Are Chambers of Commerce a Waste of Time?

[0b1kanobee]

Just outside Orlando

I'm in Orange City East of Sanford.

 

[georgetx]

This was a great post... good thread. I think I'll spend that money on my Alumni association instead. Any thoughts on that?

Or leads...

 

[VolAgent]

This was a great post... good thread. I think I'll spend that money on my Alumni association instead. Any thoughts on that?

Or leads...

Read my previous post. How many people open the alumni newsletter to find their next insurance agent? How many attend alumni meetings to buy insurance?

Networking isn't about finding someone to sell today. It is about developing centers of influence and advocates who will direct business to you in the future. After you have shown them why you are worthy of their referrals and trust.

 

[LGilmore]

If you're going to join Chamber, make sure it's for some reasons besides just making sales. Those guys get picked up on pretty quickly and avoided. Using chamber should be a long term project where you have an opportunity to show yourself as more than an agent. As people get to know you, they will come to you.

You have to remember usually every chamber has two or three guys already selling like mad. The successful ones didn't really make an outward show of what they did.

I used to belong years ago. I my town, chamber was kind of a wealthy meat market. You had 5 or 6 professional women using chamber as a way to get a better husband than the one they had. Cause half of a butt load of money is still a lot of money.

Wasn't for me. I like my wife and simply put, I was not a mid six figure owner, so these women didn't really have time for me. A interesting observation though. You'd watch guys who started with nothing, start making bank and the world around them changed. Suddenly the wife at home, the one who stayed with you when you had nothing, was a nag. (basically because she knew you when your sh ite stunk) These "chamber" ladies, who always looked nice and would always laugh and tell these guys how "great" they were, broke up a lot of marriages. Not for me.

 

[PandCforMe]

If you're going to join Chamber, make sure it's for some reasons besides just making sales. Those guys get picked up on pretty quickly and avoided. Using chamber should be a long term project where you have an opportunity to show yourself as more than an agent. As people get to know you, they will come to you.

You have to remember usually every chamber has two or three guys already selling like mad. The successful ones didn't really make an outward show of what they did.

I used to belong years ago. I my town, chamber was kind of a wealthy meat market. You had 5 or 6 professional women using chamber as a way to get a better husband than the one they had. Cause half of a butt load of money is still a lot of money.

Wasn't for me. I like my wife and simply put, I was not a mid six figure owner, so these women didn't really have time for me. A interesting observation though. You'd watch guys who started with nothing, start making bank and the world around them changed. Suddenly the wife at home, the one who stayed with you when you had nothing, was a nag. (basically because she knew you when your sh ite stunk) These "chamber" ladies, who always looked nice and would always laugh and tell these guys how "great" they were, broke up a lot of marriages. Not for me.

Well I think that makes the decision for me. $225 is a steal for that kind of action. Time to cancel my adultfriendfinder account lol. Jk but I appreciate your input, I could see the Chambers being saturated already like you said, especially in bigger cities
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I'm in Orange City East of Sanford.

Do you write homes too? Seems damn near impossible around here. Not that there's much money in them but great for cross selling
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It is all how you approach it.

No one wakes up and thinks, "I'm going to the Chamber to get a quote, find a resource manager, get a home loan, etc." Every last person in that room is there to sell something, including the Chamber staff. The Chamber staff is trying to sell memberships and sponsorships. Everyone there is there to sell, not to buy. So change your approach.

Smile, mingle, meet and greet and exchange business cards. Show up each meeting and volunteer for committees and other projects. Let them see you a few times, then start asking if you can quote.

As a P&C agent, remember that in the next 12 months everyone in that room is going to buy a new insurance policy. Personal, commercial or both, they are all going to renew. You need to position yourself as a person to talk to when it happens and not look for business today.

Great advice, It's easy to forget to slow down the wheels sometimes and build a sale for the future

 

[Ed Horrell]

Chambers are good if you can capture people's attention through your appearance. It does you no good if you don't get involved and get to know the folks.

Just like attending a church, it's all good when you attend, but the magic happens when you get involved.

Great post...right on the money!

 

[VaDwayne]

Curious as to what kind of results you guys have had by joining the local chamber of commerce. I was debating whether or not to apply, it runs approx $225/year in my area (Florida) and I feel like it would be better than doing a BNI. Anyone had any experience with one, good, bad, or indifferent?

I would pay for BNI any day over the C.O.C. BNI has been very good to me over the last 3 years. Here's my opinion, whichever you are happier doing is the one you will have the most success with.

 

[BIG RED IS BACK]

Any group depends on the people in the group.

I have heard great things about BNI, and horrible things about BNI, same for the chambers.

Just the name of the group doesnt mean a damn thing, its the people in the group that matter and how YOU relate to the people in the group.

 

[Bob Klee]

BNI is way, way better than the Chamber. You get REFERRALS weekly vs. leads [if anything at all] from the chamber.

I started two BNI chapters in 2 different states. BNI is only as good as you & the group you are in. If your group is run tight, by the BNI guidebook...it will be very successful. If your chapter gets lack on the rules, then the chapter suffers as do the members.

BNI was responsible for 20-30% of new business I wrote for several years. There is almost never an opening for a P&C guy. That is why I was involved in starting up 2 chapters

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

My take on the Chamber - from when I was an agent and I'm also a member now for my new business:

Right when you join you'll likely get some quick business. This, however, obviously depends on how many other agents are there selling the same lines.

What I've found is the same people attend the events. So it's the law of diminishing returns as you attend more and more. You're obviously not going to pitch the same people over and over.

Joining just to get business becomes apparent and you'll be avoided like the plague. After a while it's just a social club. You'll get some friends and it just turns into a BS session after a while.

Worth it? Absolutely - just for credibility alone it's worth the annal fee.