In this BNI Education Slot, Zoe Devenport explores how Power Teams can be intentionally built and grown to create consistent, high-quality referrals across a chapter.

She begins by reflecting on a previous experience where a Power Team initially thrived but later fell apart due to member changes and attendance challenges. This sets the tone for a more honest discussion about what Power Teams need in order to be sustainable.

https://youtu.be/NE–nvOJjAY

Zoe explains that effective Power Teams typically require more than four members to function properly and introduces the “I Have, I Need, I Did” framework as a simple but powerful structure for collaboration. This approach helps members clearly communicate what they can offer, what they are looking for and the results they are generating.

A significant portion of the session is dedicated to a detailed, real-world example centred around a property investment scenario. Zoe walks through how a single client need can move through brokers, solicitors, surveyors, trades, accountants, utilities and estate agents, demonstrating how referrals can naturally circulate when a Power Team is properly aligned.

She also highlights that members can belong to more than one Power Team, encouraging flexibility and strategic thinking when identifying opportunities within a chapter. Rather than assigning Power Teams for members, Zoe stresses the importance of individuals taking ownership of where they fit and how they can contribute.

The session concludes with a call to action, inviting members to actively participate in upcoming Power Team meetings aimed at growing teams, filling gaps and strengthening collaboration. Zoe shares her vision of significantly increasing chapter engagement and ensuring Power Teams are “flying” by the end of the year.

Overall, the session reinforces that Power Teams do not succeed by chance. They succeed through structure, communication and shared commitment.

Full Transcript

(00:00)
What you’ve been doing, what you want, and what you’re then going to do about it.

The last time I did an Education Slot, it was all about Power Teams. And it was all about me standing at the front telling everyone how wonderful our finance Power Team was.

Well… it fell apart, as you can imagine. The reason for that was we had a couple of members leave, and a couple of members couldn’t make it. I think the last Power Team meeting we had was just me and Richard — great.

But I want to take this forward as a chapter, and I want to make sure that everybody in the room can, if they want to, be a member of a Power Team.

So again, what is a Power Team? For me, a Power Team has got to be more than four people. It doesn’t really work if it’s any less.

While I was doing some research, I found a great motto on BNI: I Have, I Need, I Did. And for me, it’s all about what you’ve been doing, what you want, and what you’re then going to do about it — and you do that together as a Power Team.

I know people don’t like handouts, but I’m just going to pass some around. These are the official ones from BNI. They are American, so some of the categories might be slightly different from what we’re used to.

For me, it’s about identifying your category properly and identifying which Power Team you can be a member of. And actually, you can be a member of more than one.

For example, trades and finance Power Teams can work really well together.

Let me give you an example. Someone approaches you and says, “I’ve come into some inheritance, I want to invest in property, I want help sourcing it, renting it out, and mentoring.”

You find them a property, they make an offer, and then you pass a referral to the mortgage broker for a buy-to-let mortgage. That then goes to conveyancing. If we had a surveyor, the referral would go there too.

From there, the builder gets involved, then the electrician, plumber, carpet fitter, kitchen fitter — getting the property exactly how the client wants it. Waste removal gets involved, estate agents manage the property, accountants handle HMRC, utilities are sorted — and it just keeps going round and round.

You might think, “Well, isn’t that what BNI does anyway?”
But imagine if that happened every single time automatically because the Power Team is that tight.

Have a look at your Power Team lists. See if you’re in more than one, or where you could be. I’m not going to do this for you — but I am prepared to help.

Over February, I want to set up meetings for anyone who wants to build a Power Team that actually works. We’ll look at who’s missing, who complements the team, and how to grow it properly.

I’ll put some dates on the group chat, I’ll stay behind after BNI, and we’ll get this moving. I’d love by the end of the year to have doubled the size of the room and have Power Teams that are absolutely flying.

Thank you.