First things first, what’s BNI?

BNI is the most successful referral networking organization in the world.

There are currently over 11,000 Chapters in operation with over 328,000 Referral Partners in 77 countries.

Last year, professionals in BNI passed over 16.2 million referrals worth over 24.2 billion dollars' worth of closed business.

Learn more about BNI.

The philosophy of BNI is Givers Gain:
If I help you, you'll want to help me, and we will all benefit in the end.

What’s a Queen City BNI meeting like?

Queen City BNI’s weekly meetings include:

  • Open networking time

  • Networking education

  • 60-second presentations by referral partners and visitors

  • A 10-minute feature presentation by a referral partner

  • Givings & Gratitudes where we share what referrals were given and give testimonials

  • A Referral Reality Check where we get details and updates on a referral that was recently passed

  • Chapter updates

That’s the format of our weekly meetings. But what’s the experience?

Queen City BNI is a high-vibe group that prioritizes collaboration over competition and fosters meaningful, long-lasting relationships. And that makes for meetings that are upbeat, supportive, and productive.

Ask a member of Queen City BNI how they feel about our meetings and they’re likely to tell you it’s one of the best parts of their week.

What does all the BNI lingo mean?

CEU | Continuing Education Unit. Goal: 4 per month.

TYFCB | Thank You For Closed Business. The amount of money generated from a referral.

One-to-One | A strategic networking meeting between two referral partners. Goal: Have a referral in mind by the end of the meeting.

Qualified Referral | Qualified referrals have been previously vetted by the person giving the referral, and there is reason to believe the product or service is desired by the potential customer.

Visitor | A person whose professional seat in our chapter is open.

Guest | A coworker, colleague, friend, or family member who is not eligible to join Queen City BNI.

Substitute | A person who will fill in for you when you cannot attend.

Slips | Online ‘slips’ that track CEUs, TYFCB, One-to-Ones, referrals, and visitors.

PALMS | An acronym for meeting attendance data: Present Absent Late Managed Leave Substitute

Power of One | A monthly report that shows the PALMS data, referrals given, visitors, one-to-ones, and CEUs for each referral partner.

Power Pod | A group of referral partners who serve the same customers but are not competitors. Power Pods meet monthly to strengthen referral relationships, develop collaborations, and support one another in business.

Power Team | A group of two or more people in any industry who work together and/or offer a collaborative product or service.

  • Queen City BNI supports your business’ growth in three ways. 1) A core aspect of BNI is generating qualified referrals for each other. You guide this process by teaching us about your business and the referrals you seek. 2) Business growth isn’t just about dollars. Queen City BNI also promotes lifelong learning for professional growth. This can be anything from ongoing professeonal education to honing your public speaking skills. How are you interested in growing professionally? 3) We value building long-term relationships. We are a positive, supportive group and are each other’s go-to for insights, ideas, and inspiration.

  • Yes—and please do! You are welcome to attend two meetings without applying to Queen City BNI. You can continue participating in meetings during the application review process after applying to join us.

  • There are currently 10 Vermont BNI chapters.

  • Every chapter has its distinct qualities. You may visit a single chapter and know it’s the one for you. You can also visit several chapters to get a feel for each and assess what’s the best fit. Considerations include meeting location and time, chapter size, the types of people and professions in the chapter, chapter performance, and chapter culture.

  • There is a one-time application fee of $199, and an annual membership fee of $669 for a one-year membership or $1149 for a two-year membership. BNI CORE offers a Money Back Guarantee. Queen City BNI also has quarterly chapter dues of $80.

  • Membership fees go to chapter support, administrative costs, and training materials. Quarterly dues pay for meeting room fees, chapter events, and other miscellaneous expenses.

  • BNI CORE leads Vermont’s BNI chapters.

  • We ask that you attend all weekly meetings, arrive on time, and stay for the entire meeting. You are allowed three absences within a rolling 6-month period.

  • BNI’s structure and consistency keeps referral partners top of mind. Weekly meetings provide regular connection and education—opening the doors for referrals, collaborations, and business opportunities that lead to closed business.

  • When you cannot attend a meeting, we ask that you arrange for a substitute. A substitute can be a referral partner from another BNI chapter (not your own chapter), a colleague, a friend, or even a family member. You provide them with a script for your 60-second presentation, which they read on your behalf. They can also give their own 60-second presentation if they’d like.

  • We’re here to help you make the most of your membership. Queen City BNI’s Mentor Program provides training and support to new referral partners—setting them up for success. Every new referral partner is paired with a mentor who works closely with them for the first six months of membership. Ongoing support after graduating from the Mentor Program is always available through chapter mentors and the Membership Committee.

  • Queen City BNI has several robust behind-the-scenes teams that keeps our chapter humming along. Our Leadership Team (President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer) provides top-level leadership and support to the other chapter teams. We have a Membership Committee, Mentor Team, Networking Education Coordinator, Visitor Host Team, Growth Coordinator, and Marketing Team, as well as some individual roles like our Speaker Rotation Coordinator, Raffle Coordinator, and Presentation Timer. Who does what role is determined by each person’s interests, member suggestions, and Leadership Team selections. Each role is a one-year term.