If BNI is such an effective way to grow a business, why do members leave? It’s a reasonable question, particularly when networking organisations place so much emphasis on retaining members and building long-term relationships.

In a BNI Education Slot delivered at BNI Chester, Gail Biddulph challenges the assumption that somebody leaving a chapter is necessarily a bad thing. She suggests that, in many cases, the opposite might be true. Members sometimes leave precisely because BNI has helped them achieve the success they originally joined to pursue.

BNI operates through a structured system of building relationships, generating referrals and introducing members to potential clients. Over time, these connections can create opportunities that might otherwise have taken business owners much longer to develop.

According to Gail, this means some members reach their business goals far sooner than they could have achieved independently.

She explains that, when looking back at former members of BNI Chester, she noticed how many had gone on to achieve significant success. Some had expanded internationally, while others had taken their businesses to entirely new levels.

Importantly, those members had recognised the contribution their fellow BNI members made to their achievements. Their success wasn’t simply the result of their own hard work. It had also been supported by the relationships and opportunities developed within the chapter.

For some business owners, reaching a particular goal represents the end of one chapter of their lives. They might have wanted to build a business to a certain size, create enough financial security to retire or reach a position where they could pursue other interests.

Once they’ve achieved those ambitions, continuing to attend weekly networking meetings might no longer be necessary for them.

Rather than interpreting their departure as a rejection of BNI, Gail suggests it can be viewed as evidence that the system has worked.

Of course, not every member leaves after achieving their goals.

Some remain in BNI for decades, continually setting themselves new targets and using the relationships they’ve developed to pursue further growth.

Gail describes how reaching one goal often creates the desire to achieve another. A business owner might initially aim for a particular level of turnover, only to discover that once they’ve reached it, they want to grow even further.

The ceiling they originally imagined becomes the starting point for their next ambition.

This is something Gail also recognises from her conversations with clients. Once people achieve what they originally wanted, they often discover another level of success they’d like to pursue.

For these members, BNI continues to provide a framework for growth. The weekly meetings, conversations, introductions and referrals remain valuable because their ambitions continue to evolve.

Gail’s presentation also raises an important point about the attitude chapters take towards members who decide not to renew.

It’s natural to feel disappointed when somebody leaves, particularly when they’ve been a valued part of the group. However, rather than immediately seeing their departure as a loss, Gail encourages members to consider whether that person has achieved what they set out to accomplish.

If BNI has played a significant role in helping somebody build a successful business, retire or pursue a new opportunity, that achievement deserves recognition.

Her message is not that every departure represents success, but that leaving BNI doesn’t automatically mean membership has failed to deliver value.

Towards the end of the presentation, Gail brings the discussion back to the members still attending their weekly meetings.

The BNI system creates opportunities through conversations, introductions and relationships that develop into business. The potential value of those opportunities depends partly on what each member wants to achieve.

For somebody with modest business goals, BNI might help them reach those targets relatively quickly. For somebody with much larger ambitions, the same system could continue supporting their growth for many years.

Gail concludes by asking members to consider whether the limitations they place on their businesses are sometimes self-imposed.

Rather than questioning why successful members leave, perhaps the more useful question for those who remain is how far they want to take their own businesses.

Full Transcript

[00:16] If BNI is that good, why do members leave?

[00:23] True, isn’t it? If we’re that good, why do people say, “Not for me anymore”?

[00:29] Let’s flip that, what could be seen as a negative, totally on its head and say members leave because the system behind BNI is so good, it grows their business to the level that they want to grow it to.

[00:45] So we actually help people to achieve the goals that they want to achieve far faster than they ever could on their own.

[00:57] That’s why a lot of members actually leave. And I was actually doing some analysis of past members, and every single person has gone on to do bigger, better. They’ve achieved their goals.

[01:10] They’ve gone international. They’ve gone stratosphere success. And every single person in the meetings has actually said, “I’ve done this because of every single member in this room and the success you’ve helped me create.”

[01:28] Some people are then happy once they’ve actually reached their goal. They’ve gone, “Yes, that’s it. I’m off. I’m off to my island. I’m off to retire, stand on a mountain, do whatever they want to do.”

[01:44] But there are some people that stay in BNI for decades because they actually just want to keep growing their business.

[01:52] So they reach their goal and then they say, “I’m going again. I’m going again. I’m going to get bigger. I’m going to get better. This is what I want now.”

[02:00] And they then use that whole system that is BNI to take them to their next level and their next level.

[02:08] And I know I often see this when I’m talking to clients. We help reach a goal and then the ceiling is never quite enough.

[02:14] So then they want the next thing and the next thing.

[02:21] Maybe we’re all just addicted to success and maybe we’re all just addicted to what that success brings to each and every one of us.

[02:35] So when we hear that somebody says, “I’m not renewing,” perhaps instead of saying, “Oh, that’s a shame,” perhaps we should be saying, “You’ve reached the goals that you want to reach. I’m absolutely delighted for you and we actually wish you the best of success.”

[02:51] Now BNI Chester has helped you achieve what you want to achieve.

[03:00] So perhaps this morning, perhaps as you go through your day, you actually look at the BNI system of us all sort of meeting here, having conversations with people, getting the introductions that we want to get and then talking to potential clients and then clients, and say, “This is what the BNI system is. How big do I want to go?”

[03:22] And is it just us that limits ourselves?

[03:26] Because BNI can actually help you take your business to the level that you want to take it to. Thank you.