

I know four P and C agents, and I have referred people to all four. I base this on several factors: area, personality type, specific policy type needed. NOT whether they "have skin in the game".

I know, like and trust all of them, and two of them are good friends, and don't mind sharing business. BTW, we met through a Meetup group.

We'll just have to disagree then.

I'm not going to hand out referrals of current/potential clients to people that I don't know and/or feel comfortable with. I'm particular like that, and feel more comfortable knowing that my reputation will be protected. I'm only insecure about my reputation, and it's a mistake not to be.

"Paying" just gives you the tools at your disposal. Why re-invent the wheel when you don't have to? Our group pondered going independent, but we realized that the hassle of setting up the paperwork to track, the advertising for potential new members, and a lower accountability level to an "independent group" wasn't worth the hassle compared to the benefit of staying where we were.

Also, nowhere does it say that you are REQUIRED to pass business to the people in your group when the opportunity comes up. Again, it's about the people, and how comfortable you feel with passing the referral to that particular group member. Another benefit of a BNI group is that you'll meet some good people who become great friends - two of my best friends have come from our BNI group.

Were the BNI setup so "cult-like" and ineffective, the insurance categories would not be one of the first to fill up in most chapters, one of the lowest categories to turnover, and one of the highest revenue generating (both giving and receiving) categories in all BNI chapters.

You feel a certain way, and I feel the opposite. In the meantime, I'll continue to receive business that I'm asking for that other insurance agents aren't due to the contacts that I've established and feel comfortable enough in getting the introduction. And that is worth $25 monthly plus the cost of breakfast.