Posted by Christine Hebert on 9/27/2009, 8:45 am, in reply to "Liberalism"
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Gary, You were obviously invited incorrectly to the BNI meeting. It is not a breakfast, and is not about breakfast. It is about business. BNI stands for Business Networking International, and is about building relationships with other business people in order to grow both your business and theirs. If you go to a meeting that is poorly run, it can be frustrating. There is an agenda which should be followed, and the meeting should begin with open networking. I have to tell you that I am not a liberal by any stretch of the imagination, and I am a BNI member. BNI has brought thousands of dollars into my business since I joined. Making the right connections with other businesses whether through the chamber of commerce, BNI, or another networking group can be a great thing for your business. I am sorry to hear that your experience was not a positive one. You should have been approached this way, "Gary, every Thursday(or whatever day), I attend a meeting of business people. I would like the opportunity to introduce you to these people because I think they could bring you business. Would you like to come?" It is not about breakfast, and should not be called a "breakfast." In fact, many of the people from my group go to breakfast when the meeting is over. Oh, and by the way, you do not have to refer anyone if you are not comfortable doing so. Once you build a relationship with someone, you may feel comfortable about referring them. You probably burned some bridges by walking out of that meeting the other morning which is too bad. Good luck in your endeavors. Christine Hebert