11/09/2026
CAN YOU EXPLAIN YOUR BUSINESS IN 30 SECONDS, SO WELL ENOUGH FOR ME TO REFER YOU?
Not just tell me what you do.
Explain it so clearly that tomorrow, when I meet your ideal customer, I can remember exactly what you said and confidently introduce you.
Most business owners struggle with this.
We know our businesses extremely well. But when asked to explain them quickly, we use jargon, list everything we do, or speak so broadly that the listener still doesn't know who to refer to us.
And that's a problem.
Because sometimes, your next customer isn't listening to your pitch. Someone who knows your next customer is.
This is why the weekly commercial at every BNI meeting is more powerful than it appears.
Every week, members get 30–60 seconds to practise communicating four things:
Who do I help?
What problem do I solve?
What makes me different?
Who specifically do I want to meet?
Then they do it again the following week.
And again.
You become clearer.
You become more confident.
And, importantly, the people around you learn how to recognize opportunities for your business.
That's the real test of a referral pitch:
Can someone else remember it and repeat it?
The article below is a useful reminder of why that short window matters and how to make your elevator pitch clearer and more memorable.
For BNI members, here's your gut-check before your next weekly presentation:
If another member cannot explain what you do after the meeting, simplify your message.
For business owners who are not yet BNI members, there's an even bigger lesson.
BNI isn't only about exchanging referrals.
Week after week, you practise communicating your value, presenting professionally, building credibility and becoming easier to refer.
Clarity builds confidence.
Confidence builds credibility.
Credibility makes you referable.
Now, let's test it.
👇 Describe your business in ONE sentence in the comments:
“We help [WHO] solve [WHAT PROBLEM] by [WHAT YOU DO], so they can [RESULT].”
No jargon. No long company profile.
Can you make us understand your business—and know who to refer to you—in one sentence?
And if you'd like to experience how BNI helps business owners sharpen this skill every week, comment “BNI” or send me a message.
Come and experience a BNI meeting for yourself.
Register here: https://forms.gle/PRsEFngiKFfuxmGg9
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