President's Message
By Deborah Chambers Chima

The Value of Membership: Proven Steps to Getting a Return on Your Investment

Lately I have been hearing that some members are questioning the value of their Chicago Area NAWBO membership. I do believe this concern is driven from these members not truly understanding some key principles of business success.  As chapter president I am of course concerned about this trend and want to take this opportunity to address it.  First, I can honestly state to each of you that there IS business being transacted between our members.  I have personally been referred by other members on several occasions and I know of many members who use the services of other chapter members. So why is this dynamic happening for some members and not for others?

Since becoming a business owner, I have validated the principle that in order to reach your goals “you must first give to get.”  In my previous career the understood principle used to move up the corporate ladder was, ‘you take care of me and then I will take care of you.”  I see a lot of similarity in both principles. In order for people to refer you or want to do business with you, they must first know you.  In order to know you they need to be exposed to what you do. Most people do not want to be sold to. They want to have the option of getting to know you to determine if they are interested in what you offer. I have found that within our chapter you must provide some level of value in order to truly penetrate the organization and get beyond the surface of simply belonging. To get closer to your desired revenue goal you need to be willing to offer either a skill, valuable information to the other party, or give up the precious commodity of time in order to be more visible and gain the exposure.

An alarming trend I am hearing is that some of our newer members are leaving because they did not get any business. As a new member, if your strategy is to suddenly grow your sales simply because you have paid to place your name on our membership list, I am afraid you will be disappointed. We have too many members who don’t attend our events.  To change this trend I believe we must do a better job of helping our new members understand the value and benefits of being a member that go beyond getting an immediate sale.  That is certainly not to say that some new members have not gotten business because that would not be true. So how did they do it?

They were astute enough to realize that just showing up at an event and introducing themselves and passing out some business cards was just a first step to getting some business. They recognized that in order to build the type of relationships with other members that would help them reach their goals, they needed to be strategic. For example, they took the time to think about who they needed to meet by reviewing our membership directory.  They then used their resources by either contacting another NAWBO member or the management office to determine how they can best meet the desired member. When they showed up at an event they were prepared with the right words that could establish a connection with the other member. They did not immediately go into a sales pitch. They worked to build the relationship so that when the sales pitch was given, the other person was responsive to it.

We also have members who have continued to renew over the years because they understand the sales cycle can often be long. They have used the strategy of getting involved and gaining sales and exposure over a period of time. They tell me what they have discovered is that through our chapter they have gained some very valuable friendships, which has often led to business over the years. They have also gained a strong network of astute business women they can tap into as resources. Another great example of getting involved is recently hearing about a member who strategically got on a committee where she would be exposed to a lot of members. She was able to get some great business without having to do much more than make some phone calls as a member of a committee. In her introduction for the purpose of the call she stated her line of business and the other members happened to need her services. Sometimes it is as simple as being in the right place at the right time. If she had not gotten on the committee, it more than likely would have taken longer for her to meet the other members. She was strategic and at the same time she was giving back by taking the time to make the calls. So as you contemplate renewing your membership I hope these few examples encourage you to stay the course.

However, I believe there are many, many more benefits to your membership beyond getting business. I have learned a lot about working with other women during my tenure. I am proud to say that our current Board of Directors and Committee Chairs have done a phenomenal job of restructuring our chapter message about what we really have to offer our members.  I hope you will stay tuned as our enhanced platform is unveiled. We are truly on a mission to empower more women business owners. The value of enhancing our chapter status in the Chicagoland business community is truly priceless.