BNI Education Moments

,

Hosting Community Leaders with Excellence (International Networking Week Prep)

Week 17 · January 19 – January 23, 2026

🎤 Education Moment Script (3–5 minutes)

Good morning, BNI Family! 🙌

We’ve been inviting community leaders — the Mayor, City Council, City Manager, Chamber of Commerce leaders, Rotary and other service club Presidents, nonprofit directors, and more — to visit our Chapter during International Networking Week, the first full week of February.

This week, we’re shifting from inviting to hosting with excellence.

When these leaders walk into our meeting, they’re not just seeing BNI — they’re experiencing Our BNI Family, our culture, and the way we show up as professionals in the community. Let’s make that experience unforgettable.

1️⃣ Arrive early & welcome like pros

Ask Members to arrive early that week wearing their BNI Name Badge. When a leader or visitor walks in:

  • Greet them warmly
  • Use their name
  • Offer to help them sign in or get settled
  • Introduce them immediately to at least one Member

No one should ever stand alone.

2️⃣ Engage before the meeting starts

Community leaders are used to attending events — but they remember the ones where people truly engage with them. Ask simple, meaningful questions like:

  • “What types of businesses do you work with most?”
  • “What are some of your top priorities for our community this year?”
  • “Who would you most like to meet today?”

That shifts the focus from “We want to show you BNI” to “We care about what you do and who you serve.”

3️⃣ Focus on relationships, not selling

We don’t sell BNI in the room — we show it by how we behave.

  • Be curious, not pushy
  • Listen more than you speak
  • Let the structure of the meeting and the results we share speak for themselves

Community leaders have finely tuned radar for authenticity. They will notice our culture of Givers Gain®, accountability, and professionalism.

4️⃣ Explain the flow so guests feel comfortable

Most guests (especially first-timers) don’t know what to expect.

Have a Visitor Host or leader say something like:

“You’ll hear everyone give a short Weekly Presentation, we’ll share referrals and thank-you-for-closed-business, and we’ll feature one 8-minute Featured Presentation. We’ll make sure you’re introduced and feel included the entire time.”

When guests know what’s coming, they relax — and when they relax, they listen.

5️⃣ Showcase impact, not just activity

During the meeting, make sure we highlight:

  • Real referral results
  • Thank You for Closed Business
  • Stories of Members helping one another and serving the community

Community leaders care deeply about impact. When they see that BNI helps local businesses grow and strengthens the local economy, it changes how they talk about our Chapter in the community.

6️⃣ Follow up with heart

After the meeting, encourage Members to:

  • Send a short thank-you text or email
  • Connect on LinkedIn
  • Offer to keep the conversation going

People rarely forget how you made them feel. A thoughtful follow-up reinforces that they were truly our honored guests.

💡 Pro Tip:
Appoint one or two Visitor Hosts specifically for community leaders that week. Their job: greet → guide → connect → thank. That simple intentional touch can turn a one-time visit into a long-term relationship for the Chapter.

Let’s make International Networking Week a moment where our community leaders walk away saying,

“Now I understand why BNI is such a powerful part of this business community.”

🎧 BNI Podcast Reinforcement (≈ 40–45 minutes total)

All verified, real BNI Podcast episodes focused on visitor experience and making people feel welcome:

Total listening time ≈ 43–45 minutes — enough to get Members part of the way toward their 1-hour CEU this week.

📲 Copy/Paste Message for ECs to Share

Hi [Chapter Name] Family! 👋
This week’s Education Moment focused on Hosting Community Leaders with Excellence as we get ready for International Networking Week (first full week of February). We’ve been inviting community leaders — now it’s time to roll out the red carpet and give them an unforgettable visitor experience with Our BNI Family.
To reinforce what we covered (and get part of the way toward your 1-hour CEU), here are some great BNI Podcast episodes (≈ 40–45 minutes total):
• Ep. 726: The Visitor Experience — https://www.bnipodcast.com/2021/09/29/episode-726-the-visitor-experience/
• Ep. 678: How to Give Visitors a “Wow!” Experience — https://www.bnipodcast.com/2020/10/21/episode-678-how-to-give-visitors-a-wow-experience/
• Ep. 503: Making People Feel Welcome in BNI — https://www.bnipodcast.com/2017/04/19/making-people-feel-welcome-in-bni/
Let’s show our community leaders the heart, professionalism, and impact of Our BNI Family — and earn at least 1 CEU this week! 🌱

Leave a comment

Comments (

0

)