Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine MOMENTUM May 2019 | Page 38

FROM THE CHAMBER LUANNE NEWMAN Director of Organizational Development League City Regional Chamber of Commerce [email protected] I’M A MEMBER – NOW WHAT? W hether you are a longtime member of the chamber or brand-new, you might ask yourself, “Now what should I be doing to get the most for my investment in the chamber?” What can you do in order to position your business for success in the community? We are all aware that the networking events can educate us, enlighten us, and expose us – the three E’s. We can learn valuable information from presentations or simply from those we meet, as well as giving us much-needed visibility. Is there anything else? All businesses can benefit from referrals – where someone recommends you and your products or services to someone in need. Remember, it is a two-way street. Paying it forward or being the referring party can be a perfect way to forge a new business relationship. For professionals who come from a background in leads groups, this comes naturally. For others, perhaps it may take some deliberate research and planning. You might already know a prospect or “power partner” for fellow members and can easily connect the two. How is your elevator speech, the short commercial you’ve crafted to have readily available when someone asks, “What do you do?” If you put pen to paper and fine-tune 20-30 seconds of what you do, for whom you work, and your target customer, being sure to say and repeat your name. Here is an example: “Do you feel confident you’ve done all you can to represent your company as well as you can in order to capture clients? [solution to a problem/need/situation] I am Constance Coach and I am owner of Successful Coaching. [your introduction] I help business professionals, like you, double or triple business. [target market] What’s different about me is that I reach you weekly through 1-on-1 webinars. [what is special about you] If you want to increase your bottom line, remember me, Constance Coach, of Successful Coaching.” [hook, re- introduction] 36 MOMENTUM You’ll notice the example (fictitious) begins with a solution to a prospective problem, shows what she can do and twice mentions her name and company. A friend of mine co-wrote Guerilla Marketing in 30 Days with Jay Levinson. Al Lautenslager spoke at events and held workshops to show creative ways to build business. I remember him telling me a story about his wife and a bookstore. Once a month, at least, his wife would visit her favorite bookstore, grabbing her next favorite novel. Al noticed that she chose a store 45 minutes away and asked why she would travel so far, when he knew there were three or more between the house and the favorite store. He asked why she chose that place. “Because they have the best carrot cake!” was her response. So, he would ask, and I ask you today, what is “your carrot cake” that sets you or your business apart and makes them come to you over another? How can you communicate that to your prospective customers in a succinct way? Taking advantage of networking opportunities, making a point to give referrals to others, and having your best commercial planned, polished and practiced are just some of the ways you can find success in maximizing your Chamber membership.