BNI Tech Talk-Member Traffic Lights and Referrals (June 19, 2026)

Quick Recap:

In this BNI Tech Talk, we continued our Member Traffic Lights series by focusing on the Referrals Given metric and how it contributes to a Member's overall Traffic Light score. We reviewed how referral scoring is calculated using the previous completed six-month period, how countable weeks are determined from the PALMS report, and how Members can verify their own referral averages and scores. The session also covered best practices for submitting referrals in BNI Connect and the mobile app, understanding when referrals are officially counted, tracking referral status, and following up effectively to strengthen relationships and credibility within the Chapter. Members also learned how referral activity aligns with the Givers Gain philosophy and why Referrals Given remains one of the highest-weighted metrics in the Member Traffic Lights system.

BNI Tech Talk: Referrals

In this week's BNI Tech Talk, Jeremy continued the Member Traffic Lights series by taking a deep dive into the Referrals Given metric, one of the two highest-weighted scoring categories in the Member Traffic Lights system. The session began with a review of Member Traffic Lights, their purpose, and how they help members measure engagement, contribution, and overall participation within their chapters. Jeremy also discussed the ongoing global rollout of Traffic Lights and how members will soon be able to access their scores directly through the BNI Connect Mobile App in many regions.

The webinar featured a pop quiz to reinforce key concepts from previous sessions, including the six-month scoring period, the referral average required to achieve a green score, and the reports available to verify individual metrics. Jeremy explained why Member Traffic Lights focuses on consistency over time rather than short-term activity spikes and clarified the difference between a completed six-month reporting period and a rolling average.

A significant portion of the session focused on how the Referrals Given score is calculated. Attendees learned that the metric is based on the previous completed six-month period and uses a weekly referral average rather than a raw referral total. Jeremy demonstrated how countable weeks are determined using PALMS data by adding Present, Absent, Late, and Substitute weeks while excluding Managed weeks. Using a practical example, he showed how referral totals are divided by countable weeks to determine the final referral-per-week average used in Member Traffic Lights scoring.

The webinar also reviewed the full referral scoring scale, including the thresholds required to earn 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 points. Jeremy explained why the system rewards consistent referral activity and how referrals align with the BNI philosophy of Givers Gain by helping members build trust, credibility, and stronger relationships within their chapters.

Next, attendees received a walkthrough of the referral process in both BNI Connect and the BNI Connect Mobile App. Jeremy demonstrated how to submit referrals, explained the difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2 referrals, showed how to send referrals to members in other chapters, and highlighted the importance of providing complete and accurate referral information. He also reviewed the referral review tools available in BNI Connect and explained how members can verify whether a referral has been officially included in PALMS reporting.

The session then shifted to referral follow-up and status tracking. Jeremy demonstrated how members can update referral statuses, communicate progress back to referral partners, and maintain transparency throughout the referral process. He emphasized the importance of responding to referrals promptly and explained how timely follow-up contributes to stronger relationships and increased confidence among chapter members.

A key topic of discussion was referral timing and when referrals officially count toward Member Traffic Lights. Jeremy clarified that referrals are not included in scoring until the associated PALMS report has been submitted and highlighted the important role Vice Presidents play in ensuring attendance and activity reports are submitted on time. He also explained how draft versus completed referrals appear in the system and how members can verify whether their activity has been recorded correctly.

The webinar concluded with a detailed demonstration of how members and leadership teams can independently verify referral scores using the Summary PALMS Report. Jeremy showed how to export PALMS data, calculate referral averages manually, and compare the results against Member Traffic Lights scores to confirm accuracy. The session wrapped up with a live Q&A covering Traffic Lights access, differences between Traffic Lights and Power of One, referral reporting, PALMS updates, profile enhancements, social media links, embedded videos, and several additional BNI Connect tips and best practices.

Overall, the webinar provided members with a complete understanding of how referrals contribute to Member Traffic Lights, how to ensure referral activity is counted correctly, and how to use PALMS reporting tools to validate and improve their performance.