I have been a member of a Chamber of Commerce almost from the very start of my business. I have joined many business organizations over the years and have found that the chamber has been my best source of business leads and referrals.
Now I admit, I am a true chamber member in the sense that I get involved… completely. When I first started my business I decided to join the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce (a strong but smaller chamber with about 1,500 members at the time). I joined their Women’s Business Networking group and within two years I was the chair of the group and on the board of directors. And yes, I worked my way through other high profile positions and ultimately became the Chairman of the Chamber (only the fifth woman in 75 years).
Being Involved Gives Opportunity to Show Your Skills
As a small business owner I felt it was important for the members (and my potential customers) to see me in action – to be able to see firsthand that I strive to be hard working, efficient, organized, and have integrity. It worked. When I was developing my board of directors I wanted to ask the CEO of one of our area’s largest employers. The Chamber president didn’t think that I would get anywhere. You see, I really didn’t know him that well, but he had a great reputation and I knew he’d be a great addition to the Board of Directors.
So I asked. Turns out he was a fan of mine. Said he’d been watching me grow and shine at the chamber and he would be pleased to serve on my board. Wow. Now, I had an ulterior motive, I also wanted them as a client.
I became Chairman of the Chamber on September 1, 2001 and by December 2001 they were a client. And they still are today. A big one that I feel will stay with us for a very long time as we just signed a new long-term contract.
Take on Responsibility for Greater Exposure
I have since moved my efforts to the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. After many great years at the Coral Gables Chamber I realized that for me to continue to grow with larger clients I needed to move to a chamber that had more of our area’s large companies as members. And of course, I jumped right in. Within my first two years as a member I was chair of a committee, a trustee and on the Board of Directors.
Now, eight years later, I am the Chair of Membership Growth for the Chamber. And yes, it’s a big responsibility (my team’s goal is $400,000 in memberships!) but it’s also big visibility. Each month I am on the dais of the trustee luncheon (attended by more than 350 members each month) introducing new members and encouraging our members to get involved in upcoming events. My name is also on the monthly luncheon invitation that goes out to the entire membership of 4,000 as well as the printed program at the lunch itself.
Last month, I had a woman that I’d met many times but never seemed to make a connection with, make a point to come up to me to say hello. Granted, it’s a small step, but it’s a step. Because, once again, I am not doing this out of the goodness of my heart, I am doing this to ultimately grow my business.
Attending Events is An Opportunity to Interact with Clients
My largest client of course is also a member of the chamber with a table down front and so they see me every month on stage (and more than that they stop me as I am walking up to say hello). It gives me an opportunity to interact with them outside of a “sales” meeting. I typically come away from the lunch with a “oh, I forgot, I need some materials for an upcoming event” request as well as “we should have lunch and catch up” invitation.
I am always amazed at how many people join an organization and then never show up for anything. Just having your name in the directory does you no good.
I know that we have so many ways to interact today that we may feel like we don’t need to be out and about. But people still like to do business with those that they know and trust. They still want and like the one on one interaction.
Don’t Rely Solely on the Internet for Business
I met with a fellow distributor recently and she was complaining how down her business has gone the last two years since she lost a big client. I asked what organizations she belonged to or where she networked regularly. None was her answer. That’s right. She was relying solely on current client referrals and social media to get her name out there. She said she was uncomfortable at big organizations and couldn’t get past the thought of going in cold.
Well, I can tell you, yes it’s intimidating (I remember standing at the entrance to a big event feeling like a deer caught in the headlights – and yes, I headed for the bar, where luckily I ran into people that I knew). But if you join an organization you can start small. Most have committees that would love help and are typically only 10-20 people.
Ask for the Business
It doesn’t have to be a chamber; it could be a charitable organization that you are passionate about, your child’s PTA or sports program. There are truly so many organizations to choose from. Just pick one! But once you do. Get involved. Be seen. And of course, once you have made friends, made an impact, ask for the business!
It works!
Danette Gossett is the founder of Gossett Marketing, co-founder of Promotions Rescource LLC and co-author of the best-selling book "Transform" with Brian Tracy. Danette utilizes her more than 30 years of advertising agency and corporate marketing experience to develop effective promotional campaigns and products for her clients. Visit GossettMktg.com or SalesPromo.org and follow us on twitter @MarketngTidbits.