Participants at the Greater Ottawa Home Builder Association‘s golf tournament last summer. If you enjoy golfing, of course play the game at association functions. If you don’t golf (or want to make even better connections) volunteer in a role that you enjoy which brings you closer to the golfers you want to know. I have a natural connection point: We publish the association’s internal newsletter.
In yesterday’s post, I reported on the findings by SMPS Marketer contributors W. Bruce Lea and J. Rossi that you are virtually doomed to lose RFP and public bidding opportunities unless you have developed a strong, previous, relationship with the relevant organizations and their senior decision-makers, and your chances are greatly enhanced if you are your company’s principal owner/partner and have had multiple contacts and communications with your relevant counterparts at the project-granting organization.
This suggests that marketing where decisions are made after a public or invited tender/bidding process is a quality more than quantity exercise, and you need to redirect your energies from cranking out proposals to building rapport and connections long before (at least several months) the formal bidding opportunity occurs.
Fair enough, but how do you do that?
I’ll share my number one and virtually sure-fire route to success. Join relevant associations and community/charitable projects where your prospective clients are likely to hang out, and become actively involved in voluntary activities which you deeply enjoy, and are really good at doing.
Your most natural route to these associations and activities are through your existing clients. If you get along with them well, they will probably be happy to endorse your membership in their trade groups and activities.
(Note I am referring to client-focused associations here, more than associations representing your own industry, profession, or specialization. However, these associations can still have value, if you attain a leadership role and the association is national in character — because you will then be able to connect with members in other communities for joint venture and other opportunities.)
The next stage, engaging in activities within the associations you truly enjoy and are capable of doing, allows your business to be fun and you need that passion to hang on for the months of apparently non revenue-generating activity. If you enjoy golfing, golf. If you like technical discussions relating to your specialty, participate in the technical standards group. If you are a writer (like me), volunteer for the association newsletter or magazine. You don’t need experience at this stuff and you don’t need to be perfect to offer your assistance BUT be wary of two association traps; anything that requires you to spend additional sponsorship money and anything that you really don’t want to do but where the association needs warm bodies to help. In the former, you can spend a small fortune without getting much in the way of results; in the latter, if you really hate doing something, will you do it well, and stick it out for long enough to have an impact? (Obviously, paying sponsorship contributions and tackling tough jobs can make sense if you really know the association, are truly committed and have a budget — but don’t do these sorts of things right away.)
Ultimately, through the association, you’ll meet and form positive relationships with the decision-makers at relevant client organizations, and when RFP opportunities occur, you’ll have the inside track.
Most associations have associate or supplier categories, so you certainly will be welcome.
Pay your association dues, get involved, contribute, and have fun. This is the way to win RFPs before anyone knows they are public.