Referrals are a 2-way street
Good morning, everyone. Today, I want to talk about something that keeps our chapter strong: balance.
BNI runs on Givers Gain®. When we all put energy into giving referrals, the results come back to us many times over. But sometimes, our PALMS report shows something out of balance—where a member is receiving far more than they’re giving. The PALMS report tracks the referrals that we give and we get, and tracks the TYFCB (the money) that we’ve both given to other chapter members through referrals, and the money that we’ve made from being a member of BNI.
It’s easy to check and see how you’re doing – your personal PALMS report is available to you through BNI Connect, where you can see all of the data regarding the referrals you’ve given and the money that you’ve been thanked for.
And here’s the key, referrals are a two-way street. If one person is always receiving referrals without sending any back—it doesn’t help the chapter grow, it only helps the individual. And. while at the end of the day, we’re all here to make money, if you’re only making money for yourself and you’re not giving referrals and getting thanked for business from others, the chapter won’t be successful. I know that I am 10x more motivated to give someone a referral if they’ve given me one. In BNI, success only works when everyone contributes to the flow of referrals, both giving and receiving.
And here’s the reality: I know that the leadership team sees this clearly. Every week, they review the PALMS reports and know exactly how each member is doing—who’s giving, who’s receiving, and whether that balance is healthy. Even if it feels like you’re getting away with taking more than you’re giving, the data shows the truth. And if the balance isn’t there, it will eventually impact how the chapter views your membership.
Think of it like a potluck dinner. If one person keeps coming hungry and leaves full every week but never brings a dish to share, the group notices. It’s not sustainable, and it takes away from the experience of everyone else.
Imagine if everyone did what you did.
So here’s your action item for this week: Take five minutes to review your PALMS report. And imagine if everyone did what you did. If you’ve only been thanked for $1,000 in TYFCB for the year, imagine if everyone else had only been thanked for $1,000 in TYFCB for the year – that would mean that our chapter TYFCB total for a year would be $33,000, rather than the $1.5M+ that the data shows. So take a look at the data and see if you’re receiving more than you’re giving. And then schedule a one-to-one with the specific goal of finding a referral for someone else, maybe it’s someone who has recently given you a referral, or maybe not – BNI is about balance – the more you give to the chapter as a whole, the more that the chapter will give back. It’s a simple but powerful way to restore balance and get that two-way street flowing again.
At the end of the day, balance isn’t optional—it’s what keeps our chapter healthy, our referral game strong, and our relationships solid. Referrals are a two-way street, and Givers Gain® isn’t just a motto—it’s the only way that our chapter will continue to thrive and grow.
