Sales – By Association

Posted September 16, 2008 By Jean Conover |

If you’re in a sales position, chances are you’ve checked out a professional association, or might even be a member of one (or more) professional groups. When I began my career in business development, I was encouraged to look into joining a group or two. What was the motivation? Networking, of course!

Now, as sales have increased based on the connections I’ve made through events I’ve attended and groups I’ve joined, I have begun to realize the power of associations is vast and the benefits varied. Here are a few tips on getting involved in professional associations:

Find the right fit.

Associations often have luncheons, happy hours and other events that are geared solely towards making connections with other professionals in your field. Usually there is a fee for these events or a membership cost to join.

My recommendation is to pay the higher, non-member fee when you’re first getting started before buying a membership so that you can sample many different groups and then find the right groups for you. This will allow you to go to several different events before actually joining a group that may or may not be beneficial to your business.

As a good rule of thumb, you should belong to two or three associations to diversify your network.

Signs that you’ve found the association that’s right for you:

Signs that the group is not the right fit:

This being said, your attitude and involvement can make or break your experience, so give the group a fighting chance. Go into the event with a positive attitude and make an effort to meet as many people as you can before you pass judgment.

Make the most of your membership.

Once you have found the associations that make a good fit for your business, it’s time to make the most of your time and monetary investment in the group. Figure out what your goals are for every event you attend (e.g. get five business cards, meet the speaker, or talk to a board member).

Every event you attend should have goals attached. Some people attend a networking event and get there late, head directly over to the bar or appetizer table and then leave immediately after the program ends. Make the most of every event by getting there early and staying after for optimum networking time.

Remember to include your business title and company name every time you introduce yourself. It takes the average person at least 3 times of hearing what company you work for before they remember and double that to remember what your company actually does. If you’re looking for referrals it is your job to help people remember what you do so that when they come across an opportunity, they will remember you.

Take advantage of the benefits.

Besides just networking, membership does have other privileges. Most associations offer member benefits such as professional materials online, continuing education opportunities, industry news, and conferences and conventions with discounted member rates. As a business professional, it is important to keep up with new trends and information, as well as continually sharpen your skills as a leader and expert in the field. Often times, sales professionals are the last ones to get training and support in the development of the skills they need to best do their jobs. Associations can be a powerful outlet for fulfilling many needs that today’s professionals find essential to supplement the work they do in the office.

Advance to the next level.

Once you have successfully found some organizations that make sense for you and your business, it is now time to take the next step. It’s time to get involved in the leadership of a group. This is a true opportunity to increase your network exponentially, continue your professional development and get your company even more exposure and recognition.

By volunteering or serving in a board position, you have the ability to gain valuable experience for yourself while helping the organization as well. As a board member, you get exposure to other group leaders and often have the opportunity to participate in conferences and events where you’ll have one-on-one exposure to speakers and community leaders. This can be a great networking tool for landing some high-profile projects and representing your company to high-level executives.

Use your time wisely.

As you become more involved in your group, you will want to make sure that the effort you are putting in is constantly being rewarded by the business relationships and member benefits you are receiving. Associations usually have an unlimited number of needs and causes that you can devote your time to, so be conscious of the time commitment you are signing up for in advance. Being an involved member shouldn’t mean that your professional job should suffer! That defeats the whole purpose of being an active member in the first place.

If you know how much time you want to commit and have clear professional objectives, your association membership will be an invaluable resource – and sales tool – for your business! Plus, you’re sure to meet some great friends and colleagues along the way.

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About the Author

Jean Conover is TradeMark Media's business development director. Jean works with potential clients to develop new business opportunities and monitors TradeMark's growth strategy.

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3 Responses to “Sales – By Association”

  1. Posted September 16th, 2008 at 3:41 pm, by Nick Weynand

    Great article Jean! Not sure if this fits the topic, but I always recommend following up with everyone that you meet at an event. It’s easy just to drop them an email and tell them that you enjoyed meeting with them. This will help them remember you and your company. Also, it helps to set a follow-up meeting with a few of the really good people you meet – go to coffee or lunch and discuss how you can help each other out. -Nick

  2. Posted September 17th, 2008 at 1:11 pm, by Brad Massey

    Great advice Jean.

  3. Posted October 9th, 2008 at 2:26 pm, by Patti DeNucci

    Great article Jean and hope you enjoyed my presentation at IABC.
    I can see we are on the same page!!

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