Business Network International (BNI) has been the world leader in business recommendations in France for 36 years, in Europe and around the world. This network is also active in Reunion, as well as in Mauritius. It is hosted by Annick Miquel, who has lived in Reunion for over 20 years, and Sylvie Miquel who divides her time between the Indian Ocean and Metropolitan France. They explain the values, the operation, the effectiveness and results already obtained in Reunion through business recommendation marketing.
Can you introduce yourself ?
We are two complicit and complementary sisters, resolutely committed for more than 20 years to serving the economic development of our territories. We believe in those who take action, in those who care for others, and we believe that together we can change the way the world does business.
What do you mean by “changing the way the world does business” ?
Our mission is to help as many entrepreneurs and liberal professions as possible develop their sales through a structured approach., positive and incentive of recommendation marketing. We want to transmit our energy and our audacity to the professionals we support in a way that allows them to identify and realize their dreams.. We have the pleasure of doing so as Executive Directors BNI Réunion for five years and as National Directors BNI Mauritius since March 2021, but also whenever we can, as a John Maxwell Certified Business Coach.
The approach you are talking about therefore depends first of all on a state of mind ?
Absolutely. That of Happy Business ! Let's be demanding, effective, reliable, and all without taking itself seriously. Let's enjoy working as a team and give it to others. Let’s make every BNI meeting experience effective and fun !
What exactly does business referral marketing cover? ?
It’s learning to surround yourself with new contacts, to enrich your professional network and take care of your communication, because that’s also what being a business manager is all about. It means maximizing your chances of creating opportunities by meeting new people to create synergies and break out of the isolation of the business manager.. It also means truly acting as a team. A team is not just a group of people working together. A team is a group of people who trust each other, and who are together to achieve a common objective that they participated in defining. Team spirit calls for unity, cohesion and solidarity among its members. A team is a force in motion, lively and dynamic. It is on the strengths and abilities of the team members that the likelihood of success of their projects rests.. For that, we need to be connected to each other. Connected in the full sense of the word.
What does it mean : be connected ?
Be connected to each other, it’s showing interest in the people around us, it’s about building a community, it's sharing hope, it’s increasing collective intelligence. In person or online, there is no shortage of opportunities to be connected. “No matter the place, provided there is a network. » In face-to-face meeting, or connected from your office or home, it is possible to discover how to do business in a simple way, efficient and uninhibited.
What is the objective behind this approach? ?
We want to move forward collectively towards a society of connections, where mutual aid is a founding principle, where collective intelligence multiplies economic performance, where the word “co-operation” takes on more meaning than “competition”. We want to build a world that upholds the meaning of action, the strength and efficiency linked to the quality and complementarity of human relations.
How to define BNI ?
BNI, it’s an idea of an entrepreneur’s recipe for success ! In this recipe, there are 3 Ps to drive lasting change : passion, people and processes. Passion : first of all, be passionate about what we offer to our customers. Nothing great in life has ever been accomplished without passion. People : Human beings are the most valuable asset for virtually every business in the world. They are the engine. Process : implementing appropriate systems allows women and men to engage in their passion to deliver quality performance through collaboration and innovation that helps everyone succeed.
All the values you talk about are those of BNI ?
Indeed. And we found our own values in BNI : solidarity, mutual aid, generosity, sharing, continuous improvement. Positive attitude is one of BNI’s seven core values. A positive attitude is decisive for everything else. As Zig Ziglar said “It is our attitude and not our skills that determines our altitude”.
How do you plan to act to develop BNI in Reunion? ?
Our vision is to create a true BNI Indian Ocean zone (BNI OI) : Meeting, Maurice, Madagascar, Seychelles, Comoros. These five French-speaking islands, five countries, have structural links, natural economic and social. We wish to contribute to consolidating the existing bridges between these territories and to strengthening the links between peoples.
The BNI Réunion network has been in operation for five years. What is his record? ?
We have six active groups, a total to date of 110 members. A regional online group is being created. 23,159 recommendations were exchanged between members. 4,113 visitors participated in BNI meetings on the island. The cumulative turnover generated thanks to the recommendations that were exchanged between members amounts to 32 million euros.
What is your BNI project in Mauritius? ?
We wish to be active in the economic development of the Mauritian territory. Create and train a team of Mauritian BNI Consultant Directors who will in turn be responsible for creating BNI groups and supporting each member towards success. Building a true community of Mauritian entrepreneurs who together want to change the way the world does business. We aim to launch two BNI Online groups in Mauritius before the end of 2021.
The action of BNI Réunion has remained rather discreet until now. Why are you speaking out today? ?
Through this communication, we want to explain what makes sense to us and improve our visibility. We want to make BNI better known, which is the benchmark brand in the field of business referral marketing.
BNI’s seven core values
- Who gives, receives !
- Building meaningful relationships
- Train all your life
- Tradition + Innovation
- Attitude positive
- Accountability
- Reconnaissance
