In this BNI Education Slot, Darren Jamieson discusses one of the most important and sometimes challenging aspects of chapter growth: inviting visitors.

He begins by acknowledging that the leadership team has asked him to deliver an education slot on visitor invitations. Rather than repeating familiar advice, Darren points out that he has already shared visitor-inviting techniques and scripts in the past. However, he recognises that even with the best techniques available, some members still will not invite visitors.

https://youtu.be/F2CCCh0zWkg

Darren explains that there can be several reasons for this. Some members may have a mindset issue around rejection. Others may feel uncomfortable opening the conversation. Some may simply feel they do not have the time in their business to make those calls or send those messages.

Rather than trying to force everyone to invite visitors in the same way, Darren proposes a completely new approach.

He asks the members in the room to think of someone they personally know who is in business, lives within around 20 to 30 minutes of the meeting venue and is not already represented by a category in the chapter. This immediately gets members thinking about potential visitors from their existing networks.

He then asks them to think more selfishly. This time, he wants them to consider someone they would like to know. This could be a business owner they have asked for in their weekly presentation, or someone whose category would be useful to have in the room. Again, the person should be local enough to attend and should not conflict with an existing member’s category.

By this point, Darren notes that every member should already have two possible visitor names in mind.

He then gives the chapter a seven-day challenge. Each member is asked to take those two names and add one more, making a total of three potential visitors. These names should then be sent to Darren via WhatsApp.

He is clear about what information he wants: the person’s name, business name, category, publicly available phone number and whether the member knows them or would like to know them. Darren also makes it clear that he is not asking for personal data or anything that would breach GDPR. The phone number should be one that is publicly available on a website or Google Business Profile.

The next part of the strategy is what makes it different. Darren explains that he will compile the names into a spreadsheet and pass them to Shaun, who he describes as the best person he knows at calling people and getting appointments. Shaun has volunteered to make the calls and invite the potential visitors to BNI on behalf of the members.

This removes one of the biggest obstacles for members who do not feel confident inviting visitors themselves.

Darren then reveals the key benefit for members: if they provide a name, Shaun makes the call and the person attends BNI, the original member still receives the credit for bringing the visitor — without having had to speak to the visitor directly.

The talk ends with Darren asking whether anyone is unable to complete the task by the following Thursday. With no objections, he confirms unanimous buy-in and looks forward to seeing more visitors in the chapter over the coming weeks.

This education slot is a practical example of how a chapter can adapt its visitor strategy by focusing on members’ strengths. Rather than expecting everyone to be equally confident at inviting, the chapter can work as a team: members provide names and the best caller handles the invitations

Full Transcript

00:16
So, the leadership team has asked me to do an education slot today on inviting visitors.

00:23
I was expecting a snigger then. Um, now I could tell you all the different techniques that I use, but I’ve done that before. I could even share with you scripts that I’ve used to invite visitors, but I’ve done that before. And let’s be honest, I mean, Richard’s on his phone for a start. Let’s be honest.

00:40
I could give you all the techniques in the world, but there’s people who are not going to invite visitors. There’s people in the room that are just not going to do it for whatever reason that may be.

00:49
Maybe it’s mindset. Maybe you don’t want to feel rejection when you ask them to come to BNI and they say no. Maybe it’s you don’t feel comfortable opening the conversation. Maybe it’s you just haven’t got the time in your business.

01:01
Whatever the reason, there’s people in the room that are never going to invite visitors. So, let’s change things up a bit. Let’s come up with a completely new idea, shall we?

01:10
This isn’t some… Thank you. This is something we’ve not done before.

01:14
So, I want you to think, for the members in the room, that the subs and the visitors, you can relax a little bit. Maybe go through this as well if you want to, but for the members in the room, I want you to think, is there someone you can think of that you know personally that’s in business, that’s not represented by a category within this room right now, and that lives within about 20 minutes, 30 minutes of the room?

01:39
Can you think of someone that you know personally?

01:43
Okay, now raise your hand if you cannot think of a single person.

01:48
You can’t think of a single person who’s in business who’s not represented by a member in this room. Not… Oh, got someone.

01:57
There we go. We got someone. Good. Even Dave Bundy’s got someone. Thank you, Dave. I was hoping no one would put their hand up then, but you are a disruptor. So, thank you for that.

02:04
So, keep that person in mind. I’m not going to ask you to share it. I’m not going to say go through your phone and let’s get them out. No, no. I’m not going to do any of that. Just keep that person in mind. Put it in the back of your mind.

02:13
Now, let’s be selfish.

02:20
I want you to think about someone who you’d like to know, who’s in business, lives within 20 to 30 minutes of this room, could even be Liverpool because through the tunnel that time of the morning, you can make it here, and is not represented by a category in this room.

02:35
So, not an estate agent, not a mortgage broker, not a plumber, not an electrician. Someone that you would like an introduction to. It could be somebody that you’ve asked for in your 60 seconds over the last few weeks, for example.

02:48
Is there anybody who cannot think of a single person?

02:55
Okay, that’s good. So, everybody has got someone in their mind. So, you’ve already got two names that would be great visitors.

03:03
I’m not going to ask you to share them.

03:05
Here’s what I want you to do over the course of the next seven days.

03:10
I want you to take those two names and add one more to them. So, you’ve got three. It could be someone you know or it could be someone you want to know.

03:19
And I want you to send them to me on WhatsApp.

03:22
I want you to send me the name, the business name, the category, because it’s not always obvious from the business name, and the publicly available phone number.

03:31
I’m not asking for personal details. I’m not asking to break GDPR. The publicly available phone number that’s either on their website or on their Google Business Profile. And whether or not you know them or you want to know them, send those three names to me.

03:49
I will compile those into a spreadsheet and I will outsource them to my Indian call centre in the corner there. Shaun, go.

03:59
[Laughter]

04:00
He’s fine with that. He said that himself. He said that himself, because Shaun is the best person I know at calling people and getting appointments. It’s what he does day to day.

04:09
And Shaun has volunteered to do this. Don’t look at the expression on his face. He genuinely has volunteered to do this. I’m not picking on him right now.

04:17
Shaun will make those calls for you and he will invite them to BNI for you because he is the best person to do it.

04:24
And here’s the kicker. Here’s the real benefit to you.

04:31
If you give a name to me, Shaun makes the call and they come to BNI, you get the credit as the visitor and you haven’t even had to speak to anyone. How cool is that?

04:42
Cool.

04:43
Is there anyone who can’t do that by next Thursday? Brilliant. We have unanimous buy-in.

04:49
Thank you very much. We look forward to lots of visitors over the next few weeks.