Is anyone a BNI member and does that marketing work?
Yes. It’s invaluable.
I was only for a short while. It didn’t work for me in my area. Only one person from each profession was allowed in each “group”, so I only had repeated contact with one Realtor, one builder, etc. I got more from visiting Realtor offices.
How has it benefitted you Juan? How have you gotten leads from it, what were the mechanics of it?
BNI isn’t just about marketing to a realtor. Yes there is a realtor in every group and if you can’t get them to use you, then you need to rethink your business plan.
It’s about creating an extensive network of individuals who market for you. It’s about creating strategic partnerships with other professionals in your sphere of influence. You learn to wow an audience in 30 seconds. You build relationships. Everyone in the group will eventually get you a home inspection. It’s not the end all and be all of marketing or networking but the ROI is easily 10 times what you pay.
BNI works for me !I would recommend to anyone!
I get about an inspection or two a month from it.
Sounds like your group was more invested in the BNI philosophy. Perhaps my group was either too small or not in the referral mood. If you only get a few leads from it John, it pays for itself and Juan hit the nail on the head; Building business relationships always pays off over time. My experience with BNI was just that, my own experience. YMMV
You do have to find the right group. I visited a couple before finding one that I felt comfortable with. No one is obligated to give anyone a referral. If you don’t like the people then don’t join. They probably don’t like you either.
What’s BNI? Someone have a link?
Found it. None near me. 
Start one!
You aren’t by Scherville, Valparaiso, la Porte or Merriville?
They have closed groups by me. I was asked to come out and then was told there was no room. Someone has to leave before you can get in. Not worth the trouble.
I agree with Cameron, it just does not work with only a few groups. All I ever heard was just work togeather, Contractors, Agents and Inspectors and not look for problems and we can all make some money. I don’t hear to much from them anymore, its like they disappeared.
I recommend you read up on the subject.
For one BNI are networking referral tools. Small or larger groups of like minded individuals will network your name (**once they get to know you.) They can also look foolish if you are a dud or misrepresent them in any way. ** In turn you network them. Once you get to know them.
The premise is, we all learn to develop from each others experiences and expertise. From what they have to offer as a group of like minded individual.
#1 Its is a “learning center” of how to be a proficient business man/woman.
**Caution **though, the weakest link is the the group " a) the one with the most influence or, b) The one that brings the chapter the most money.
You are also to bring in revenues to the group. Do not for get that!
Real estate brings in the biggest bang.
IE My group leader for “money” was a real estate broker. She controled my area. Every sector she touched. I was told by her personally," I will never be marketed" to her LARGE brokerage house, She has 60 brokers (real estate agents in Quebec) because #1 I charge $600 and not $400 for any size inspection.#2 my low to high estimates to repair defects were to high. #3 I was to through. I took to long. 3 hours on one home where she was the sellers agent. My client had a buyers agent. They knew each other.
Funny her brokers would call me for estimates. I am a mason and own a restoration business, (free estamites by the way) and assured me I would get the job **AFTER **the house sold to there client.
I would count the money before I even got the job. I knew I was locked in like flint. ( To old for that one BUDD!!!
SECOND HAND CAR SALESMAN .mrgreen:
Are BNI for everyone. NOPE.
Juan is experiencing the “pink cloud effect” of starting of with the right attitude but must be realistic in his expectations of everything he does.Be Ethical, Commitment to the best product, communicate opening and knowing when to walk away from a job. That ones that hardest for new businessmen I think. JMO Always a shark out there looking for easy pry or floundering businesses or THE NEW GUY!
All the best.
I’m in a BNI chapter, and it does help me. YMMV.
I do have a realtor in the group who uses me exclusively (thats 1-3 per month). I also have gotten referals from the real estate lawyer, the mortgage guy, the property management guy, and others.
The idea is not getting business from the 20-30 folks in the group, but the people they know. If you try to sell those people directly it will not pay off for you. If you teach them what to listen for in the other contact spheres they are in for a lead for you, then you are using it correctly and it has better chances of paying off for you.
That being said each group is very different and one may help the other may not. Also BNI isn’t for everybody.
Well said.
It is built on trust. Once they get to hear you speak and understand the man or woman you are it can be quite favorable.
The chapter I was involved with Blew Up. The chapter is a shell of what it was.
All was explained above.
Read how BNI works and what is expected of you. That’s all.
They can be very beneficial.
As it had been said multiple times, the area and group will vary. I visited 2 groups so far and was not impressed by them (too small groups with leadership that smelled fishy. They both ended up closing doors) but keep asked to visit a specific one as it has a lot of members and a couple of my friends are in it.
It takes times, you have to attend the meetings, if you can’t, you have to find someone to sub for you and this is only allowed a certain number of time.
My biggest problem is finding one that meets a time that works for me.
BNI is a problem for most one-man inspection shops simply due to the drain it places on time, its not just the 90 minutes a week, but the incessant demand for more time for stupid things.
Then again home inspectors are a huge source of referrals if you are willing to turn over your clients information to people selling Noni-juice to financial services, which I am not.
My biggest beef though is that BNI attracts weak Realtors with few if any leads.
All-in-all, for most home inspectors BNI’s total cost of membership is quite high when you take into account how much time you will be spending promoting other people’s business.
Disregard Joseph’s comment. He doesn’t know what he’s talkin about.
Were you part of a group Joe? What stupid stuff did you have to do? How do they attract weak realtors?
Again forget about the one realtor in the group. That’s not the point of BNi