10 Strategies for Getting Results from Joining Professional
Associations
Copyright 2006 Donna Gunter
I'll be the first to admit that I went a little nuts when I
moved to Little Rock in 2003 in terms of going all-out to
participate in a variety of professional associations. I had
some experience with most of the groups that I visited in other
places I had lived, or had clients who had positive experiences
with certain groups. I was so eager to become involved again in
professional associations that instead of really paying
attention to the composition of the group as it existed here
locally, I made decisions to join groups based on my past
experiences and experiences of clients.
After a few months (and about $1500 in dues paid), I realized I
had made a grave mistake. I knew I had failed to keep in mind a
few essential strategies as I evaluated my membership in various
groups as a way to build my business. Here's what I learned:
1. Determine your professional association dues budget for the
year before joining anything. I foolishly just kept paying
membership dues, without giving consideration as to the total
picture of what I'd spent in dues for the year. Set your
spending limits and stick to those and in a year evaluate if
it's worth your time and money to continue participating in the
group.
2. Assess the true amount of time you have to fully participate
in a group. As I was thinking about going to group meetings, I
only factored in the actual monthly meeting--not the networking
time, not the committee time, not the special event time. You
may determine that you have much less time than you think.
3. Make sure the target market of your business is represented
in the group. I joined one group thinking that it would be full
of women business owners, as that had been my experience
elsewhere. The local chapter was filled with women who were
happily employed for someone else--not a good match for my needs
in terms of building my business.
4. Visit the group the maximum number of times you are permitted
to do so as a guest. Instead of doing this, I based my joining
decision on one visit and impressions of the group I had gleaned
from other areas of the country. You really need to assess
whether this group in this location will meet your needs, as
each chapter within an association can be dramatically
different. The local members really do make or break a group.
5. Set your intention of your outcome before you decide to join
the group. Are you joining to socialize, to find a date, get
industry-specific education, meet other business people, or to
build business relationships and make sales? Having a clear goal
and focus and evaluating those goals in terms of realistically
achieving those in the group should factor into your
decision-making process.
6. Acknowledge that it might take you a year or more -- in the
right group -- to build the trust others need to have in order
to do business with you. Don't expect to walk into a group of
people who do not know you and expect them to buy what you're
selling or to enter into a joint venture with you. They have to
get to know, like, and respect you before they're interested in
doing business with you.
7. If you decide to join a group, you need to join a committee
or two to get to know the membership. Simply showing up once or
twice a month to a meeting will not help you get to know the
other members of the group. It is at the committee level where
the real networking occurs and where you will develop deeper
relationships with other members of your association.
8. Ensure that the groups you join don't have essentially the
same membership. It may be different in larger cities, but in my
case, I saw the same faces again and again at certain events and
meetings. If you belong to multiple groups with a similar
membership roster, your time and money would probably be better
spent diversifying your professional association memberships.
9. Is your industry over-represented in the group? I've attended
some meetings of groups that were full of real estate agents or
financial planners, and the group wasn't a professional
association of either industry. Make sure your group is
well-balanced in terms of member industries and that there is
room within the group for someone from your industry to join
without stepping on toes.
10. Only participate in groups that meet at a time of day when
you're at your best. If you're not an early morning person,
those "rise and shine" breakfast meetings probably won't work
for you. Several groups I joined met during lunch, and I
discovered that the middle of the day is the most difficult time
for me to get away. Consequently, I've reduced the number of
groups to which I belong who have lunchtime meetings, as that's
just not convenient for me.
Joining professional associations can be a very powerful tool
for growing your business--if approached with forethought and
planning. Take some time this week to determine how this
strategy fits into your overall business marketing strategy.