There are a variety of groups and associations you can join. These include chambers of commerce, trade associations, service organizations and networking groups. When business and opportunities come directly from any group, it is a good thing. This is true regardless of the purpose of the group.
Consider a service-based organization like Rotary International or Toastmasters. The members are not there to generate business. If business is generated among the members as an ancillary benefit, it helps the group in many ways. When members receive a return on the time they invest, it allows them to stay more involved in the organization for a longer period of time. Groups that generate a return on the investment will also attract new members.
Even the very best professional networking groups could greatly improve the return on their membersβ investment.
I was invited to facilitate a workshop for the members of a top-producing referral group in Tucson last week. We started by examining what was working and what was not. We took all of the best practices and made them better. Then we identified the groupβs bad habits and eliminated them.
During the rest of the meeting, I introduced ideas designed to leverage the unharnessed power of the group. These included building strategic partnerships, strategic introductions, effective one-on-one meetings, enhancing group loyalty, co-op marketing, community newsletters, strategic membership growth and more. Then we discussed using group dynamics for things like online reviews and social media marketing.
Even though this group is one of the top-producing referral groups, they still had many things to improve upon. The members felt they could more than double the return on investment once they implemented these new concepts.
Think of the groups you belong to. Would you like a better return on the time you invest?
