www.sdchamber.org

Membership Update

By Doug Holman, Vice President of Membership

During my six years at the Chamber I have had the privilege of being surrounded by great people—members and staff alike. I remain convinced that belonging to the Chamber is good for businesses. It’s my goal in the monthly membership report to bring greater clarity to Chamber benefits and in so doing encourage more members to take full advantage of what your Chamber has to offer.

Membership in the Chamber of Commerce has many different meanings to our members. Belonging to the Chamber is a great way to stay informed on issues of importance affecting the business community, a means to save money on healthcare, office supplies, background checks and much more, an avenue to identify more customers, and a resource for professional development. The significance of each benefit is entirely dependent on the needs that a member is faced with today. In the membership department the greatest concern we encounter businesses facing is finding more customers. Therefore, it seems fitting to address growth in my very first membership report.

Finding more customers is the single most difficult task faced by any business. By its nature it is both time consuming and costly. It is also the most frequently under planned.  Ask one hundred business owners where they find their customers. The overwhelming response will be word of mouth. That’s because finding more customers is about relationships - people buy people first. Yet, ask these same business owners if they have enough customers and the response is a resounding no! Therefore what needs to be built is a circle of influence. Groups of people that know, trust and respect their way of doing business.

There are many ways to grow one’s circle of influence through membership. Whether it is by attending the Business After Five mixers, Get Connected Breakfast, joining a Business Alliance Group or committee. Each by design is intended to help our members meet more people. These meetings over time create tremendous opportunities to increase one’s circle of influence. Following are a few tips to help get results:

1. Calendar monthly attendance just like any other appointment;
2. Have a plan that is both realistic and measurable;
3. Be a great listener;
4. Give often (replace a vendor or share expertise);
5. Take notes and follow-up (not too make a sale but to complete step 4);
6. Building a circle of influence is a journey and not a destination.

Knowing what to do at events is not always easy to figure out on your own. Networking is a skill that once learned will reap great benefit. It is our pleasure to assist you in making your membership more meaningful. Contact Marta Lomeli at mlomeli@sdchamber.org and she will personally help create a Plan of Involvement designed to meet your specific needs.

I am looking forward to seeing you at an upcoming Chamber event so that the membership team can help you increase your circle of influence.