Resolute - West Wales

In May 2006, the Pembrokeshire “Resolute” Chapter was launched. Meeting at 7:00 am every Tuesday morning is a commitment for members however the rewards are already being reaped by the 21 businesses that have joined so far.  In the last 9 weeks of 2006 the Pembrokeshire chapter of BNI passed a total of 142 referrals, which turned into  £144,480 worth of business being written.

Meetings are run in a very structured manner, following an agenda which involves allocated time for networking, members presentations, referral marketing training and the passing and receiving of referrals.  

“Our BNI meetings are run just like a business meeting” said Paul, Chapter Director “I really look forward to Tuesday mornings when I know that someone within the group is likely to have some really good referrals for my business”.

Each week, every member gets a chance to present to the group for 60 seconds. This vital 60 second presentation enables each member to promote their products and services, educating others so that they can more effectively recognize potential customers during their normal daily routine.  On top of the 60 second presentation every week a different member delivers a 10 minute presentation where they greatly expand on the benefits their company offers, new product lines, marketing campaigns etc. As one member said “its like having an extra sales force of 20 highly motivated people looking for business just for me!” 

BNI was established in the USA in 1989, by Doctor Ivan Misner and there are now over 84,000 members across the world. What makes BNI unique from other networking organisations is that only one member from each industry can join a group. Members can effectively “lock out” their competition. Potential members are also “screened” to make sure their business ethics are suitable enabling members to refer their BNI contacts with confidence.