Double Glazing
“If you pride yourself on your work, BNI is an amazing way to
grow your business...”
Case Study: Paul Lewington of Lewington & Son
A stalwart of BNI with 17 years of membership, Paul Lewington’s double glazing business has thrived thanks to the networking organization, where members find him referrals for glass-orientated business, from domestic conservatories to schools, commercial premises and retail outlets. Although he freely admits he was forced into attending his first meetings. Paul takes up the story:
“I was forced to attend by my employer, Splash, but I quickly realized as I got referrals for them, I would need to join BNI as a member when I launched Lewington and Son, which was soon after – but there were not as many chapters then and Splash were in the local one in Reading; in the end I had to go to Surrey to find a chapter with a vacancy for a double glazer.
“I moved a bit closer when a space opened up in Bracknell, before eventually moving to Reading Central, where I am now, with a great bunch of people and we have fun, while passing a lot of business.
“It definitely works, I mean I’ve just signed off on a £40,000 conservatory from Paul Morton, the surveyor in Reading Central and the PR guy, Nigel Morgan passed me a referral for a £24,000 conservatory; there is always a steady flow of referrals and they often trigger business opportunities for the other members.
“When I first joined BNI it was rather straight laced, but I say if you are going to get up that early in the morning you want a little bit of fun but do all the business. Nowadays there is still the same structure, but we do have fun.
“As successful as I am in BNI – and I know that over the years we have received referrals worth three quarters of a million pound – I know there is more I could do, visiting other chapters, being a substitute when members cannot attend. There are more chapters now and not all have a double-glazing company as a member, so I could attend.
Real Member Stories: Double Glazing
“There is always a steady flow of referrals and they often trigger business opportunities for the other members"
“I don’t beat everybody on price, I don’t get every single job but I know we're using quality materials and everything comes with a guarantee.
The members know this and as they explain to people about the quality of our services.
“You also meet an awful lot of people depending on the chapter, that can help you and give you advice, often free advice and will help you and vice versa. BNI is a good way of building friendships I think you can socialise too, it's a combination of everything.
“If you pride yourself on your work, have a team and deliver quality installations you will find that BNI is an amazing way to grow your business.
“I do not think BNI is the right place for a sole trader in double glazing, you are going to get a lot of work and need a team to deliver; if you don’t you will soon come unstuck and the referrals will dry up. Also, use quality materials, if you are using cheap materials then BNI is not the place for you. Sticking to the price you quote and don’t be the kind of salesman who quotes £10k and then drops to £3k – all those cowboy traits are not welcome in BNI."
Contact Paul Lewington
Tagged as: Trade & Property
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