This is Part II in a 3-part series. For your convenience, the entire series is online here: · Part I: “How to Develop Industry Contacts” http://movingaheadcommunications.com/associations1.html · Part II: “Tips For Improved Networking in Associations” http://movingaheadcommunications.com/associations2.html · Part III: “Researching Associations in Your Industries” http://movingaheadcommunications.com/associations3.html Part II: TIPS FOR IMPROVED NETWORKING IN ASSOCIATIONS 1. Give people a break - - as much as possible! Association folks are just as busy or more so than any other business people. Many are doing double-duty with volunteer work on top of their regularly paid work everyday. So, for example, if someone said they’d call & didn’t, open your next call to that person with something like, “You’ve probably been super busy, so I just wanted to touch base for a sec….” 2. Membership Directory – Two words: USE IT. Call people from it, email them, send them postcards. Jot notes in the margins. Write notes from meetings & other group events in the margins to help describe members; like: “the gent with the cowboy hat who sat next to me.” 3. Participate – join in discussions, introduce yourself at meetings, ask questions, etc. Don’t leave all the “thinking and planning” up to the Board members. Share any resources, suggestions and ideas that you have that may help group members. 4. Reach Out - Not only volunteer, but reach out to fellow group members. Everyone goes through job stress, family situations, “bad hair” days, etc. Don’t just be a “good time” friend or contact only. 5. Lemons into Lemonade – Reach out; make lemonade out of lemons. For example, don’t be a gossip. It’s easy in a group situation to get caught up in an issue and be opposed to another member. Remember to be fair and allow others to voice their opinions. You don’t always have to agree with everyone. And you won’t. But disagree in an agreeable manner. For example, if someone else’s idea is voted in instead of yours, don’t cop an attitude & drop out or quit the group. Give the other person’s idea a try and maybe write up a report on it for a future presentation and include your suggestions for improvements. Note: If you did happen to mess up and inadvertently cop an attitude and insult someone or something, take a time out. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, apologize / make amends and move on. No one is perfect. And no one expects you to be. Kindness and apologies are always welcome. That “Do Unto Others” Golden Rule works wonders and is appreciated in groups worldwide, regardless of the industry. 6. Grow / Joint Ventures (JVs) – Generally groups have a Nationwide affiliation and affiliations with other states / regions. Get involved (slow and steady) with their overall concerns. And stay abreast of their issues when possible. Reach out to the other affiliations and network, too. They often offer educational and other industry opportunities, and often with an outlook that can enhance your own, coming from another point of view. When possible, seek joint venture (JV) opportunities. JV tips: ·Don’t be afraid to ask. ·Put your request in writing (for the general public, unless you’re in a hi-tech field). ·Treat your request like a proposal & include past work you’ve done in this field, samples, references, additional resources, your credentials, etc. with your request. Prepackage info into autoresponders http://presssuccess.com/AutoPilot so it can be sent upon request. · Be flexible. For example, others may have already asked similarly, so you might be offered a “group” project instead. Or maybe a Board member has a totally different idea but with your same guidelines, so maybe you could slant your proposal a little differently. ·Have patience & follow up in a professional manner. Reaching a “Board-approved” decision can take awhile to get through channels. So sit tight and touch base every once in awhile. ·“No” doesn’t mean forever. Maybe your idea could work next quarter or next year. Or maybe your proposal could be altered and resubmitted. No’s are not personal in nature. So treat them like regular business proposals and follow up for feedback and suggestions. Maybe there is something else you could do that would be a much better fit. ·Refer to "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," by Stephen R. Covey. And focus on Habit 5, “Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood.” ·Keep up. Keep educating yourself and your helpers. For example, inexpensive company subscriptions to a monthly ebook club http://presssuccess.com/wholesale and the jvAlert Perpetual Learning Series www.jvAlert.com/LearningSeries.aspx?id=1805 help to catch up with the latest scoop -- what works and what doesn’t work from top-level marketers & industry leaders. SPECIAL This is Part II in a 3-part series. For your convenience, the entire series is online here: · Part I: “How to Develop Industry Contacts” http://movingaheadcommunications.com/associations1.html · Part II: “Tips For Improved Networking in Associations” http://movingaheadcommunications.com/associations2.html · Part III: “Researching Associations in Your Industries” http://movingaheadcommunications.com/associations3.html Part II: TIPS FOR IMPROVED NETWORKING IN ASSOCIATIONS 1. Give people a break - - as much as possible! Association folks are just as busy or more so than any other business people. Many are doing double-duty with volunteer work on top of their regularly paid work everyday. So, for example, if someone said they’d call & didn’t, open your next call to that person with something like, “You’ve probably been super busy, so I just wanted to touch base for a sec….” 2. Membership Directory – Two words: USE IT. Call people from it, email them, send them postcards. Jot notes in the margins. Write notes from meetings & other group events in the margins to help describe members; like: “the gent with the cowboy hat who sat next to me.” 3. Participate – join in discussions, introduce yourself at meetings, ask questions, etc. Don’t leave all the “thinking and planning” up to the Board members. Share any resources, suggestions and ideas that you have that may help group members. 4. Reach Out - Not only volunteer, but reach out to fellow group members. Everyone goes through job stress, family situations, “bad hair” days, etc. Don’t just be a “good time” friend or contact only. 5. Lemons into Lemonade – Reach out; make lemonade out of lemons. For example, don’t be a gossip. It’s easy in a group situation to get caught up in an issue and be opposed to another member. Remember to be fair and allow others to voice their opinions. You don’t always have to agree with everyone. And you won’t. But disagree in an agreeable manner. For example, if someone else’s idea is voted in instead of yours, don’t cop an attitude & drop out or quit the group. Give the other person’s idea a try and maybe write up a report on it for a future presentation and include your suggestions for improvements. Note: If you did happen to mess up and inadvertently cop an attitude and insult someone or something, take a time out. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, apologize / make amends and move on. No one is perfect. And no one expects you to be. Kindness and apologies are always welcome. That “Do Unto Others” Golden Rule works wonders and is appreciated in groups worldwide, regardless of the industry. 6. Grow / Joint Ventures (JVs) – Generally groups have a Nationwide affiliation and affiliations with other states / regions. Get involved (slow and steady) with their overall concerns. And stay abreast of their issues when possible. Reach out to the other affiliations and network, too. They often offer educational and other industry opportunities, and often with an outlook that can enhance your own, coming from another point of view. When possible, seek joint venture (JV) opportunities. JV tips: ·Don’t be afraid to ask. ·Put your request in writing (for the general public, unless you’re in a hi-tech field). ·Treat your request like a proposal & include past work you’ve done in this field, samples, references, additional resources, your credentials, etc. with your request. Prepackage info into autoresponders http://presssuccess.com/AutoPilot so it can be sent upon request. · Be flexible. For example, others may have already asked similarly, so you might be offered a “group” project instead. Or maybe a Board member has a totally different idea but with your same guidelines, so maybe you could slant your proposal a little differently. ·Have patience & follow up in a professional manner. Reaching a “Board-approved” decision can take awhile to get through channels. So sit tight and touch base every once in awhile. ·“No” doesn’t mean forever. Maybe your idea could work next quarter or next year. Or maybe your proposal could be altered and resubmitted. No’s are not personal in nature. So treat them like regular business proposals and follow up for feedback and suggestions. Maybe there is something else you could do that would be a much better fit. ·Refer to "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," by Stephen R. Covey. And focus on Habit 5, “Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood.” ·Keep up. Keep educating yourself and your helpers. For example, inexpensive company subscriptions to a monthly ebook club http://presssuccess.com/wholesale and the jvAlert Perpetual Learning Series www.jvAlert.com/LearningSeries.aspx?id=1805 help to catch up with the latest scoop -- what works and what doesn’t work from top-level marketers & industry leaders. READER SPECIALS For a 30-day no-cost trial of ProfitAuto, sign up online at http://presssuccess.com/AutoPilot . Download ebooks with loads of info to help with your business from the “Freebies” section of the OhioHelp.net bookstore at http://www.presssuccess.com/bookstore About the Author By Diana Barnum, president of |
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