Relying on the advice of a mutual friend or acquaintance, the referral starts with a higher level of trust for you and your product or service. Getting a dozen people to send you referrals your way is what BNI is all about. It serves as the base of building a successful word-of-mouth business.
Referrals are powerful because they reduce risk for the customer and for the product or service supplier. Utilize the referral process from BNI and expand into your contact sphere, professional associations, clubs, PTA's and other groups. It makes it easier to close on new business if the referral comes from a mutual friend or acquaintance.