Podcast Summary: The Official BNI Podcast

Episode 930: Why Even Have Substitutes?
Date: October 1, 2025
Host: Priscilla Rice (Guest Host: Tim Roberts, standing in for Dr. Ivan Misner)

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the purpose and proper use of substitutes at BNI meetings. Guest host Tim Roberts tackles common misconceptions, establishes what makes a substitute valuable, and urges chapters to revisit their approach for the collective benefit of BNI members.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Real Reason for the Substitute Program

Common Misconceptions:
Many BNI members believe substitutes are meant to avoid being marked absent or to ensure their weekly presentation happens in their absence.
- "We tend to think very internally, kind of selfishly about why the substitute program is in place, which is the complete opposite reason why we have a substitute program at all." (01:22)
Truth About Substitutes:
The program isn't about the absent member, but about maintaining value for present chapter members when someone is gone.
- "Your members are not super excited you brought a sub so that they can hear your weekly presentation when you're not there." (01:49)

2. What Makes a Substitute Valuable? (02:31)

Two Criteria:
1. Can potentially do business with chapter members—the sub might need a service or provide a referral.
2. Could be a prospective member—someone who might join the chapter, leading to greater ongoing value.
Effort Required:
Often, the need for a substitute is known in advance (e.g., vacations, conferences), so members are encouraged to thoughtfully select someone who adds value, not just anyone for convenience.

3. What Is Not a Valuable Substitute? (03:34)

Problems Identified:
- The same person subs for everyone.
  - "This person is taking advantage of your chapter more often than not. They're there just to pitch the one. They're not paying attention..." (03:53)
  - This promotes mediocrity and easy solutions instead of focusing on chapter value.
- Using another BNI member from a different chapter.
  - They usually can't do business with your chapter's members or join your chapter due to policy.

4. Culture & Habit—Monkey See, Monkey Do (05:17)

The substitute program's misuse is perpetuated by new members copying what they see, assuming subbing practices by regulars are the standard.
- "If I'm a new member... I see these people all using the same two or three people to sub for them, I assume that that's what we do." (05:29)
Changing the Culture:
Education and communication are essential. Establish a chapter standard for what counts as an appropriate substitute and why it matters.

5. Setting Standards and Accountability (06:13)

Making it Too Easy:
The easier it is to get a substitute, the less accountability exists, and members may over-rely on subs rather than attend meetings.
- Use absences strategically; that's what the limited absence allowance is for.
Half Credit for Substitutes (07:00):
In the "Power of One" report, members only get half credit for having a sub, none for an absence.
- Full credit is reserved for direct attendance because a substitute can never be as valuable as the actual member, due to lack of relationship and understanding.

6. Re-centering on the True "Why" (07:58)

The substitute program is misunderstood because of a lack of training and communication at the chapter level.
Members should stop thinking of subs as an absence avoidance tool and instead, ask:
"How are you going to help me when you're not here?" (08:26)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

"The substitute program is about bringing value to a meeting when you're not there. How do you bring value to your fellow members when you can't be at the meeting yourself?"
– Tim Roberts, 01:38

"Most often when we need a sub, it's something that we know is coming up. It just takes a little bit of time and a little bit of effort to think about who could be a really valuable sub to my chapter when I'm not there so that I'm giving back to my fellow members when I can't."
– Tim Roberts, 02:52

"If we can educate our, our fellow members and set a standard of what is an appropriate substitute and the why behind it, we can change that culture. And when we change that culture, we will produce more results."
– Tim Roberts, 05:53

"Nobody can ever network for you effectively, so that's part of it. But you know, again, there's no members like, oh, thank God the sub was here so they could read that to me. That's never going to enter your fellow members mind."
– Tim Roberts, 08:54

Timestamps for Important Segments

01:22: Common misconceptions about the substitute program
01:49: The real purpose behind having substitutes
02:31: What makes a valuable substitute
03:34: What causes the substitute program to fail
05:17: The copycat culture and its effects
06:13: Setting standards and holding members accountable
07:00: Credits and attendance reporting for substitutes
07:58: The need for re-centering and better communication
08:54: No substitute can network on your behalf as effectively as you can

Episode Tone

Tim Roberts is candid, direct, but constructive—providing real-world examples, gentle corrections, and a call for heightened chapter standards.

Conclusion

This episode underscores that the BNI substitute program is not a convenience for the absent member, but a structured means of maximizing value for those present. Choose substitutes who contribute to the chapter, not just fill a seat. Commit to standards and communication to cultivate a culture of value-driven participation.

Transcript

A (0:00)

Episode number 930. Why even have substitutes?

B (0:06)

You're listening to the official BNI podcast.

A (0:09)

With BI founder and chief visionary officer Dr. Ivan Meisner.

B (0:13)

Stay tuned for networking and referral marketing.

A (0:16)

Tips from the man who's been called.

B (0:18)

The father of modern networking, along with.

A (0:20)

Suggestions and insights into getting the most.

B (0:23)

From your membership in the world's largest networking organization, bni.

A (0:28)

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to the official BNI Podcast. I'm Priscilla Rice and I'm coming to you from Live Oak Recording Studio in Berkeley, California. And I'm joined on the phone today by Tim Roberts, who is standing in today as a guest host for Dr. Meisner and he'll be joining us from time to time. Hello, Tim. Welcome back to the podcast.

B (0:51)

Thank you again for having me. And yeah, we're going to talk about why. Why do we even have substitutes? At BNI meetings, I often go around and when I talk to members about our substitute program because I know on my podcast and when I talk to members, it's a topic that people always have concerns about. You know, whether it's my chapter's using too many, we're using the same person over and over. And I always go back to ask the chapter, go, why do. Why do we even have a substitute program? Why do you think we have. We allow subs to allow that can represent you. And the answer I typically get is because it allows you to not have an absence at that meeting. Or somebody will say it allows us to still do our weekly presentation even when we cannot be there. We tend to think very internally, kind of selfishly about why the substitute program is in place, which is the complete opposite reason why we have a substitute program at all. The reason the substitutes are allowed in BNI has actually nothing to do with the member who's not there. I can tell you all, and this might be hard for some people to hear, but I can promise you all your members are not super excited you brought a sub so that they can hear your weekly presentation when you're not there. That is not on their top of mind. They're not saying, man, I wish, you know, Bill sent a substitute because I really missed his weekly presentation. The substitute program is about bringing value to a meeting when you're not there. How do you bring value to your fellow members when you can't be at the meeting yourself? And that's where the sub comes in. Which then leads to the question of what's a valuable substitute? A valuable substitute then is somebody who can do one of two things. One, potentially do Business with the fellow members in the chapter, that they are going to meet all your fellow members and maybe they have a need or referral for somebody in that room. Or two, potentially join the chapter themselves. And now everybody gets ongoing value by the chapter. Growing a new relationship, new referral opportunities on an ongoing basis. That is what a value substitute is. Most often when we need a sub, it's something that we know is coming up. It's a vacation, it's a conference, it's something planned out. It just takes a little bit of time and a little bit of effort to think about who could be a really valuable sub to my chapter when I'm not there so that I'm giving back to my fellow members when I can't. It's. So that goes to now. Like, what's not a valuable subject? Like where. Where does this program really fall apart? It does in two ways. Number one is when we let the same person substitute for everybody in the chapter, where we just have that one person who can't, can't commit to the chapter weekly, but can somehow be there almost every week because they're subbing for somebody else. This person is taking advantage of your chapter more often than not. They're there just to pitch the one. They're not paying attention and again, magically can't make any commitment, but can be there every single week. That happens because as members, we lose sight of why we have the sub program and we're just looking for the easy solution so that we don't get an absence. The you don't get an absence is just a benefit of taking the time and putting in the effort to find a substitute. Worse is when I see chapters who like have a visitor show up and they just suddenly are now the substitute for somebody who is absent that day because the chapter doesn't want that person to have an absence. Like we start creating a culture in the group of accepting mediocrity or less than instead of a standard of, you know, what does actually define a valuable sub and why do we have it. The second type of person that makes a really bad substitute is another BNI member from another chapter because they can't do either of the two things. They can't do business or are very unlikely to do business with most of the members in the chapter because they have their own chapter and they have members in those professions and they can't join because they're already a member in another chapter and our policy doesn't allow them to do so. So it's really, I think it's one of these things that's in BNI that becomes habitual joke often, but I'm dead serious at the same time that one of the great advantages and disadvantages at the same time for BNI is it's a monkey see, monkey do organization. So we just repeat what we see all the time. So if I'm a new member and I join and I see these people all using the same two or three people to sub for them, I assume that that's what we do. So if I'm going to be absent, I'm going to reach out to those same two or three people. If I see, you know, members just getting subs that they didn't even find is because a visitor showed up, then I'm not likely to spend time trying to find a substitute myself. But if we can educate our, our fellow members and set a standard of what is an appropriate substitute and the why behind it, we can change that culture. And when we change that culture, we will produce more results. If you make it easy for somebody to have a sub, they will have a substitute a lot more often than you want them to. So if you can set a good standard of this is what's acceptable to us as a substitute. If you're unable to find one, use one of your absences. That's why you're allowed three of those in a rolling six months as well. But that you can set a standard, this is what we expect, this is what counts as a substitute for us and really define the why behind it. Why is it important that we have that standard? It's not about making it difficult. It's again about how do you provide value when you're not there. And I tell others, you know, run into the situation too, where some people will be like, oh, you know, I can just have subs every other week and it'll be fine. I tell everybody or in the, in the power of one report that we run in the US And I know others have a lot of similar reports. We only give half a credit for somebody who has a substitute and no credit if they have an absence. And members will come to me sometimes and be like, well, why do I get half a credit for a sub? Shouldn't I get full credit? And I said no, because if a substitute is just as valuable as you being there, then you have a real problem. You have a real problem in that chapter. It's about you're the most valuable resource to your fellow members. And if you can't be in that meeting to hear my weekly presentations and to try to learn how you can help me. You're not providing any value. So the next level of value would be a substitute who may be able to do that but is far less likely than you are. Because I don't have the same relationship. I have not trained them for weeks and weeks or years and years on how to find me referrals. I don't have the trust level, all those things that would be the next level. The least valuable is somebody who can't do either one of those things. So I don't know, maybe, maybe it's a tough one to hear, but I think it's important for people to revisit, you know, why is this program even exist? And if you ask most members, they'll think selfishly again. So. So I don't get an absence. Oh, so I can still have my weekly presentation. And I think maybe it's just a lack of understanding, a lack of training, lack of communication at the chapter level of those actually have nothing to do with it. It's about how are you going to help me when you're not here? There you go. Back to you, Priscilla.