The Secret Strategies to Skyrocket BNI Visitor Invitations: Insights from Darren Jamieson

Inviting visitors to Business Network International (BNI) meetings is a crucial component of growing a chapter and ensuring its success. However, many BNI members struggle with this task, often finding it daunting to approach potential visitors or convince them to attend early-morning meetings. Traditional invitation strategies, while effective for some, don’t always hit the mark. So how can you increase visitor attendance without the awkwardness and rejection that often comes with cold invitations?

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Darren Jamieson from Engage Web recently shared his innovative approach at the Green Club, a special BNI event for Cheshire West’s top givers. Darren’s strategies are unique, sometimes even counterintuitive, but they are undeniably effective. In this blog, we’ll delve into the key strategies Darren has used to consistently bring visitors to BNI meetings, without much of the stress associated with traditional approaches. Whether you’re a seasoned BNI member or just getting started, these methods can revolutionize your visitor invitation process.

Why Traditional Invitation Methods Often Fail

Inviting visitors to a BNI meeting may seem straightforward, but many people struggle with this task. The typical invitation goes something like this: “Do you want to attend a BNI meeting at 6:45 AM on Thursday? You’ll need to arrive early, pay £20, and present your business to a room full of strangers.”

This approach doesn’t sound very enticing, does it? Most people find it unappealing to wake up early, pay money, and stand up in front of an audience to speak about their business—especially if they’ve never attended a networking event before.

Darren highlighted that this traditional message is often ineffective because it focuses too much on the mechanics of the meeting rather than the benefits. Instead of selling the opportunity, many BNI members accidentally deter potential visitors by emphasizing the effort involved.

The First Strategy: Using Eventbrite for Automatic Visitor Sign-Ups

One of the most powerful strategies Darren has implemented at BNI Chester is leveraging Eventbrite, an online event platform that makes it easy for people to find and sign up for local events. Most BNI chapters rely on personal invitations to bring visitors in, but Darren’s method allows the visitors to come to you.

Why Eventbrite Works:

  1. Automation: Eventbrite allows potential visitors to search for local networking events and sign up for them automatically, meaning you don’t have to make cold calls or send emails to invite them.
  2. Commitment: When a visitor signs up via Eventbrite and pays the attendance fee in advance, they are more likely to attend. Even if they don’t, the chapter has already received the payment, ensuring that resources aren’t wasted.
  3. Increased Visibility: Eventbrite listings are searchable both within the Eventbrite platform and via Google. This boosts your chapter’s visibility and introduces your BNI chapter to people who may not have considered attending a networking event.
  4. Low Effort, High Reward: Once the listing is created, it runs on autopilot. People find your event, sign up, and pay without you having to do anything beyond maintaining the listing.

How to Set Up an Eventbrite for Your Chapter:

  1. Create a New Event: Log into Eventbrite and create a new event listing for your chapter. Set the price (e.g., £20 for visitors), and include detailed information about the event, including the date, time, location, and a description of what visitors can expect.
  2. Promote Your Event: Share your Eventbrite link on social media, your chapter’s website, and with existing members to spread the word. Eventbrite’s built-in search engine optimization (SEO) will also help people in your area find your event when they search for networking opportunities.
  3. Track the Results: Darren revealed that his chapter had 52 visitors sign up via Eventbrite in a single year, with minimal promotion. These visitors paid upfront, and many attended without needing a direct invitation. The financial commitment ensured that these visitors valued the opportunity and were more likely to engage.

The Second Strategy: Leveraging Google Business Profiles

Another underutilized tool that Darren recommends is Google Business Profiles (formerly Google My Business). By creating a business profile for your BNI chapter, you can make it easier for potential visitors to find you when they search for networking events or business groups in your area.

How Google Business Profiles Benefit Your Chapter:

  1. Visibility: A Google Business Profile ensures that your chapter appears on Google Maps and in local search results. When people search for networking events or BNI chapters near them, your profile will show up, complete with contact details, reviews, and a link to your Eventbrite listing.
  2. Credibility: Having a Google Business Profile lends legitimacy to your chapter. It allows visitors to see reviews from other attendees, get directions to your venue, and even call or email for more information.
  3. Increased Traffic: Darren shared impressive statistics showing how many people interacted with BNI Chester’s Google Business Profile. In just six months, their profile generated 365 link clicks, 272 direction requests, and 93 website visits. These are potential visitors who found BNI Chester organically via Google.

How to Set Up a Google Business Profile:

  1. Go to Google My Business: Create a free Google Business Profile for your chapter. Fill in all the relevant details, including your chapter’s name, address, meeting times, and contact information.
  2. Optimize Your Profile: Include keywords that potential visitors might search for, such as “business networking in [your city]” or “BNI chapter near me.” Add photos of your chapter in action and encourage members and visitors to leave reviews.
  3. Connect to Your Website and Eventbrite: Make sure your profile links to your chapter’s website and your Eventbrite listing to make it easy for visitors to sign up and attend.

The Third Strategy: Social Media Hacks for Visitor Invitations

Social media platforms, especially Facebook, can be powerful tools for inviting visitors—if used correctly. Darren’s approach flips the traditional “invite to BNI” script by using posts to create value and generate organic recommendations from within the community.

The Key: Don’t Mention BNI

One of Darren’s most surprising pieces of advice is this: when inviting people to BNI, don’t mention BNI at all. This may seem counterintuitive, but it works. Rather than announcing an invitation to a BNI meeting, Darren suggests asking for recommendations on social media for services or products that your chapter members can provide.

Here’s How It Works:

  1. Post a Genuine Request: For example, Darren once posted in a local Facebook group asking for recommendations for a cleaner to service his office. This request generated 74 comments, with people recommending various cleaning services.
  2. Message the Person Recommended: Once someone is recommended, Darren sends them a private message saying, “You were recommended in the Facebook group for cleaning services. Do you have time to chat?” From here, the conversation naturally leads to an invitation to meet other business owners who may need their services.
  3. Don’t Mention BNI Until They Arrive: Rather than saying, “Come to my BNI meeting,” Darren simply invites them to meet other business owners who could use their services. This lowers the visitor’s resistance, and they are more likely to say yes.

Real-World Example:

In one case, Darren posted looking for a cleaner and received multiple recommendations. He messaged a cleaner named Natalie Chadwick, who agreed to attend what she thought was a casual networking opportunity. Upon arrival, she was pleasantly surprised by the structured nature of the meeting, enjoyed the experience, and ultimately became a BNI member.

This approach works because it focuses on the value of the connections rather than the mechanics of the meeting. By not mentioning BNI upfront, you sidestep any preconceptions or hesitations the visitor might have.

The Fourth Strategy: Use a Member as “Bait”

This final strategy involves using existing BNI members’ professions as a way to attract visitors. Darren refers to this as using a member as “bait,” and it works especially well for tradespeople and service providers who receive work from referrals.

How It Works:

  1. Identify a Need: Let’s say you have a carpet cleaner in your chapter. You approach a local letting agent (a potential visitor) and ask, “Do you get a lot of work from carpet cleaners for end-of-tenancy cleans?”
  2. Offer to Introduce Them: Instead of cold-inviting the letting agent to a BNI meeting, offer to introduce them directly to your carpet cleaner during a meeting. Position it as a favor—an opportunity for them to meet a professional who can help with their business needs.
  3. Result: The visitor is far more likely to attend because the focus is on a direct business benefit. They don’t feel like they’re being sold something; they feel like they’re being helped.

This technique works because it creates a win-win situation. The visitor gets introduced to a potential business partner, and the BNI member potentially gains new business. Moreover, the visitor gets a first-hand experience of the value BNI can offer.

Summary:

Darren Jamieson’s strategies for inviting visitors to BNI are simple yet highly effective. By leveraging Eventbrite for automatic sign-ups, optimizing Google Business Profiles for visibility, using social media to create value-driven invitations, and introducing potential visitors to current members in a meaningful way, Darren has transformed BNI Chester’s visitor numbers.

The common thread through all of these strategies is this: focus on the visitor’s needs and interests rather than the BNI mechanics. Whether you’re automating the process through platforms like Eventbrite and Google, or tailoring personal invitations through social media and targeted introductions, the goal is to show potential visitors

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