Networking…..it Really is More Than an Intangible Benefit
During the MASAE annual meeting this past December, I was reminded of the value of my association membership. Reconnecting with old colleagues – even some with whom I work with but don’t have occasion to see very often at our office – helped infuse some needed energy into my efforts to grow membership for my own client partner. It was a chance to see how others are facing their own member and product development challenges and share successes and new ideas. One of the greatest benefits of our association community within the local and national organization is access to the passion and enthusiasm we hold for what we do. It is rare that I run into fellow executive directors who don’t enjoy what they do and find professional satisfaction in moving their associations forward.
My Key Takeaway: Tap into the expertise of our colleagues when solving a problem.
More than likely, if you are faced with a challenge, someone on your association’s executive community has faced a similar problem. One of my goals going into the MASAE meeting was building membership, especially among the young academicians who are now eligible for membership in the association I manage. First, I needed to understand the mindset of the key target audience. While I was unable to attend a session by Amanda Kaiser on How to Attract Future Association Leaders, my work colleague had attended and shared a few insights that were relevant to my needs. I had the occasion to meet Ms. Kaiser during the closing session and told her I was interested in learning more. She not only gave me her business card, but shared a link to the webinar version of the program immediately following the meeting. Since then, she and I have connected on LinkedIn and discussed how we might engage her in a research project on this key target segment, the results of which will be used to direct an outreach campaign to attract members in that segment.
The Lessons in Education
Of course, the education that is fundamental to our association meetings was also worthwhile at the MASAE annual meeting. I spent time in sessions about maximizing the use of social media to market an association’s brand and value, building effective board relationships, and appreciating the connections that contribute to my current position and professional success. I was struck (which I seem to be again and again) about how some simple tips and tricks through the use of social media can lead to an abundance of success if used appropriately and diligently.
My Key Takeaway: Tend to your LinkedIn profile – it could be a goldmine!
Anyone who has occasion to update their LinkedIn profile knows that your connections are watching and interested in what you are doing that might help them. You may have even had a few successes – new business connections or job opportunities – so you know that you may need to be doing social selling. I learned in a session by Brynne Tillman, CEO of Social Sales Link, how important it is to be cultivating your LinkedIn profile on a daily basis, and making time on a regular basis to systematically make meaningful connections and engage those connections to help your business grow. Ms. Tillman walked us through creating a profile that boasts your accomplishments in a way that invites viewers and connections to reach out to you to learn about what you can do for them. We talked about everything from investing in a background banner and creating a profile summary that looks less like a resume and more about “what I can for you” story, to posting case studies in your Projects that illustrate you really can do what you say, and adding eBooks, article and press releases to your Publications sections that can be gated so you can collect necessary contact information from interested viewers.
Next, we considered how to define target buyers by using LinkedIn filters (keywords, industry, titles), developing templates for introduction requests by your first level connections to their connections, and development of advanced searches with your second-degree relationships. Then comes the work of the daily prospecting: scanning who is viewing your profile; responding to connection requests with more than just an “accept” but also reaching out to find out why they chose to connect with you; connecting with people you meet every day; and other industry research that can come from your LinkedIn connections.
In all fairness to Ms. Brynne, I don’t want to give away all that I learned, but will say that this was probably the most valuable part of my recent MASAE meeting experience – next to spending some quality time with old friends and colleagues! There is certainly a time commitment to the process she outlined, but I anticipate the pay-off to be rather large. I’ve already started fine-tuning my LI profile and am making plans to build connections with my association leaders who will surely have the new connections we are seeking for membership in the organization. To learn more, check out Ms. Tillman’s article Learn How to Make 2016 the Year of Social Selling and Exceed your Sales Goals on LinkedIn Pulse.
