It’s the ultimate Catch-22. Small businesses that are just starting out, or are struggling, need the chamber to help with things they don’t have time or money for — such as marketing and increased exposure — but if they’re struggling, or just starting, they often don’t want to spend several hundred dollars on something they’re not sure of. So how do you reach them and how do you convince them there’s a hefty return on investment?
Be Upfront
Chamber membership is like a gym membership in one way — if you don’t use it, it won’t work for you. Signing your name on the dotted line doesn’t get you into shape any more than joining the chamber gives you countless new clients. You need to get involved and do the work in both examples.
Be upfront with a potential member. It’s not the membership cling or sticker that gets you new customers (although it might). To get the most out of membership, you have to use your membership and participate. This sort of truth telling goes a long way to getting people to trust you and believe what you say.
Offer a Guarantee
If recruiting small businesses is particularly hard, try offering a guarantee on their return on investment. Create stipulations involving things that are expected of them because chamber membership alone does not equate to new clients.
Give Them Something They Need
Small businesses often have limited resources. If you can provide them something they need as part of membership, their dues may pay for themselves. For instance, if you offer free conference room rental and they’re currently paying for office space for the occasional meeting, or you offer free marketing seminars that they can access on their own time and they’re currently paying for instructions or membership into a marketing group, or you offer insurance at discounted rates and the discount they receive will pay for their membership, you probably have a new member.
It’s a fine line in courting small business because you want to offer value for their investment without being insulting about limited funds or financial stresses. Focus on what they need. Don’t ask them, “what can the chamber do for you?” That’s your job to know. Instead, ask them if they had a fairy godmother for their business what would that person give them? Go beyond the answer of “more clients” and understand what it takes to get those for them. Once you know, you can help them forge a path to success.
