| Some years ago I joined a chamber of | | | | also say that entrepreneurs and executives can |
| commerce with the goal of rubbing shoulders with | | | | benefit from meeting the many buyers and users |
| powerful corporate decision-makers and | | | | of you're their products/services that compose |
| establishing my consulting value, soaking up many | | | | the typical chamber, based on its typical audience |
| new clients in the process like warm gravy at | | | | of peers outside each individual member's own |
| Thanksgiving dinner. The morning I headed out for | | | | industry. This broadens both horizons and |
| my first chamber breakfast, however, my | | | | connections. Hearing high-powered guest speakers, |
| business partner called me to report that our | | | | for example, affords the opportunity to meet not |
| bank had just canceled all its merchant credit card | | | | only that speaker but lots of other top execs |
| accounts following a decision to get out of that | | | | who come to hear the speaker as well.Other |
| business. At that time, I was running a seminar | | | | benefits? Try this list: health care insurance, auto |
| business which heavily depended upon credit card | | | | insurance discounts, discounts on a variety of |
| sales. Suddenly I had lost a very lucrative conduit | | | | many other goods and services. A chamber |
| of revenue.Literally minutes later, stunned and | | | | member once told me, "It's an attractive arena |
| feverishly ruminating about what we would do to | | | | for doing interesting volunteer work as well."So |
| prevent a potential catastrophe, I sat tolerating | | | | with all this good stuff, could there be any |
| my new chamber's "member spotlights." Reps | | | | downside?Chamber people do agree on one pitfall: |
| from member businesses stood up for a quick | | | | if you lack the willingness to show up, it's not for |
| minute or two, described their companies and the | | | | you. "Joining a chamber could be a waste of time |
| services they offered to their fellow members. | | | | if you're not able to put some effort into it," |
| One local bank concluded its service litany with a | | | | admits Andrew Olmsted, Managing Director, |
| folksy, "So come down and see us sometime. We | | | | Cambridge Innovation Partners, and a Cambridge |
| love doing business with our fellow chamber | | | | Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce member. |
| members."The chamber's director then exhorted | | | | "One needs to evaluate whether the benefit will |
| everyone that "It's good to do business with | | | | be worth the effort. But that's of course what |
| other members." Suddenly I realized this new | | | | you must do with any business activity!"Others |
| "family" I'd joined might be the answer to my | | | | echo like sentiments, remarking that chamber |
| current problem (and prayers). At the break, I | | | | members reap only what they sow. Socializing, |
| approached the bank rep, explained my situation, | | | | networking and rolling up one's sleeves to get |
| got an encouraging response, and found myself at | | | | vigorously involved are requisites. "Don't expect to |
| the end of a meeting with this rep that very | | | | walk out of your first meeting more contacts and |
| same day with a new merchant account squarely | | | | new customers than you know what to do with," |
| in place, all courtesy of the fast action of this new | | | | warns Cambridge (MA) Chamber of Commerce |
| chamber friend. Though I had come in looking to | | | | President and CEO Thomas J. Lucey. "It's like a |
| FIND business, I'd come out in total awe of | | | | health club in that way: Joining doesn't do anything, |
| something better: the huge value offered by | | | | you have to also do the work."Beyond that |
| chambers in terms of providing resources that | | | | chamber folks insist benefits far outweigh |
| their member companies sincerely need. I had | | | | everything else, especially with chambers gearing |
| become someone else's new customer but was | | | | themselves intently to our high tech times. "Lots |
| very happy about it.Over the ensuing four years, | | | | of people still think chambers function like a 1950s |
| though I did pick up a few clients here and there, | | | | 'downtown organization' but that's no longer true," |
| I never forgot the lesson: that access to a ready, | | | | explains Joe Bevilacqua. "Now we're fast-moving, |
| willing-to-help business family afforded me a | | | | technology-driven, growing, inclusive, |
| greater value than I could have every predicted. | | | | results-driven, accountable, and oriented to |
| Joseph J. Bevilacqua, President/CEO of the | | | | action."Ken Lizotte CMC is Chief Imaginative |
| Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce | | | | Officer (CIO) of emerson consulting group inc. |
| (Lawrence MA), explains it this way: "Chambers | | | | (Concord, MA), which transforms consultants, law |
| are indeed a great way for companies to find | | | | firms, executives and companies into |
| other companies to BUY FROM. They can help | | | | "thoughtleaders." This article is an excerpt from |
| you locate all sorts of ordinary needs, like paper | | | | his newest book "Beyond Reason: Questioning |
| supplies, restaurants, hotels for visiting customers. | | | | Assumptions of Everyday Life".Visit ==> for |
| That's a key point of how a chamber works: it's | | | | more info. |
| essentially a B2B network."Chamber devotees | | | | |