Frequently Asked Questions
Live Tutorial webinars (updating your profile, adding a Visitor, entering online referrals, etc.) for BNIConnect system are available here.
Q1: I lost my user ID and/or Password.
A: Click here to retrieve your user ID and/or temporary password. Use the email registered with BNI. This is how the system identifies you. Answers to the memorable question are case and space sensitive. If you cannot remember the answer to your question click the Email My Answer button. Otherwise use the Submit button.
Q2: How do I activate a new account on BNIConnect?
A: After your membership has been processed by the BNI Regional Office, you will receive an email with a link to activate your new BNIConnect account. Choose a unique username and fill in all the required fields. If you have not received the link, please contact your Director Consultant to re-send the invitation to you. Be sure to check your inbox, and junk/spam folder for this invite.
Alternatively, you may use the New Member link. Click on the Members Only button located in the upper right of your screen. Just below the Sign In button is a link for new members. Just follow the directions.
Please note: Your new membership must have been processed by the regional office in order for you to activate your account. If you receive an error, please check with your chapter Membership Committee or contact the regional office.
Q3: I clicked on the NEW member activation link and received an error?
A: This is due to one of the following reasons:
- The link is only valid for a one-time use and has expired.
- Due to the initial high amount of logins, certain links are non-functional and must be resent.
- Your form was incomplete.
- You used a different email than the one you received the link from. (You can change your email AFTER logging in for the first time.)
- The new User ID you chose is taken or invalid.
If you continue to have activation issues, please contact bni@bnict.com.
Q4: Where do I go once I’m activated?
A: You will automatically be directed to the member login page. For future access to your BNIConnect account, you will need to click on “Members Only” in www.bnict.com to login. The “Members Only” button is at the top right corner on your screen.
Q5: Must I activate my account and log in?
A: YES. As this is an entirely different Website, there is now little, and in many cases, no information on you other than your name and business category. When you activate your account, login, AND update your member profile, your information will only then be available globally.
Q6: How do I set up my profile?
A: Click on “My Account”, select the various tabs on the left and fill in the appropriate information.
Q7: Where can I find help setting up my profile?
A: Play the tutorial video below to learn how to do this and much more.
Q8: I want to change my email address, but it says “Email is already registered”?
A: Only one UNIQUE email is allowed per member. If your company has a communal email and there is another member in BNI using it, you will not be able to use it too. If this is not the case, please contact bni@bnict.com. Otherwise, you can change your email address by clicking on “My Account” (top right) and then, click on the “Telephone Icon”. Be sure to scroll down to click on the “Update” button to save your changes.
Q9: My category or other information is wrong and I can’t change it?
A: Categories are limited to a select few. Contact your Membership Committee, who has a list of all the categories to choose from. Complete a new Application Form with your current category. Submit this to your Membership Committee for approval. Once this change is approved by the Membership Committee, your Secretary /Treasurer will mail this to the office. Your category will be updated in the system as soon as the Regional Office receives this request.
Q10: How do I search for a member?
A: There are THREE ways for a member to search for another member:
- Regional member search: Click “Find a Member” at the top of this page on www.bnict.com. This will search the BNI Connecticut region for a member.
- Global member search: Login and click on the magnifying glass (upper right). When you search here, you are searching ALL BNI members worldwide who are not already in your contact list. If a member is in your contact list, then choose option 3 below.
- Login > Network > Connections > Type the name of the member you are searching for > Click “Search My Connections“.
Q11: My sponsor is missing.
A: Please inform the Regional Office of who your sponsor is, for your information to reflect correctly.
Q12: I cannot change my basic information all of a sudden.
A: Please check with your Secretary Treasurer to see if your membership payments are current. If you are late, you are locked out from making changes. If you are a month past your due date, you are automatically dropped as a member by the system and you must re-apply as a new member.
Q13: Why is my Title or Degree not listed?
A: There is a separate field for Title and one for suffix field for your degrees such as Esq., CPA, DOM, III, etc.
DO NOT include this in the First or Last Name field. It is problematic to the data migration process (and does not belong there.)
Q14: How can I find my CHAPTER’s web site and Chapter’s Photos?
A: Go to www.bnict.com. Click on “Find A Chapter”. Enter your chapter name in the field related to “Chapter Name” and click “Find”. A list of result will appear on your screen. Click on your chapter name, followed by, “Visit Chapter Website” or “View Chapter Gallery”
Q15: My Chapter’s Website is ok. How can I make it better?
A: Send pictures, videos, or ideas on how to improve the chapter website to your Chapter Leadership Team.
Q16: How do I register for an Event in BNI?
A: Go to www.bnict.com and click on “Events”. Choose a month or narrow the options if you wish. Find the event and click on it. Then, click “Register for Members” or “Register for Non Members” (You will be required to log in if you have not done so already). Scroll down and click “Register”. Fill out any info required. You will receive a confirmation email.
Q17: How do I download BNI-related documents?
A: Login > My Network (left side of the screen) > Documents section (far right): click on “More” to see the entire list. You can minimize the number of pages by increasing the number of documents displayed on each screen. Click on the drop down menu to select “Show 100 entries”. Click on the document to download.
Q18: How do I enter referrals, TYFCB online?
A: Play the tutorial video below to learn how to do this and much more.
If You Have Visitor Host Access…
Q19: Where do I add visitors?
A: Member Login > Operations > Manage Visitors > Add a visitor
Q20: Where can I view/edit visitors?
A: Member Login > Operations > Manage Visitors > Manage visitor
Q21: Where can I find an updated version of the Visitor Host’s functionalities in BNIConnect?
A: Play the tutorial below to learn the upgraded funcationalities in BNIConnect.
If you have Education Coordinator Access…
Q22: Where can I find information for my Education Section?
A: Aside from various document downloads, scroll up to the top of this page and in the lower left of this window, you will see links to SuccessNet and The BNI Podcasts.
Q23: How do I download information for my Education Moment in BNIConnect?
A: After logging in, click on “My Network” on the left side of the screen and “More” under the Documents section on the right. See screen shot below:
On the next page, increase the number of documents you can view per page to 100, and type “workshop” in the Refine textbox. See screen shot below here:
If You Have Secretary/ Treasurer Access…
Q24: Where can I find the Membership Dues Report?
A: Member login > Reports > Membership Dues Report > Leave the date default as the current date > Click on “Go”.
Q25: How do I enter speakers?
A: Member login > Operations > Chapter > Meeting Management > View/Edit Speakers.
If You Have Vice President Access…
Q26: What is a PALMS Report?
A: PALMS is an acronym for Present, Absent, Late, Medical, Sub. This is the weekly report a VP enters in order to hold each other accountable in our chapter.
Q27: Where do I enter a PALMS Reports?
A: Operations > Meeting Management > Enter PALMS. Many functionalities related to this activity have been upgraded in BNIConnect. Members have the ability to enter their own referrals now. Please scroll up to Q18 to review the video for more details.
Q28: How do I edit previous PALMS entries?
A: Operations > Meeting Management > Meeting Management > View Palms summary > Enter a Date > Click “View Reports” > Click on the word “Completed” corresponding to the date you wish to edit > Scroll to bottom of page and click “Unlock PALMS” to edit.
Q29: What’s a CEU?
A: CEU Stand for Continuing Education Unit. We are not using this data at the current time
Q30: What are the most common Issues with PALMS Report?
A: VP Report not printing correctly? – Printer setting needs to be changed to landscape or fit to page. Still having issues? Export to excel and print.
Vice Presidents need to use calendar when entering in a date field. DO NOT enter manually. Loss of data will occur if entered manually
Vice Presidents are asked to save as a draft every 20 minutes when entering PALMS in order not to be timed out and experience loss of data.