An independent toolkit for referral-minded chapters
Referrals are earned one honest row at a time.
BNI Referral Desk is a small set of tools for people who grow by word of mouth. Build a pitch that fits in a minute. Keep a plain ledger of the referrals you give and receive. Walk into every one-to-one with better questions. No sign-up, no tracking, nothing sent anywhere.
Most networking advice tells you to talk more. This desk asks you to keep better books.
Here is the whole method. Say one clear sentence about who you help. Listen for the person who needs it. Pass the referral, and write it down. Check back. Say thank you, and be specific about it. Then do it all again next week.
A notebook could hold that routine, and for years a notebook did. These pages are the notebook, tidied up: a pitch builder that counts the seconds, a ledger that stamps each referral as it moves, and a deck of questions for one-to-one meetings. Use one tool or all three.
Nothing here scores you, ranks you or compares you with anyone else. The only numbers on the screen are the ones you put there.
Three tools, kept like ledger rows
Each tool does one job. They save to your own browser as you go, so you can close the tab and come back.
Answer eight plain questions and watch your script take shape. See the word count, the speaking time at your own pace and which beat is running long. Copy it, print it, rehearse it against a clock.
Log every referral you give and receive. Stamp each one as it moves: Passed, Contacted, Meeting set, Closed or Not a fit. Keep a short list of thank-yous you still owe. Export to a spreadsheet whenever you like.
Twenty-eight original questions in four decks. Shuffle them, flip them, pin the best five to your hand. A forty-five minute agenda keeps both people talking and leaves time for the part that matters: who you will each listen for.
If your group meets once a week, this rhythm fits around it. It is a sketch, not a rule. We have drawn the meeting on Thursday; slide the week to match yours.
Mon
Open the ledger
Look at what has gone quiet. Nudge one thing forward.
Tue
One-to-one
Fifteen minutes of prep, forty-five of listening.
Wed
Make an introduction
Pass the one you have been putting off. Ask first.
Thu
Meeting day sketch
Say your pitch. Hand over referrals in person. Thank the people who passed you one.
Fri
Record it
Enter every referral from the meeting while it is fresh.
Sat
Write the thank-yous
Short, specific, sent. What happened and what it meant.
Sun
Rest, then rehearse
Say your pitch aloud once. Glance at next week.
The loop under the week: pitch, listen, pass, record, thank. Then pitch again.
Six principles of a good referral
A referral is a small act of trust. These six habits keep it from becoming a favour that nobody wanted.
1
Be specific
Name the problem, the person and the timing. “Someone who needs a website” is a wish. “The owner of a small bakery whose online orders keep failing” is a lead.
2
Make it warm
The person on the other end should expect the call and know why. A warm introduction does half the selling for you.
3
Ask first
Check that both sides are happy to be connected, and share only what each of them has agreed to share.
4
Be honest about fit
If it is not a fit, say so quickly and kindly. A clear “not for me” saves everyone a week of waiting.
5
Follow up once
Check that the call happened. Then report back to the person who passed it, even when the news is small.
6
Say thank you well
Do it within a day or two. Say what happened and what it meant. A specific thank-you is how the next referral gets passed.
Two ways to pass the same lead (illustrative wording)
Aspect
Thin referral
Useful referral
What is said
“You should call my friend. He needs someone like you.”
“I spoke to the owner of a small roofing firm this morning. Her invoices keep going out late. She expects your call before Friday, and she is fine with me sharing her number.”
What the receiver can do
Guess, chase, hope.
Call with context and open on the real problem.
What the giver can report
Very little. Nobody is sure what happened.
A clear next step to ask about at the next meeting.
Who this desk belongs to
Notice of independence
BNI Referral Desk is an independent, unofficial toolkit. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Business Network International or any chapter. Words like “chapter” are used here in their ordinary sense, for the kind of weekly business-networking group these tools are made for. If your chapter has its own forms, terms or procedures, follow those first and use this desk for your private notes.