BNI is full of committed members that make the effort to attend every week and offer valuable input during the meetings.

These actions inside the meeting room each week are vitally important. We all know that regular attendance and engagement are key factors to a successful meeting. After all, this is where you provide your fellow members around the table with the information to get you referrals and gain the details of what they are looking for.

But it can’t be limited to this. Making a contribution outside of the room is vital and you must be proactive. There are lots of ways you can do this:

• Be proactive when looking for referrals. Focus on specific members and dedicate some time to exploring your network for opportunities to refer to them.
• Book regular 121s. Getting to know your fellow members and their business in more depth is only going to help you. Strengthening those relationships makes the chapter stronger.
• Visitors – don’t just wait for visitors day. Bring people along that you think could potentially join or who could be useful contacts for other members.
• Subs – if you know some people who you think could make good subs then get them added to the chapter list.
• Be social. This is a proven way of strengthening relationships with your BNI colleagues.
• Promote the chapter. Get involved with the chapter Facebook, Twitter and blog. Look at Linked In and do some digital networking. Spread the word; it’s quick and easy to do online. This us how the world is doing business. The better the chapter does, the better we do.

Just turning up each week is not enough. You have to contribute to get more out of your membership. It won’t just fall in your lap. Taking a proactive approach to networking will only benefit you and the group.