In 2010, BNI became the world’s leader in business referrals, with over 6 million recommendations, through services or word-of-mouth. Already internationalized, this system has more than 3,000 branches in France. Recently, Nice has welcomed this volunteer but serious organization. The president of BNI in Nice, Olivier Astre, presents the prerogatives of his working groups and the conditions for joining.
What is a BNI?
Olivier Astre: — BNI is a methodology applied within a group of 30 to 40 people for referrals and word-of-mouth. We explain to the other members of the group our activity, its benefits, and qualities so that they can recommend our skills within their network.
What are the different profiles of members likely to join BNI?
- There is not necessarily a typical profile. What interests us during the selection is the person’s philosophy. It is interesting to know if they adhere to the BNI concept, which means whether they agree to regularly attend an early morning information meeting and if the quality of their service is up to par when we have to recommend them. It is their credibility that is engaged when recommending another person.
There are BNI groups all over, more than 6,000 groups. 3,000 of them are located in France. There is even one established in Sophia-Antipolis. Why did you choose Nice?
- It’s not really about Nice being important. Since the meeting takes place every Thursday at 7:30 AM, we should not be very far from the meeting location. If we have to drive for an hour, we won’t attend (sic). The geographic location is not meant to determine business, but simply a place for meetings. Afterward, if I recommend a member for a business in Monaco, Menton, Marseille, or even Paris, there is no problem with that. We don’t operate in a franchise system with a geographic sector, which is simply there to gather people.
A professional wants to join BNI. What is the cost of registration?
- To sign up, one must pay an annual membership fee of 775 euros, plus a 150-euro file processing fee in the first year, which is non-recurring in subsequent years.
How can they make it profitable?
The profitability depends on the service of the professional in question. In computer training, I charge between 800 and 1200 euros per day. It’s clear that if you sell glasses for 50 euros, it will be much more complicated (sic). Service is the best solution.
