This is a rebroadcast of Episode 366.

Synopsis

This week Barry Johnson, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, joins Dr. Misner to talk about the relationship between BNI and chambers of commerce.

For years, Dr. Misner has recommended that BNI members both join and participate in their local chamber of commerce. It’s like joining a fitness club: writing the check isn’t enough. You have to do the workouts.

Chambers also provide resources for their members. Chambers provide access on issues, connections to other business organizations, and insights into the local marketplace. A chamber of commerce can be a great source of information about market trends and demographics. Your local chamber can also help you look into out-of-state and even international business. BNI members also have an opportunity to nominate their clients for awards offered by chambers of commerce. Through affinity programs, chambers of commerce can help their members to save money on things like office supplies and travel.

Chambers have a broader scope than BNI, which allows for a collaborative relationship. Check  out your local chamber of commerce as a way to make your networking and referral success even stronger.

Brought to you by Networking Now.

Complete Transcript of BNI Podcast Episode 366 –

Priscilla:

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Official BNI Podcast, brought to you by NetworkingNow.com, which is the leading site on the net for networking downloadables. I am Priscilla Rice, and I am coming to you from Live Oak Recording Studio in Berkeley, CA and I am joined on the phone today by the Founder and Chairman of BNI, Dr. Ivan Misner. Hello, Ivan. How are you and where are you today?

Ivan:

Well, this week I am in Croatia of all places, Priscilla. I am part of an organization called the Transformational Leadership Council, which was put together by Jack Canfield who wrote Chicken Soup for the Soul. We have a regular conference and this time this year it is in Croatia, so I am there.

Priscilla:

Sounds so exotic.

Ivan:

It is a little exotic and I am very happy to have on the line with me here Barry Johnson who is president and CEO of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, so this is a great international call here. Priscilla is in San Francisco. Barry is in Miami and I am in Croatia. As I said, he is the CEO of the Greater Miami Chamber. It is south Florida’s first and longest sustained business development organixation and one of the largest in the southeast US. He directs a team there of some 40 chamber professionals supporting some 400,000 employees of the chamber member company in south Florida. Before the Miami Chamber, he was with AT&T for 25 years in corporate communications.

Barry is here today to talk a little bit about chambers. I am going to talk about chambers and BNI, and Barry is going to talk about some of the benefits of a chamber of commerce. Barry, welcome to the BNI Podcast.

Barry:

It’s my pleasure to be here. Thank you.

Ivan:

It’s great to have you on and I want to talk a little bit about some of the things that chambers do. You know, I have some members who are listening to this podcast going, really? You are talking to a chamber? Isn’t that another networking organization? Absolutely it is, and I view chambers as being very symbiotic to BNI. I have recommended chambers for decades in my organization for the kinds of reasons that I hope you are going to talk about today, Barry.

Barry:

Absolutely. There is a close working relationship with the whole philosophy and concept ...