So many business owners and sales professionals join organizations to network and engage. Their ultimate goal is to gain business. How successful they will be depends on how they interact. Let’s explore the goal versus outcome conundrum so many people find themselves experiencing.
Join the Chamber, the trade organization, special interest group, and more! We are all told of the value of joining. Often times we are told to join because that’s where our target market will be found. And then we’re disappointed when we don’t realize new business.
When renewal time rolls around, we don’t renew because we ‘didn’t get anything out of our membership.’ Really? Why not? I submit there are two things at play. The first is that we had the wrong expectations. The second is we didn’t understand what it takes to gain business from these memberships.
Expectations
There is an expectation that simply being a member will result in business. People have been misled to think that there is a loyalty calculation between members of any business organization. Of course, they are disappointed when that membership, in fact, doesn’t turn into new business.
My question to those people is this – did you change your buying habits to only buy from fellow members of the organization, simply because they were members? If your answer is “no,” then why would you expect them to suddenly buy from you?
Membership alone doesn’t change the fact that you are a stranger. There is no trust, or even familiarity with you or your company. People have no reason to even think about doing business with you.
Effort
The truth is it takes involvement and effort to make a membership worthwhile. You need to attend events, both in-person and virtual, with the intention of starting the relationship building process. You can join a committee or volunteer to help at an event. When you meet someone who you connect with, schedule a follow up coffee or call.
Sales is about relationships and trust. Joining an organization provides you with access to people who you may, or may not, want to build a professional relationship with. They may turn out to be great resources, or great referral sources. They may turn out to be jerks! Getting to know them and where they fit in your world will provide you with the foundation for growing your business. You may find new clients. But only after you’ve created a level of trust.
That trust doesn’t happen automatically when you are accepted as a member. Until you get involved, meet people, and nurture relationships, you are a stranger. You will remain a stranger throughout your membership.
When it’s time for renewal, ask yourself how much effort you gave. How involved did you get? How many relationships did you build? You have the power to create a membership that has impact. Use it.
