In a recent BNI Education Slot, hosted by Sauren Ghosh, two long-standing BNI members shared how their biggest business wins came directly from BNI referrals.

First up was Mike Corner, who recounted how a visit to Green Club—the regional meeting for top-performing members—led to a game-changing project. He secured a £225,000 contract to renovate a large apartment block, thanks to a connection made at the event. Not only was the job lucrative, but it also created three weeks of solid work for his entire team. The relationship continues to grow, with further projects already in the pipeline.

Next, Jo Finnerty, a BNI member for over 13 years, told the gripping story of how she repeatedly asked for an introduction to a local company spending £100,000 a year on recruitment. After weeks of consistent asking, the breakthrough came—triggered by multiple members recommending her. The client called out of the blue on a Friday needing an urgent placement for a maternity cover. Within hours, Jo sourced the perfect candidate through yet another BNI contact. The result? £65,000 in billed business that year alone.

Both stories are powerful reminders of the BNI ethos: give consistently, ask clearly, and stay connected. When you do, the results speak for themselves.

Full Transcript

[00:00] Sauren Ghosh:
So you’re probably thinking, “Why are we all happy and smiley?” We come here to grow our businesses, and today I wanted to share the experience of two members who’ve really benefited from BNI. I’m going to ask them both to share a referral they received that turned into substantial business.

[00:57] Sauren:
Mike, can I ask you first?

[01:00] Mike Corner:
Probably the best referral we had was one we received from Green Club. That’s where all the top members from the region meet, I think every couple of months.

When I was there, I landed the biggest job of the year—a large apartment block in Frodsham. They’d had issues with previous contractors, but we got the job. It was worth £225,000 to us. Three weeks of work for the full team—fantastic.

That’s exactly the kind of thing you need when you’ve got staff to keep busy. Even better, we’ve already been asked to price the next block for next year. All through BNI.

[01:48] Sauren:
That’s brilliant, thank you. For those who don’t know, Green Club is where members who contribute more to BNI rise through the “traffic light” system and get invited to connect with top networkers in the region. It’s a real privilege.

[02:11] Sauren:
Jo, how long have you been a BNI member?

[02:13] Jo Finnerty:
13 years.

[02:15] Sauren:
Would you like to share a referral that’s stood out?

[02:17] Jo:
I’ve had loads, but the one that stands out was a local business on the Wirral with 400 staff. They used recruiters, but they didn’t know us. I knew they were spending about £100,000 a year.

So I asked every week, for about two months, for an intro to them. One Friday, at 11:00, a call came in. One of my team answered and said, “You won’t believe it—they want recruitment!”

I thought, “What?” Apparently, seven or eight people had rung this company and told them they needed to call me. The woman on the phone said, “I’ve been told by BMI—wait, is it BMI? No, BNI—that I should speak to you.”

She said, “We have a PA starting Monday for the chief exec, but the agency’s let us down. Can you sort this with an hour’s notice?”

I said, “No problem.” I got my team moving—social media, database, everything.

Then a BNI member rang me 15 minutes later. He’d seen the advert and said, “My sister-in-law has just landed at Liverpool. She’s been a PA in Paris for 12 months. She’s available.”

I said, “Get her in.” She came in, registered, was perfect. I walked her over to HR with her CV. She got the job.

We invoiced £65,000 with that business over the year.

[05:27] Jo:
So really, BNI brought us both the client and the candidate. We just put it together. That’s my story. I’ll shut up now.