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have permission to publish this article electronically
or
in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are
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- send to: diana@ohiohelp.net
This
is Part III 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
Some
people within each organization generally seem to have a lot
more
industry knowledge than others. For example, Board members,
elderly
members who have been in the industry for years,
Executive
Directors and office administration staff can often
direct
you to additional resources about your group and industry.
In
fact, these people often have FILES of info.
What
you can do:
1. Call ahead & offer to pick up any
copies of info they can
supply
you from their files. Offer to take the person to lunch &
discuss
the latest group, industry & business info. Reference the
latest
selections from your ebook club membership for help
http://presssuccess.com/wholesale -
- where at least two new
ebooks
come out each month.
2. Stay in touch with these people. But don’t
be a nuisance. I.E.
when
you need something, send a 1-sentence email or leave a brief
voicemail.
When they send materials your way, always send a
“Thank
You” email or leave a “Thank you” voicemail. Ask if they’d
like
to be on your newsletter and announcement lists or invite
them
to download information about your company that you have
stored
for automated, quick use at
http://presssuccess.com/AutoPilot .
3. Ask these kind folks for referrals.
They generally have at
least
a couple and these referrals are most often top-notch in
their
industries, too.
4. Ask what you can do to help them, too.
And stay alert for
opportunities.
Others are often scared to “ask,” thinking they’ll
be
imposing or something. So offer to volunteer to help with
their
next telephone campaign or newsletter article or something.
5. Groups’ websites, newsletters and other
publications (in print
and
online) often hold keys to research into more of their issues
and
connections. They mention professors and other top industry
professionals
in their articles. And they often refer to
government
and corporate entities in their statistics and case
studies,
too. More keys to industry info mean more opportunities
to
network and reach out.
6. Check out the group’s history. This
often offers insight to
their
Mission Statement and where the group as a whole is
heading;
i.e. what their objectives are.
7. Find something about the group that
ignites a passion inside
you.
Maybe a grandparent worked for decades in one branch of the
industry,
for instance, and is now earning disability income. So
you’d
like to learn more about safety prevention measures. Your
passion
will guide your research and work within the group at a
unique
level.
***********************************************************
By
Diana Barnum, president of
http://movingaheadcommunications.com
and CEO of
http://ohiohelp.net . For more help with marketing, public
relations
and writing, email diana@ohiohelp.net or call:
(614)
529-9459.
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