a. Applicant completes an online BNI® Membership Application and payment.
b. Applicant completes an online video interview.
c. The Region Office will place the application with a poll in the VP/MC SSS WhatsApp group for the Membership Committee review and vote.
d. The Region Office will inform the applicant that their application is under review.
e. The New Member will receive a welcome email from BNI Connect® if the Membership Committee approves their application.
The BNI Tampa Smart Start System
Click here for the SSS video overview
Membership Committee Review of Application:
a. Review Online Video Interview and BNI Membership Application posted to the VP/MC SSS WhatsApp Group.
b. Conduct Research:
i. Google the Member’s name and business name.
ii. Visit their place of business (optional if appropriate); Visit their website and click on all links.
iii. Verify licensing, certifications, etc., using the suggested Research Resource List.
iv. Visit the Better Business Bureau and Chamber of Commerce websites.
v. Ask for feedback from their potential contact sphere Members.
vi. Feel free to contact the applicant with additional questions or clarification, if needed.
Vote in the poll posted to the VP/MC SSS WhatsApp Group on whether to accept or decline the applicant. This process will be made more efficient if the Quality Assurance Specialist makes an initial recommendation from their research.
a. Once 3 votes are reached in the poll on the VP/MC SSS WhatsApp Group, with either 3 approvals or 3 declines, the majority decision will be final.
b. Once a majority is reached in the WhatsApp Group poll, the Region Office will approve or decline the application in BNI Connect®.
If an application is accepted, the Quality Assurance Specialist calls the applicant to notify them of acceptance and advises them that they will be receiving a welcome email from BNI Connect®. The Quality Assurance Specialist informs approved applicants that they should attend the next meeting, be prepared to give a 30-second weekly presentation, and that the Chapter intends to induct them. If they are not processed within 5 days for any reason, they should be encouraged to attend as a Pending Applicant, but will not speak during Weekly Presentations.
If an Application Is Declined:
a. Vice President uploads the declined application at https://portal.bnitampa.com.
b. The Region Office declines the applicant in BNI Connect®
c. If the decline was due to a classification overlap or not a good fit for your Chapter, we want to help them find another Chapter. The Region Office will invite them to attend a Discover BNI meeting online.
d. The Membership Committee should be prepared to notify the Chapter that the classification is still open (during the Membership Committee Report) at the next meeting if that is still the case.
When considering acceptance of a New Member, think, “Attitude, Attitude, Attitude.” Accepting business people with positive attitudes can go a long way toward keeping other challenges to a minimum!
Reasons to Decline an Application
Membership Committees should review applications based on the information provided by the prospective Member. The following are several suggested guidelines for declining an application. This list is not meant to be either exhaustive or binding.
There is an unacceptable overlap in classification between a prospective Member and a current Member (as determined by the Membership Committee).
The profession of the prospective Member listed on the application is not their primary focus.
One or more objections have been filed by Members regarding the prospective Member’s type of service, quality of product or service, business ethics, or professionalism.
The prospective Member does not possess the proper credentials for their profession (where applicable), i.e., required licensing or other certification.
The prospective Member is also a Member of another program that holds Members accountable for passing referrals.
The prospective Member provided incomplete or inaccurate information on the Membership Application, i.e., no references or failed to answer the questions listed.
Poor attitude; wrong dynamics for the Chapter.