Substitutes

The following guidelines should be followed when substituting for a BNI Member.

Substitute Program:

1. People to consider for substitutes include: your customers, clients, patients, friends, family and employees.
2. The primary purpose for a substitute is to represent a BNI member. BNI recommends minimal use of a substitute. However, a member may use substitutes up to three times in a rolling six-month period.
3. The chapter should be aware that a substitute will be attending the meeting. The Visitor Host should be there to greet the substitute and welcome him/her to the meeting.

Things the substitute should know or be prepared with:

1. Prepare your substitute with a 60 second presentation about your business.
2. The member should provide any referrals that they would like reported at the weekly meeting, to the substitute.
3. The substitute’s responsibility is to represent the person and the profession of the BNI member who is absent.
4. If your professional category is available within the chapter; you may talk about your profession during Open Networking or after the meeting, but not during the meeting. The BNI meeting is for members or representatives of members only.

Things you should not do as a substitute:

1. Substitutes should not hand out their business cards or any literature if their profession is represented within the chapter
2. Substitutes may not give a 10-minute presentation for the BNI member

If you have any questions please contact your BNI Director Consultant.

BNI Greater Los Angeles Policy 4/21/2021