Has anyone here had a positive experience being part of their community's Chamber of Commerce or other business professional networking groups? I'm considering joining (and fully participating) in a few as I believe networking is the best way to build up business... but I would like to hear from others on this before making that investment!
I believe it's a very good idea to be part of the Chamber, a service club (Rotary in my case) and if Oshkosh has them, a BNI group. These places are where relationships are formed, and you can be of service to your community as well. Our chamber (Bloomington, IN-the Chamber of the year in the US, by the way), sponsors a monthly 2 hour remote from our farmers market from April-Oct. It has resulted a a lot of new business for us. That's just one example.
BNI for sure. Christian Business Associations depending on format of course.
My hesitation with BNI (I have been to sub for friends/clients on a number of occasions) is that when the marketing, insurance, or real estate guy stands to give his presentation, everyone hops on their iPads, iPhones, etc and tunes them out. We've put a few sellers into BNI before and the return on that investment was close to negligible after one year. You're also talking to practically the same 30 prospects every week instead of meeting new ones every week. I could see it being a different case at the Chamber but wanted to ask for input before moving forward!
Our stations are massive Chamber sponsors, and it sets us apart from the two corporate groups in the market, none of whom are typically anywhere to be seen. For major chamber events, we typically have an entire table of salespeople. Our group typically sponsors a BAH, and partners with a hotel to have food, entertainment, and a bar available and invites select clients as well as chamber members. Personally, I am getting involved with Toastmasters. I believe being seen and meeting people outside of a business environment is the key.
Networking is a great idea, and with business in sad shape in our area, it's always a good idea to make friends. We belong to three Chambers of Commerce, and we trade advertising for dues for all three. I try to send salespeople to the meetings, but even if we don't get to go to every meeting we still have our business name out there.
We are in a small market in NC and have a great relationship with our local Chamber. In fact we are at the top level as a Chamber Champion and we trade that out in exchange for promotional ads for their big events. This gets us automatically included as a top sponsor in all of their big events where we can meet new listeners and also meet potential customers. The only thing we pay is the yearly membership fee. This also gets us a spot in our of their leads groups where I get leads for new advertisers from the other members in my group. Hope this helps
I was hesitant to join our local Cache Chamber of Commerce for several years because of the time commitment. I ended up joining by default three years ago when our rep with them retired. It's been a great move for me, but it took a year before I started to see results.
If all you do is join the chamber you'll waste your time. Become involved and you'll see the efforts pay off. I initially got involved with with the Ambassadors, the new business welcoming arm. Over time I helped develop a monthly morning networking breakfast, which I now co-chair, and an advise the Chamber on all their marketing. I'm now known as a trusted marketing strategist, receive referrals, direct business, and I've been invited periodically to advise the chamber board, which is comprised of key influencers in the business community.
Joining your chamber can be a very good move if you give of yourself to help other businesses grow.
In my case, BNI has been tremendous for my business. Speaking to the same core group over and over has been a plus, particularly for current clients, as I can gently remind them why we're doing what we're doing. Every chapter is different, but I can often find someone in my group who can get me past the gatekeeper to the decision maker.
The Chamber, on the other hand, has not worked for us at all. They have a policy in place to NOT spend money with local media but have no problem asking for freebies.
I have always found that being a Chamber member is a very good investment.
Along with improving chances of getting area merchants to buy advertising, it
gives me a chance to intereact with them on a community involvement basis.
I have had people who in the past would never consider our station, become
regular advertisers because of our station's involvment in community projects.
Even helped me regain a client or two who had gotten upset with the station
and they saw us in a different light.
Alex,
Our Chamber of Commerce hosts a monthly members' luncheon, usually attended by ~80 or more members, most of whom are business owners or managers. These luncheons provide a great opportunity for networking in an informal, no-pressure environment that is conducive to meaningful conversations.
Additionally, these luncheons are usually sponsored by a local business (including media members), who pay a nominal fee for the opportunity to address the attendees for a couple minutes, provide literature, promotional goodies, or what-have-you at each table. Details and additional information here.
I'd certainly recommend you join as an individual and see what you can do with it for a year. Chances are, you'll do plenty.
Thank you, Rod!
Based on the feedback, sounds like giving it a year is worth the financial and time investment.
