DON’T
JOIN ANY CLUB THAT WOULD HAVE YOU AS A MEMBER
Seven principles for maximizing membership
opportunities
By Henry DeVries
How much do you expect to get from the
membership dues you pay to join a business club? One man
got $200,000 and enough linkages to launch a business. He
was seeking capital and a seasoned manager to propel his
two-year-old company into production. He found both the money
and the man he was looking for at a local venture capital
club, a new breed of organization evolving throughout the
country during the last few years. Not only do the clubs
welcome venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, but also investors,
corporate managers looking for entrepreneurial jobs, and
service providers such as attorneys, business plan consultants
and accountants seeking to expand their client base. In fact,
an attorney garnered more than twenty clients through the
contacts he has made at venture capital club meetings.
It pays to be a joiner. To advance your
career or build clientele, it’s essential to take part
in professional groups. Work toward becoming a leader of
one or more clubs; do that by joining the right committee.
Do some homework before volunteering. Determine the chairpersons
and members of various committees, then join those comprised
of people with whom you want to form linkages. Committees
give you a chance to show off your stuff (not just swap business
cards), plus an opportunity to get to know all of the members.
Use your status as a group member to seek advice from key
players inside and outside the organization. Here are some
recommendations to accomplish all that and more.
- Strive to join groups in which
you are one of the few representatives from your profession
or corporate rank, rather than organizations comprised
solely of professional colleagues.
- Let someone convince you to join the
group. Use him or her as an ally to become a leader of
the group, but avoid assignments that require maximum work
with minimum reward.
- It is more important to attend the
social hour than the meeting itself.
- Do your homework before joining a group.
Begin by forming a linkage with the key staff person.
- Joining the membership committee is
a smart way to gain the favorable attention of the group’s
power structure.
- Seek out high-visibility assignments,
such as ad-hoc committees that report to the board of directors.
- When you discover that an organization
doesn’t exist in an area where you want to form alliances,
take advantage of a golden opportunity and form such a
group.
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Copyright© New Client Marketing Institute
2000 – 2003. You may reprint this article in any publication
or Web site as long as you credit Henry DeVries as the author
and include his Web site address, www.henrydevries.com.
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