Chapter referrals translate into €3.2m

MORE than €3.2m worth of internal business referrals have been generated by the Armada Chapter of Business Networking International (BNI) over the past four years, it has emerged.
The chapter, which was established in West Clare in June 2009, has 15 members. Business is generated through word of mouth referrals and only referrals that result in paid-for business transactions were included in the overall figure.
The Armada BNI Chapter has met 194 times, resulting in 8,650 referrals since it was set up.
The chapter, which has members from Kilkee, Kilrush, Doonbeg, Cooraclare, Quilty, Miltown, Inagh and Ennis, among other areas, meets every Wednesday at 6.30am in the Armada Hotel, Spanish Point. Only one person from each profession is allowed to join a BNI chapter.
Kilrush-based Eileen Clair, who operates a holistic centre, is the current Armada BNI Chapter director.
“When I walked in first of all, I thought that this was a group of guys from trades. But it has made a huge difference to my own business, particularly locally through word of mouth. Our chapter is way ahead in the number of referrals that we’re passing,” she explained.
“We are not a bunch of stuffy business people. We’re a bunch of local people who are helping one another. We have good fun doing it. We also have more women members in the chapter than a lot of other chapters. Traditionally, women are the better networkers,” Ms Clair added.
Almost 40 people, including members and guests, attended Tuesday’s meeting. Among the speakers was Sandra Hart, executive director of BNI Ireland South and West.
“Most people have about 250 contacts, who they know really well. Between the 15 members here, they probably have about one million people that they can call on, who are only within two levels away from them,” she said.
“However, it’s not good enough to know these people. It’s how do you open up a conversation about someone else’s business? It’s not something you normally do. Whereas BNI have a strategy week-on-week of how to promote each other,” Ms Hart concluded.