By Deb Beddoe Chairman of the Board Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce

It has never been a secret that the return on investment for my Chamber membership is through the roof. If you have attended Chamber 101 and are still trying to find your way through your ROI, here are the top three factors that have led to my successful ROI.

1. Evaluate your purpose.

If your purpose is to get new clients, this is the wrong approach to take. I know it sounds surprising to hear this; after all, getting new clients is what results in a higher ROI. However, if you approach Chamber activities with this purpose you will look, sound, and smell like a desperate sales amateur, and will have a very difficult time developing relationships. The Chamber members you will be talking with at networking events will want to refer business to a confident business professional, not a desperate sales amateur. If your purpose is to develop relationships with people that you would be proud to introduce to your clients and friends, then you will discover business professionals that you want to be associated with. By taking this approach, you will enter into meaningful conversations where you are actively taking an interest in their business, and they will naturally want to take an interest in your business. This is the process that begins to develop connections. Look to develop relationships you would be proud to introduce to a client, and then when the time comes, you will be a hero to your client for solving a problem, a hero to the person you referred to them, and along the way, your heroics will pay off in a higher ROI for your company.

2. Join a committee.

I cannot place more emphasis on this step in your Chamber membership. Joining committees is where you get to evaluate the work ethic, dedication, and personalities of the other Chamber members, as well as get further insight into what their business really is all about. On the flip side, it is also where you get to demonstrate your work ethic, dedication and personality, as well as give further insight into what your business really is all about. This process establishes the credibility that other business professionals desire in order to have confidence in referring your business to their clients and friends.

3. Take the intimidation out of First Friday Breakfast and Sundowners.

First Friday Breakfasts and Sundowners were always intimidating because I always felt very uncomfortable being in a room where I needed to mingle with strangers, start conversations, join conversations, etc.  And even after I knew a lot of people in the room, the intimidation factor never went away because I felt the pressure to continue to meet new people. After many, many, one-on-one coffee meetings I learned that I am not alone in this intimidation. I recently had an “aha” moment from a fellow Chamber member when he mentioned he uses these networking opportunities to continue to build relationships with the people he knows, and not necessarily meet new people.

Once the pressure to meet new people was off at these events, the events became much more comfortable and fun.  And then it just makes natural sense that these events are intended to further develop the relationships with the people I am meeting in the committee meetings, and started resulting in more referrals.

At a very minimum, take a fresh look at what you learned in Chamber 101 and look for new ways to determine how to make your membership pay off with big results.