www.sdchamber.org

Membership Update

By Doug Holman, Vice President of Membership

Last month I shared ideas and a plan for increasing your circle of influence. I hope you found the information worthwhile and have begun to implement a plan that suits your professional needs. This month I am excited to communicate information that will add instant credibility to your business. Every member can absolutely control how powerful this tool will be. It is something your Chamber has believed for years and now there is an independent national survey to validate the fact that businesses gain credibility through belonging to the Chamber. Let me explain what that means, and how your company can best take advantage of this extremely important member benefit.

A national study by The Schapiro Group, an Atlanta based market research firm, reveals a number of important findings about how consumers and business owners perceive the chamber of commerce and their members. For example:

• Consumers are 63% more likely to make future purchases from a company that they know is a member of the chamber of commerce.
• Consumers who are told that a business is a chamber member are 51% more likely to be highly aware of it and 57% more likely to think positively of its local reputation.
• When consumers know that a business is a member of the local chamber, they are 44% more likely to think favorably about it.
• Consumers are 29% more inclined to trust your reputation.

• When business decision-makers believe that a business is a chamber member, they are 37% more likely to think favorably of the business, 51% more likely to be highly aware of it, 58% more likely to think positively of its local reputation, and 59% more likely to buy goods and services from it.

What this means to San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce members is that by belonging to the chamber consumers believe that you are more reputable, customer friendly and a better choice compared to non-chamber members.

As with every thing in life there is a catch—the consumer must know that you are a chamber member. Fortunately, this is very easy to accomplish. Following are several simple ways for your business to accentuate your affiliation with the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce:

1. Download the Chamber’s proud member icon directly onto your website;
2. Prominently display the Chamber membership plaque or sticker at your place of business;
3. Add the proud member logo to:

   a. Emails

   b. Business cards

   c. Marketing collateral

1. Mention affiliation in:

   a. On hold messages

   b. Voicemail messages

1. Display proud member logo in:

   a. Advertisements

   b. Yellow page ads

I have linked the entire Shapiro Group Study for anyone who would like to review the information in greater detail.

As always, please contact me directly at dholman@sdchamber.org for more information on how to access the Chamber logo and increase the credibility of your business.