Drum-up business by stepping up in organizations

Though they certainly don’t want to be idle, the fact is that many commercial real estate professionals are finding themselves with more time on their hands these days. And these practitioners are rightly trying to drum up new business by increasing their networking efforts. We see it in more activity on our FREJLink.com networking site, and some commercial real estate groups are reporting record attendance at meetings.

But there’s a lot more to networking in a professional organization than attending meetings regularly. It takes a deeper level of commitment in order to make the contacts that will eventually pay off in new business, according to Danet Linares, executive vice president of Blanca Commercial Real Estate and president of CREW-Miami.

“While the role of professional organizations has taken on new significance in today’s stalled business climate, a distinction must be drawn between attending and getting involved,” said Linares in a recent column sent to FREJ.

“The fact is, while attending events with your peers is critical to maintaining a presence in the business community and keeping up with industry trends, unless you’re actively participating in the organization, you’re not capitalizing on the opportunity to build new relationships and open doors to new business.”

What is the best way to more actively participate in a professional organization? Step up and take on a leadership role. Find something that needs to be done, and head up the effort to do it.

“This is a great way to show-off your abilities and business prowess to a larger audience of your peers. Whether you help drive fundraising, assist with budget planning, or help recruit new members or sponsors, getting involved means putting your business skills to work to strengthen the organization,” said Linares.

The result: You will get noticed - often by people who have the ability and connections to steer business your way.

“Potential clients are far more likely to conduct business with those who demonstrate an appetite for involvement and an ability to lead,” said Linares. “Stepping into a leadership position with CREW poised me to work closely with other members in a way that led to frequent business referrals, which I would not have received if I was just showing up for lunch.

“Exchanging business cards and sharing a cocktail are an important part of generating new business, but there’s no substitute for rolling up the sleeves and getting to work on the way to accomplishing a common goal.”

Linares said the blessing to be found in the current market environment is extra time to further professional development and strengthen business relationships. And it can be done using familiar tools and contexts.

“Focus your efforts on cultivating new business using the resources already at your disposal - rather than reinventing the wheel - and prime yourself for growth once the storm clouds clear,” she said.