What’s the real reason BNI works so well—better than most other networking groups?

The answer isn’t just structure. It’s not just relationships. And it’s not just referrals. It’s one powerful word:

Accountability.

As a long-standing member of BNI, I’ve been part of countless networking events and organizations. Many are enjoyable, even valuable in their own way. But no other group has delivered results like BNI—and it all comes down to this one principle.

In fact, I set myself a personal goal in 2024: to earn over £100,000 in revenue through BNI alone. I didn’t just meet that goal—I smashed it with a total of £165,000.

That kind of return doesn’t happen by chance. It happens through commitment, consistency, and yes—accountability.

Flipping the BNI Mindset

Let’s start by flipping the way many people look at BNI.

Some members view BNI as demanding:

• Weekly attendance
• Regular 1-2-1s
• Bringing referrals and visitors
• Submitting testimonials
• Attending training

It can feel like a long list of tasks. But here’s the mindset shift that changes everything:

Those aren’t just things BNI expects from you. They’re things everyone else is expected to do for you.

BNI isn’t a one-way street. It’s a system built on mutual accountability, where every member is expected to contribute to everyone else’s success. That’s what makes it different—and far more effective—than more casual networking setups.

Why Other Networking Groups Fall Short

I’m a member of several other networking groups, and I enjoy them immensely. The venues are great, the conversation flows, and the atmosphere is often relaxed and informal.

• But here’s what they lack:
• Attendance isn’t mandatory
• Follow-ups aren’t tracked
• Referrals are hit or miss

You can go weeks without seeing the same person, which makes it difficult to build meaningful business relationships. And if someone isn’t there consistently, how can you get to know, like, and trust them enough to refer them?

That’s where BNI stands apart.

Attendance Isn’t Enough—Contribution Matters

Showing up is only one piece of the puzzle. In BNI, we’re not just looking for bodies in chairs—we’re building a culture of active contribution.

That means:

• Giving and receiving 1-2-1s
• Bringing visitors and referrals
• Sharing testimonials
• Participating in training to improve your ability to refer others

The structure might seem strict, but it’s what creates consistent results. You’re not just investing time—you’re building equity in a referral network that’s working hard for you every week.
My BNI Results: £165K in One Year

Let’s talk results.

In 2024, I challenged myself to see just how far I could take BNI if I truly committed to the system. My goal was £100,000 in business from BNI referrals.

By year’s end, I hit £165,000—over 50% more than my target.

That kind of success doesn’t come from showing up occasionally or just “being in the room.” It comes from engaging fully, building trust, and leveraging the power of a group that holds each other accountable.

Pushback? You’ll Hear It…

Of course, not everyone embraces the accountability right away. Some members ask:

• “Why do I have to do all these 1-2-1s?”
• “Why so much training?”
• “I didn’t join BNI to be told what to do!”

But here’s the thing—BNI is a business tool. You wouldn’t buy expensive software and only use 10% of its features. The same goes for BNI. The structure is designed to deliver value. And if you’re not using it fully, you’re missing out.

This isn’t about rules for rules’ sake. It’s about ROI—and accountability is the engine that drives it.

Why I’ve Committed Long-Term

I’ve been a BNI member for close to a decade. A couple of years ago, I renewed for another five years in advance—and I’m not going anywhere.

Why? Because BNI delivers. Not just in theory, not just on paper—but in real business revenue, year after year.

And the reason it works—again—is that everyone is accountable. To the system. To the group. And most importantly, to you.
Final Thoughts: Make It Work for You

If you’re in BNI, lean in. Use the system. Expect accountability—not just from yourself, but from every other member. And remember:

You didn’t join BNI to be managed. You joined to grow your business.

So if someone’s not showing up, not following through, or not contributing, it affects everyone—including you.

Accountability isn’t just a core value. It’s the competitive advantage that turns meetings into money.

Full Video Transcript:

(00:00) Look at it this way: when you turn up at a BNI meeting, everybody else is expected to bring you referrals. Everybody else is expected to have a one-to-one with you to find out how they can refer you.

[Music]

BNI is known for having seven core values, and one of those core values is something I want to focus on today in this education slot—and that is accountability. It is, for my money, the reason that BNI works above other networking organizations. And there are a lot of networking organizations out there. I am a member of many of them, but…

(00:45) None of them have the accountability that BNI has. So, in many of the other organizations, for example, you don’t have to turn up to every meeting. If you can’t make a meeting, it’s absolutely fine. Don’t worry about it. We’re not the police. We’re not going to say, “Oh, you should have been there for that meeting—where were you?” We’re not going to put a strike against your name, “Oh, you’ve had an absence.” They’re very flexible on the attendance, which works really well for some people—works great for a lot of people.

But, as a result of people not…

(01:18) …having to turn up for every meeting, it means you can go two weeks, four weeks, six weeks without seeing the same person. And if you’re going that length of time without seeing somebody, how can you get to know, like, and trust them? How can you refer them? How can you know that if you’re doing your particular presentation one week, that three or four members might not be there—and there’ll be nobody sat in their seats, because nobody has to turn up. There’s no accountability.

That’s one of the reasons that BNI works. The second one is, it’s…

(01:48) …not just about attendance. It’s not just about turning up and sitting in a seat. It’s also about contributions. It’s about helping other members. Because BNI is so expensive—and I’m going to stress that—yes, it is. It is expensive. It’s one of the most expensive referral marketing organizations in the country. To join BNI costs a lot of money. Yes, it does. It costs a lot of money. It costs a lot of time.

Why would you invest that money? Why would you invest that time if it didn’t work? So it has to work. It has to produce…

(02:24) …results for its members.

So when you turn up at a BNI meeting, don’t look at it and think, “Oh, they expect me to bring referrals. They expect me to bring visitors. They expect me to do one-to-ones. They expect me to go on training. They’re asking me to bring testimonials for other members.”

Don’t look at it that way. Look at it this way: when you turn up at a BNI meeting, everybody else is expected to bring you referrals. Everybody else is expected to have a one-to-one with you to find out how they can refer you. Everybody else is expected…

(02:58) …to go on training to find out how they can better introduce you to the people that are going to transform your business. Everybody else is expected to provide a testimonial for you when you have done work for them and they’ve been happy with it.

That is what accountability is all about. That is what sets BNI aside from other networking organizations. And that is why during last year, in 2024, I set myself a personal target—my category is web design, digital marketing—I set myself a personal target of earning over £100,000…

(03:35) …in revenue through BNI during 2024, and I actually earned around £165,000 during that year. So I shattered my target. I beat it by over 50%, which was fantastic. More than I could have hoped for.

That does not happen at other networking events. That does not happen at other networking meetings. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy other networking meetings—I do. I enjoy them immensely. If I didn’t enjoy them, I wouldn’t go. They are fantastic events. I love the crack. I love the chat. I love the banter. I love the venues. I love the food. I love…

(04:12) …everything about them. But nothing—nothing—gives the return quite the way BNI does, because of the accountability.

And that is what is important to get across to your members, to your visitors, to your guests, to your subs, to everybody within your BNI chapter. The accountability is the reason that it’s successful.

So if you have members that are saying, “Oh, why are you—why are you making me go on training? Why are you making me do one-to-ones? Oh, it’s all for the traffic lights. I don’t want to do this. Why are you the BNI police? Why am I…

(04:48) …having to do all of this stuff I don’t really want to do? I’m not in school. I didn’t join BNI or didn’t start up in my own business just for someone else to tell me what to do. I’m my own boss. I don’t answer to anybody. Ya ya ya ya—go away.”

No.

Everybody in BNI is accountable to each other. Every other member in the room is accountable to you. You’ve joined BNI to grow your business. You’ve joined BNI to get referrals, to get more money, to get more clients, to get more sales. You want to make sure that everybody else in that room is doing…

(05:24) …what they can to help you. Otherwise, why would you stay? Otherwise, why would you pay your membership to BNI? Why would you join? Why would you keep coming back? Why would you renew?

It is about the accountability, and that is the main reason for me why BNI works over most other networking organizations. And it’s the one that gets me the biggest return on investment—through my time and through the money that I put in.

And that is why I’ve been in BNI for eight, nine years now, and I’ve actually renewed a couple of years ago for five years…

(05:58) …because I ain’t going anywhere. I ain’t going anywhere. They’re going to carry me out of there.

So, hope that’s been useful. Give me a shout out in the comments if there’s something you particularly would like an education slot in the future on—anything you would like me to cover.

This particular one on accountability was asked for specifically by another member, so done this one for you.

Feel free to use this education slot in your own chapter—play the video if you want (cut off this end bit obviously), play the video if you want, or recreate it…

(06:29) …yourself. I’m totally happy with however you want to do that. But leave me some comments and say—what is it you want an education slot on? How can I help you? What would you like me to cover?

And I’ll catch you on the next BNI Ed slot.