WELCOME TO THE BNI FAMILY
Welcome to BNI—and congratulations on beginning an exciting new chapter in your professional journey!
When BNI was founded, it was believed that business grows best through meaningful relationships, trust, and a genuine commitment to helping others succeed. As a new member, you are now part of a global community built on that same philosophy: Givers Gain®. The resources on this page will guide your first steps—learning how your chapter works, building relationships with fellow members, and developing the skills that turn connections into lasting opportunities. Remember, your BNI journey is not a race. Give yourself time to learn, participate, and grow at a comfortable pace. Small, consistent actions will build confidence and create powerful results over time. We are delighted to welcome you to BNI. Embrace the experience, enjoy the relationships you build, and know that an entire community is here to support your success.
Welcome to BNI—your journey begins today!
— Mike and Cathy Barbieri, Executive Directors | BNI ATLANTA
A MESSAGE FROM DR. IVAN MISNER
In the right room—with the right people and a proven structure—networking becomes more than exchanging business cards. You build trusted relationships with professionals who understand your business and actively look for opportunities to refer you.
HOW TO START MY BNI JOURNEY
3 Major BNI Platforms
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLATFORM FOR THE RIGHT TASK
You're now part of a vibrant community of business professionals committed to giving and receiving quality referrals. To help you succeed from day one, we have three essential platforms designed to support your growth, connection, and learning. Whether you're building relationships with fellow members, accessing valuable business tools, or developing new skills, these platforms work together to maximize your BNI experience. Each serves a unique purpose, and together they form the backbone of how we communicate, collaborate, and grow. In this section, you'll find clear explanations of each platform: the BNI Atlanta Regional Website for chapter and community information, BNI Connect for day-to-day networking and referral sharing, and BNI Academy for continuous professional development. We encourage you to explore all three and reach out to your chapter leadership if you have any questions. Welcome aboard — we're excited to see what you'll accomplish with us.
To find all of the Platforms available to you you can go to mybni.com to find them.
BNI ATLANTA REGIONAL WEBSITE: bniatl.com
The BNI Atlanta Regional Website is your hub for all things BNI in our Georgia regions. Here you'll find chapter information, the AI ASK BNI Chatbot, meeting schedules, leadership directories, upcoming regional events and more. This is where we share our Regional Calendars, announce special advanced training and Webinars, and celebrate member wins and milestones. It's also the place to discover which chapter might be the best fit if you're exploring new connections across Atlanta. The site provides easy access to member directories, allowing you to research fellow BNI professionals and deepen your understanding of the local business community. Visit us regularly to stay informed about important Regional activities, regional initiatives, and Regional and Role Resources. You are on the website now!
BNI CONNECT®
BNI Connect® is your daily networking hub — a dynamic platform where members share referrals, ask for help, post BNI activities, and build stronger relationships. Think of it as the real-time conversation space for our BNI community. Through BNI Connect, you can submit referrals to other members, connect one-on-one with members, invite and register visitors to attend your meeting, post TYFCB and participate in chapter-specific discussions. It's where relationships deepen between weekly meetings and where urgent business needs are met quickly. BNI Connect keeps you connected to the broader network, enabling you to give and receive referrals seamlessly, find collaboration opportunities, and stay engaged with fellow members — anytime, anywhere.
BNI ACADEMY
BNI Academy is your personal learning platform, offering on-demand courses and resources to accelerate your professional growth. From improving your referral-giving skills to mastering business development strategies, BNI Academy provides expert-led training designed specifically for entrepreneurs and business professionals. Our curated courses help you strengthen your networking abilities, understand the BNI philosophy more deeply, and develop skills that create real business impact. Many courses are self-paced, allowing you to learn when it fits your schedule. BNI Academy is included with your membership and is a valuable investment in yourself. We encourage all members to complete the Member Success Program (MSP) core courses early and explore additional training throughout your BNI journey.
FIRST STEPS TO BECOMING A STRONG BNI MEMBER
Let's Get Started
1.
Get logged into your digital tools BNI Connect® and BNI Academy.
Getting Started with BNI Connect® & BNI Academy: BNI Connect® is your central platform for accessing the member directory and tracking your networking activities. BNI Academy serves as your go-to resource for member education, providing valuable insights on how to grow your business through BNI.
To get started, watch this short video for a step-by-step guide on how to connect with these essential tools.
2.
Register and Attend the New Steps Webinar: Fast Track Your Success in BNI!
Join us for our 90-minute BNI New Steps Webinar, held weekly to help you hit the ground running in your BNI journey. This comprehensive orientation is designed to equip new members with the essential tools and strategies needed to start generating referrals and building meaningful relationships quickly.
During this webinar, you'll receive valuable insights on how to navigate the BNI system, maximize your participation, and accelerate your results. Whether you're looking to improve your networking skills or deepen your engagement within the chapter, this session will provide you with actionable steps to achieve success faster.
To attend, simply register via our regional calendar using the button below. Look for the "Next Steps Webinar" events and choose the date that works best for you. Don't miss this crucial step towards building a thriving business with BNI!
3.
Fill out your BNI Connect® profile.
This brief video provides a guided tour of BNI Connect, helping you navigate the platform and update your BNI profile. Completing your profile ensures that fellow members can learn more about you, making it easier for them to connect you with valuable referrals.
4.
How to use BNI Connect® Mobile App - Complete Beginners Guide.
The BNI Connect® Mobile App is a convenient portal into BNI Connect® right from your phone. Watch this short video to for an orientation to this convenient, always with you, portal to register Visitors, enter activity, and access the member directory.
5.
Start strong by learning key skills through the Member Success Program (MSP).
Please follow the instructions below to take the Member Success Program (new member training) online through BNI Academy:
Please go to BNI Academy and if you are already registered go ahead and log in! If you have not signed up for BNI Academy click "Forgot your password?" and enter the email address that is in the BNI Connect system. You will receive an email with instructions to set up your BNI Academy login credentials.
Once you are in BNI Academy, you can go to the side menu and click on "My Training" and one of the first training options on the list should be "Member Success Program (MSP)". Once you complete all sections in the program your BNI Connect training record will be updated to show MSP completion. (You cannot conduct your Feature Presentation unless you complete Member Success Program.)
6.
Scheduling your first One-toOne Meeting?
Building Strong Relationships Through One-to-Ones: 1-to-1 meetings are essential for building relationships within your BNI chapter and learning how to exchange high-quality referrals. To start, aim to schedule 1-2 meetings per week with your chapter referral partners.
We recommend prioritizing your Passport to Success mentoring 1-to-1s with 10 key chapter members, as well as connecting first with those who can most naturally refer business to you. Over time, you’ll expand your meetings to include all chapter members and continue scheduling repeat 1-to-1s to strengthen these relationships. To ensure productive meetings, review the 1-to-1 Meeting Planner and complete the four essential worksheets.
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| Click on image to download |
7.
Invite and Bring your first Visitor. Help someone else grow their business.
Inviting Visitors to your BNI Chapter strengthens your professional network and creates valuable opportunities for everyone. By introducing a Visitor, you provide them with access to a trusted team of professionals who can help grow their business through referrals. At the same time, you expand the connections within your chapter, increasing referral opportunities for all members. To support your success in both inviting and bringing Visitors to your chapter, please review the resources linked below. Additionally, if a prospective Visitor requests more information, you can share the video provided.
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| Official BNI Podcasts on Bringing Visitors |
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| GRIP Inviting Method |
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| Registering Visitors in BNI Connect® Mobile App |
8.
Complete your Passport to Success mentoring One-to-Ones.
As a new BNI member, your first step is to connect with your chapter's Mentor Coordinator. They will guide you through the New Member Passport to Success, an essential resource designed to help you integrate smoothly into the chapter. This program provides an excellent opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with fellow members while gaining insight into the leadership team’s structure and individual roles. To get started, the Passport to Success document is usually given to you by your Chapter President during your Induction. Use this document in collaboration with your Mentor Coordinator to track your progress and successfully complete the program.
9.
Top 10 BNI AI Prompts: Introduction to the ASK BNI Chatbot
We help BNI members to rapidly maximize the power of referral marketing and build strong, reliable referral teams. We’ve created a set of 10 AI-powered prompts that can be used through our simple ASK BNI chatbot interface. These tools are designed to support both new and seasoned members by providing personalized, strategic guidance in areas like building contact spheres, strengthening Power Teams, giving and receiving more referrals, and educating chapter members on ideal clients. Each prompt is crafted to be practical, easy to use, and aligned with BNI’s core philosophy of Givers Gain® — helping members grow their businesses through meaningful relationships and consistent action.10.
Intro to BNI Atlanta's Resources Page
Our BNI Atlanta Resources page has been created for you to easily find key tools, links, information, documents, certificates and role specific information. Be sure to check it out so you know what is there and then go back often to access these tools and information.
11.
Download and review the 7-minute Guides for key BNI activities.
These 7-minute Guides are designed to quickly guide you in key activities and best practices in BNI that can help them be more successful in growing your business by referral. Each guide is only 2 pages and packed with information, guidance, tips, and additional resources. These are a great compliment to the Member Success Program (MSP) in the previous step.
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| 7 Minute Guide to Visibility |
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| 7 Minute Guide to Weekly Presentations |
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| 7 Minute Guide to Perfect One-to-Ones |
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| 7 Minute Guide to Growing Your Network |
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| 7 Minute Guide to Giving Great Referrals |
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