Husband and Wife NetWorking Team

When we sat down to decide what we would write about our first article, it was obvious that Debbie and Mike Roberts would be first on the list. Debbie and Mike are the owners of BNI franchises (Business Networking International for those who are not yet familiar with the organization) in New Hampshire, Maine, and two Florida regions. BNI is the premier networking organization, and Debbie and Mike built their personal organization by, how else, networking.

When they decided their own businesses, their first instinct was to join the local Chamber. While the Chamber offers prestige and social events, it did not do what they were looking for. Debbie discovered BNI, joined the Manchester, NH chapter, and then encouraged Mike to join to promote his business.

Fast forward to 2003, and they had bought the New Hampshire franchise, the Maine franchise, and the two regions in Florida. Mike says they have struggled with fast growth from the beginning. While the do have a website, this is not for marketing purposes. ALL their growth has been through their networking efforts, and the efforts of their members.

Debbie and Mike have taken the NH BNI from 10 chapters with 97 members to 35 chapters and 670 people. With Maine and Florida, they have a total of 105 chapters. All in five years!

And the future? Their goal is to be the largest franchise with 400 chapters in the next ten years. While a little bit hesitant to say that out loud, Mike is confident that their goal IS achievable.

We were following the BNI GAINS Worksheet, a template developed to help members get to know one another better. That seemed like the logical way to interview anyone from BNI. So, we moved from GOALS to ACCOMPLISHMENTS. What are they most proud of? The obvious answer from any married couple working together is that they have not ‘killed each other,’ or Debbie has not killed Mike. From there it’s the growth in the number of chapters as well as the increase in the number of people per chapter from an average of 10 to 23. They have also been elected by their peers to be part of the Founder’s Circle, an elite group of franchise owners who serve as a board of directors. These Directors have been selected based on the theory of ‘Givers Gain’ meaning that they have generously helped other owners to grow their franchises. They are also on the Platinum Club that is made up of the top 15 Directors. All of which points to the fact that they are among the top five franchises in growth 

INTERESTS include cruising, their favorite being the 2 Mediterranean cruises they have taken. Their NETWORKS included many Chambers of Commerce, and Debbie is a member of the American Business Women’s Association (www.ABWA.org ).

Their SKILLS? They are obviously well-organized and love what they’re doing. They also added advanced training classes to their chapters. BNI has a “Member Success Program,” but the Roberts saw a need for more. With Mike’s background in training, he was able to provide members with a better grasp of what is expected of BNI members, and how to go about finding those referrals.

Asked for their secret of success, Mike responded without hesitation, “Being there,” and secondly, “Training.” Here Mike was referring to some unique training tools that he has developed for members in his franchise.  As BNI members we can attest that the training is excellent. We recommend BNI to anyone who wants to learn how to network and to become very good at it.
 

Contact Kathy at KathyE@TheNationalNetWorker.com and Louis at LouisE@TheNationalNetWorker.com or TNNW Blog.
 

Sign up for our newsleter;
Email a friend.

Go to: Site Map