[wayne zabel]

Does anyone know about this organisation?

I have cleaned for a guy on 2 occasions and he is now asking me(pestering in fact) for me to go along to their meetings.Hes sent me 2 letters and called me several times asking me along to the Bury Chapter of the BNI meetings.

He's an electrcian and he says the organisation is for all businesses and trades and reckons I would get some work through it.

Its just his persistance that makes me feel there is something in it for him to get new members.

[davep]

Yes you go along and then you will be harassing people to Join too!

[Colin Day]

I went to something similar a while back. There were some fit women there, so I must go back....

[garry22]

Wayne,

Even here, people have had good and bad experiences. It works for some carpet cleaners and not for others.

I have a friend who sells telephone systems who does very well out of BNI (everyone needs phones).

Members are however, under quite a lot of pressure to recruit others

[Mike Halliday]

imagine how you feel about him constantly pestering you, then project that feeling onto all the people you will have to pester once you are a member.

I have a mate who a BNI member asked him to pretend he was in a different business  so he could go as a guest they were so desperate to bring a guest.

I was a member for 5 months the hypocrisy of the whole thing made me leave, it was a joke based on embarrassing members into helping other members

[CATMAN]

It's not for carpet cleaners.

I went and people would give you a "referral" for a quote.  This would count towards their quota.

Problem was there was no work at the end of it, because we found that many did not spend money on their homes.

I kid you not, it was no coincidence that certain people who portray an image of money, appear to keep most of it in the bank.

BNI works for some but it depends on the cross section of the chapter. You feel like a naughty school boy when you are asked for referrals and say "sorry none this week, I must try harder for next week, promise"

The at the end of each month the Chapter Director brings out a league table and graphs and there lies poor old Mr Carpet Cleaner languishing at the bottom,  "givers gain, givers gain" is chanted by all to you.Like a religious sermon, you have sinned, you are no good to the cult, sorry chapter,  you decide to leave. Another victim parting with a grand......next!

[wayne zabel]

I think I'll give him a wide berth then,I thought he seemed pretty desperate on the phone today.

[richy27]

dont join  ,   join a golf club instead nearly 10 % of my work is related to the club.

[PaulKing]

BNI smells of desperation, might be worth it to you, but think i agree with the majority.

[Denise l]

AND you HAVE to attend the meetings having paid to join. If you miss then you are struck off!

[Ian Rochester]

I was in our local BNI for 18 months, got a decent amount of work from it but the fact that you had to be there every week became a chore. 

I made some very good contacts who I'm still in touch with but there was also those who I would I had no time for and would never have passed work to.

Our local printer/stationary supplier was picking up work from it just about every week.

[steve horne]

My ten pence worth, I joined after going to two free trials, yes it's a chore after a while, and it's all about coming every week with referrals for others, but be careful, as others who are there are just waiting for work from you, and will give nothing in return, as they feel its there right as they've been there so long, I must admit myself the hand full of people who where in my age range, who have all left as well, we have all kept in touch and we give work to each other more so than when we where apart of the bni, so it has had a small positive effect, but ask yourself have you got the spare time every morning to be there, have you got the money for the subscription, have you got the money for the breakfast, and make sure you have someone to cover you if you cant make it. Hope this is of help.