Voluntary Organisations – Be Careful What You Say “Yes” To

By Jean McIntyre Marketing Angels

Being part of a voluntary community or business organisation can be great for your business but there are hidden traps.  Make sure when you commit to help – you understand what is required and the benefits you expect to receive.

I’ve recently resigned as President of the Chamber of Women in Business and the reasons come down to the same reasons you’ll hear from members of voluntary committees at all levels of society and in all areas of industry.  Lack of resources to do what is needed.

CWB is no different really to any other organisation in that it relies on the goodwill of members to step up and run the organisation so it continues to benefit members.  The issue is that when members do that (for whatever reason) they don’t always know what time and energy commitment will be asked of them and often quickly realise that they aren’t able to give what the organisation needs.

Why Would You Join a Voluntary Organisation?

Most marketers will have ‘networking’ activity as part of the marketing plan they prepare for you.  Joining an industry association or business networking organisation offers great opportunity to make contact and develop good relationships with prospective clients.

Marketers will often suggest though that simply being a member of an organisation might not be sufficient and they will suggest you get involved with the organising committee for maximum results.

Being an executive or committee member of an organisation offers a hightened profile in that committee members are often thrust into the limelight at events or in correspondence.  It often offers opportunities to display your skills and knowledge – through contributing in your area of expertise – to potential clients who may then be interested in using your services.

Don’t Just Join – Get Involved

High level involvement also offers publicity opportunities when the organisation is called on by the media to comment on current issues.  Of course in this situation you are representing the organisation – not your own business – but in a place like Canberra it is often the person – not the business that people are interested in dealing with.

An organisation like CWB and other business organisations also offer specialist support that you might find helpful in dealing with the day to day or strategic issues you face in your business.    It’s true, I’ve been able to offer some great advice to fellow CWB members just in conversation.  I might not get business from these people but Canberra is a small place and word does get around that you have been helpful and it leads to a good reputation in the general business community.

It’s Not About What You Get Out of It

I want to be clear though.  If you join an organisation solely to get these kinds of benefits – people will see through you and they (the organisations) won’t be useful for your business.  If you go to networking events with a plan to just get as many contacts for your database that you’ll follow up with a spam email – it just won’t work.

You need to choose organisations that you believe in – whose values and goals you desire to contribute to.  It’s only then that the benefits I’ve spoken about are possible for you and your business.  People see you giving and give back to you.  It’s called ‘reciprocity’ and that’s what this kind of activity is about.

Reciprocity

I couldn’t put it as well as Mitch Joel in his fantastic book “Six Pixels of Separation” (2009 – the best book I’ve read in months) about a similar phenomenon in online marketing through social networking.

Mitch says: “The web is built on reciprocity.  If your actions are carried out with sincerity (be they big or small), the community quickly takes notice and repays.”  (Pg 168).

That’s the issue though – to receive, you have to be prepared to give – and give honestly.

What’s Needed in Voluntary Organisations

For voluntary organisations to succeed and meet their members’ needs – they require people who are prepared to put in time, effort and (most importantly) passion to keep them thriving.

If you decided to give your time, knowledge and expertise to an organisation as part of your marketing strategy – make sure you understand up front exactly what that means.

You are doing the organisation a disservice if you commit and then resign because you are unable to contribute in the way that’s needed.

Questions To Ask When You Join

Here are some questions that you should ask when are thinking of joining an organisation – to help you decide whether you can commit what they need:

1. What are the goals of the organisation and is there a plan to achieve them?
2. What role is available that will make best use of my skills?
3. What are the proposed duties of this role?
4. How much time will be required of me to fulfill the duties of this role?
5. Is there additional set up time required to get my role underway – how much time will be required?
6. Are there other representational activities that I might be asked to take on from time to time?
7. Are there development opportunities that might arise for me in this role?

Make The Role Your Own

The last thing I’d say (with my former President’s hat on) about taking on a role in a voluntary organisation is that these kinds of organisations don’t have the luxury of having someone to always make sure you are doing what you need to do.

If you take on a role you need to own it. Work out for yourself what’s required, ask lots of questions until you understand, then be proactive about setting and meeting your own objectives.

Organisations don’t work if people just sit around and wait for others to do something.

I’d be interested in hearing your experiences of working for voluntary organisations and what you’ve found that’s made them successful.

Jean Mc

PS:  If you are looking for advice on how you can incorporate membership of voluntary organisations into your marketing plan – sign up for our DIY Marketing Plan workshop on Wed 16th June – you can still get the early bird discount of $319.95 if you book before 4th June.

Reference:
Joel, Mitch; “Six Pixels of Separation”; Sept 2009; Published by Business Plus NY.
Available at Dalton’s Books Canberra City.