|
|
|
3 Secrets to Landing a Home-Based Position
3 Secrets to Landing a Home-Based Position © Copyright 2002 Sharon Davis. Landing a telecommute position isn’t easy. Finding them in the first place is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Then, when you finally do find one that looks...
Celebrating Successes: The Power Of Compliments
Years ago, when I was new in management circles, a veteran administrator decided to share his self-described secret of success. He said: You have to be careful, Bill. I*ve learned not to compliment my people. Makes them too self-assured, and...
Downsizing in Organisations…The Real Truth
I've met and worked with many people in all sectors of the business world and found that the majority of managers and team leaders are spending too much of their time on basic administrative tasks. Tasks for which they have had no training in....
Leadership Lessons Learned The Hard Way, Part II
In "Leadership Lessons Learned the Hard Way, Part I," Marine First Sergeant Paul Berry’s after-action report on Operation Iraqi Freedom offered priceless advice for business owners and managers. In Part II, 1stSgt Berry reveals the close attention...
To All Internet Marketers - How To Get My Business
More and more people are realizing that the Internet offers great potential to set up a healthy business for pennies on the dollar. This is good news for internet marketers - but it also means that they need to lift their game. Why? Because the...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Joining a Professional Association
I'll be the first to admit that I went a little nuts when I moved I moved recently in terms of going all-out to participate in a variety of professional associations. I had some experience with most of the groups that I visited in other places I had lived, or had clients who had positive experiences with certain groups. I was so eager to become involved again in professional associations that instead of really paying attention to a group as it exists locally, I made decisions to join groups based on my past experiences and experiences of clients.
After a few months (and about $1500 in dues paid), I realized I had made a grave mistake. I knew I had failed to keep in mind a few essential thoughts as I evaluated the appropriateness of renewing membership dues to various groups as a way to build my business. Here's what I've learned:
1. Determine your professional association dues budget for the year before joining anything. I foolishly just kept paying membership dues, without giving consideration as to the total picture of what I'd spent in dues for the year. Set your spending limits and stick to those and in a year evaluate if it's worth your time and money to continue participating in the group.
2. Assess the true amount of time you have to fully participate in a group. As I was thinking about going to group meetings, I only factored in the actual monthly meeting--not the networking time, not the committee time, not the special event time. You may determine that you have much less time than you think.
3. Make sure the target market of your business is represented in the group. I joined one group thinking that it would be full of women business owners, as that had been my experience elsewhere. The Little Rock chapter was filled with women who were happily employed for someone else--not a good match for my needs in terms of building my business.
4. Visit the group the maximum number of times you are permitted to do so as a guest. Instead of doing this, I based my joining decision on one visit and impressions of the group I had gleaned from other areas of the country. You really need to assess whether this group in this location will meet your needs, as each chapter within an association can be dramatically different. The local members really do make or break a group.
5. Set your intention of your outcome before you decide to join the group. Are you joining to socialize, to find a date, get industry-specific education, meet other business people, or to build business relationships and make sales? Having a clear goal and focus and evaluating those goals in terms of realistically achieving
those in the group should factor into your decision-making process.
6. Acknowledge that it might take you a year or more -- in the right group -- to build the trust others need to have in order to do business with you. Don't expect to walk into a group of people who do not know you and expect them to buy what you're selling or to enter into a joint venture with you. They have to get to know, like, and respect you before they're interested in doing business with you.
7. If you decide to join a group, you need to join a committee or two to get to know the membership. Simply showing up once or twice a month to a meeting will not help you get to know the other members of the group. It is at the committee level where the real networking occurs and where you will develop deeper relationships with other members of your association.
8. Ensure that the groups you join don't have essentially the same membership. If you're attending various group meetings and you see the same faces again and again, your time and money would probably be better spent diversifying your professional association memberships.
9. Is your industry over-represented in the group? I've attended some meetings of groups that were full of real estate agents or financial planners, and the group wasn't a professional association of either industry. Make sure your group is well-balanced in terms of member industries and that there is room within the group for someone from your industry to join without stepping on toes.
10. Only participate in groups that meet at a time of day when you're at your best. If you're not an early morning person, those "rise and shine" breakfast meetings probably won't work for you. Several groups I joined in Little Rock meet during lunch, and I've discovered that the middle of the day is the most difficult time for me to get away. Consequently, I've reduced the number of groups to which I belong who have lunchtime meetings, as that's just not convenient for me.
Joining professional associations can be a very powerful tool for growing your business--if approached with forethought and planning. Take some time this week to determine how this strategy fits into your overall business marketing strategy.
About the Author
Donna Gunter is a Self-Employment Expert and Small Business Coach. She helps overwhelmed self-employed professionals become masterful managers of their businesses by coaching, training, and consulting with them on 8 key strategies proven to help them work smarter and make more. Visit her website at www.self-employment-success.com and subscribe to her newsletter, Work Smarter Make More.
|
|
|
|
|
| free online sales training articles, sales & selling processes ... |
| Free online sales training and selling glossary: sales techniques, selling skills and methods, free online from AIDA to modern selling methods. |
| www.businessballs.com |
|
| Sales Training International, classroom training, online sales ... |
| Sales Training International is a Houston based sales training, customer service training, and sales management training and consulting company offering ... |
| www.saleshelp.com |
|
| Waterhouse Group - Sales Training Programs: Consultative, Value ... |
| Sales Training and Consulting by Waterhouse Group - Your solution for Consultative Selling and the Complex Sale. Customized sales training courses and ... |
| www.waterhousegroup.com |
|
| Sales training consultancy - UK sales training, sales staff ... |
| Sales training courses, sales consultancy and sales related products. |
| www.salestraining.co.uk |
|
| Professional Sales Training Courses & Sales Coaching Programs ... |
| Need a sales training course or professional sales coaching program to improve your sales and thicken your skin? Industrial Ego Sales offers help for sales ... |
| www.industrialego.com |
|
| Sandler Sales Institute;Sandler Selling System:sales training ... |
| Provides sales management training and program. Offers international and domestic franchise for sales training, coaching, and sales management techniques. |
| www.sandler.com |
|
| Sales Management Training - Selling Seminars - Reinforcement & ROI ... |
| Sales management and sales training programs focused on creating a lasting return on your investment, not just a temporary increase in sales. |
| www.brooksgroup.com |
|
| Professional Corporate and Leadership Training from Dale Carnegie ... |
| For 94 years, business professionals have turned to Dale Carnegie's powerful books and winning interactive seminars to help them reach new levels of ... |
| www.dalecarnegie.com |
|
| Sales Training |
| We always have things to learn when it comes to sales and marketing. You'll find the best sales tips and advice in this resource of valuable information ... |
| marketing.about.com |
|
| Sales Training, Sales Management Training, Corporate Sales Training |
| Sales Training - Sales Management Training - Selling Skills Certification Programs. Follow a proven sales management process based on research of over ... |
| www.thesalesboard.com |
|
| Miller Heiman Sales Training: The Sales Performance Company |
| Sales training, process and strategy for outstanding performance. For nearly 30 years, Miller Heiman has helped thousands of companies, their salespeople, ... |
| www.millerheiman.com |
|
| Sales Training Camp offers sales training and sales coaching ... |
| Slife Sales Training, Inc. brings the top sales training to you at a reasonable price through sales seminars, keynote speakers, a free Sales Tip of the Week ... |
| www.salestrainingcamp.com |
|
| Sales Training, Sales Consulting & Sales Seminars |
| Sales training with Perpetual Development is intense with a focus on results - Sales training consultants offer a variety of sales consulting delivery ... |
| www.perpetualdevelopment.com |
|
| Sales Training America: Corporate Training Seminars and Custom ... |
| Offers sales training seminars across the US. Other training seminars include leadership training, management training, customer service training, ... |
| www.salestrainingamerica.com |
|
| Sales Training, Telephone Sales Training, Sales Management Training |
| Sales Training through public courses, also on-line sales training, sales recruitment, psychometric testing available, telephone sales training with ... |
| www.salesxcellence.co.uk |
|
| sales training and business development - free online sales help |
| Provides sales training and management courses, covering presentation skills, public speaking and negotiation techniques. Offers range of free reports and ... |
| www.salessense.co.uk |
|
| Sales training: choosing the right course/seminar |
| Practical advice on how to choose a good sales training course. |
| www.teamtechnology.co.uk |
|
| Sales Training International Ltd - Sales Training, Management ... |
| Providers of bespoke sales training courses, covering subjects from human resources to leadership and selling skills. |
| www.salestrainingintl.com |
|
| Sales Training Home Page: Sales and Sales Management Training Firm ... |
| CPSA offers acclaimed sales training and sales management training workshops and seminars throughout Canada. |
| www.cpsa.com |
|
| Sales Lead Generation Seminars and Sales Training Courses |
| Sales Lead Generation Seminars and Sales Training Courses showing how to write compelling prospecting letters, create a dynamic sales presentations, ... |
| www.leadersinstitute.com |
|
|