Guidelines for Working with Associations and Organizations

We had a lot of success working with Chambers of Commerce and niche specific organizations. When we were working with contractors, we worked with the Home Builders Association. When we were writing home and auto, we were working with Homeowners Associations and Condo Associations. It just makes sense, right? Whatever niche that you're going for, then find whatever association people relate to that and get involved.

Working with associations/organizations effectively requires a few important techniques:

1. Create a valuable tool that you can send to their list.

It's so important to be developing some of this stuff like an emergency preparedness plan or an inventory record book or an insurance shoppers checklist, etc, that you can say, "Hey, Mr. President of the Association (or Mrs. President), I have this awesome tool that would be helpful and useful to your members. Would you willing to let me mail it out to them or send them an e-mail and have them go to my website and get it?"

This is a great way to position yourself as the expert, offer something of value before you ask them for something.

2. Establish relationships with the Presidents or the leaders of these associations to get endorsed mailings.

Don't just show up once and expect that they're going to be happy to give you access to all their members. It doesn't work that way. Unfortunately, it does take a little bit more time; relationships take time.

One incredibly effective and easy technique for building relationships is to gift them. When you gift somebody something, they will be inclined to return the favor.

3. Speak at events. A great way to do this is by becoming an expert. You can't just be an insurance salesperson and expect anybody to want to listen to you.

We have to position ourselves as something better than that and a great way to do this is to create a book.

4. Create A Book - the following are short and easy tips on creating your own book.

a. Create an outline of the subject; It doesn't have to be a long book. It could be 30 pages...it could be 2 or 3.

b. Buy a digital recorder; Take your outline and talk into the recorder...just talk your book out; topic by topic by topic and you'll be amazed at how much comes out of your head and how much easier that happens than it will you trying to sit down and write. Writing a book manually is a nightmare, unless you're a very good writer and love to do it.

c. Get it transcribed.

d. Get cover designed and printed.

Then all of the sudden you've got a book. So when you go to the associations and you give them a book and say, "Hey. I'm the author of this book on emergency preparedness and protecting your family's assets. Here you go." You've got it signed and personalized; that's huge credibility. Absolutely huge!