Think about the groups and business organizations that you currently belong to. Do you have goals set forth for how they will positively enhance your business? Becoming a “Joiner” should be goal and results driven like any other business or marketing strategy you put in place in your business.
Many students fresh out of college will graffiti their resume with listings of activities they were involved in and sports that they played for a whole semester. While, I never wrote that I was the worst player on my intramural whiffle-ball team which lasted for a total of 6 weeks, I certainly gave more due than was worth to a number of clubs that I participated in on my entry level resume. “Participated in” is really going too far, passively sat through about 50% of the time is a more appropriate definition. I watched as other students made it to the top of the heap and devoted their whole lives to Student Activities Boards and Student Council, and just couldn’t bring myself to muster up the energy needed to be the president of anything.
I often thought that I wasn’t the go-getter that I needed to be to get the great job and be the excellent student. But the truth was, I was an excellent student and I loved being one. After all wasn’t that why I was going to college in the first place? I wasn’t studying Politics (like the Student Council President) or seeking out a career in events planning (like the Student Activities Board President). I realized (maybe a little too late) that they knew something I didn’t. They were joining the groups and organizations that mirrored their interests in the “Real World” and could help them most in providing experience in their field. They were embarking on a journey of personal branding while I, on the other hand, enjoyed painting big signs and getting free t-shirts.
Now, with a couple years of working with membership organizations under my belt, I have come to find that there are many business people that do the same thing when it comes to joining networking organizations and business groups. They join without first assessing the ways in which they can leverage their membership to better enhance their business goals. Sure, there are not as many big posters to paint or free t-shirts but there are plenty of other reasons that one might join a networking organization that is destined to make you disinterested within the first six months.
So how does one go from merely being a “joiner” to someone who uses their membership with a business organization as a strategic component within their business plan?
They Ask The Right Questions Before Joining
Questions for you and your business:
- Am I looking for a business organization that helps me to cast a wide net or cater to niche market?
- Am I looking only to gain new referrals or would I like to be part of an organization that also develops my business through other means, like collaborative strategic planning?
- Am I looking for opportunities to build my business on the web ?
- Am I looking for opportunities for Professional Development through my business organization?
After deciding which of these things are important to your business it is much easier to assess which business organizations can best fulfill your needs. For some folks a group like Next Level would not be a good fit because what they would like to get out of a business organization and what the group offers do not match up. For example, if you are an employee without profit and loss responsibilities your interests in a business organization would not necessarily include collaborative strategic planning and you might not be interested in professional development opportunities that are specifically designed for the business owner. On the other hand, a small business owner who is looking for a collaborative environment where they can gather advice from other business owners, build their web presence and participate in professional development opportunities specifically for them, might find Next Level to be a viable option.
They Set Goals For Themselves and The Organization
Some examples of goals:
- I will attend 6 events or meetings the next three months
- I expect to meet at least 20 new business folk through my affiliation.
- I will make a specific change to my business that I can accomplish through the tools and network of the organization.
- I will improve my web presence by being the the first page of listings when someone googles my name.
They Reassess their Membership and Involvement on a Scheduled Basis
At three or six months you should take the time to assess what the organization has provided for your business and what efforts you have put in. You take a look at your marketing strategies to see if they are working, right?
Some Questions to Ask:
- Did you meet your goals?
- Did you live up to the participation standard that you set forth?
- Were there enough opportunities available to you to live up to the participation standard you set forth?
- Where do you think the organization could have been more effective?
- Did you pick the right goals?
- Did you pick the right group?
Being clear about what you want out of an organization will help you better determine whether or not your money is being well spent.
