Four Steps to Getting The Most Out of Your Trade Association MembershipPost Title
Membership in a trade association, especially one as dynamic and robust as the Home Builders Association of Bucks and Montgomery County (HBA), comes with a diverse and far-reaching host of benefits for professionals in the Delaware Valley residential construction community. How much you actually gain from those benefits, however, depends on your ability and commitment to accessing and leveraging them.
Listed below are four key steps you can take to maximize the benefit of your membership in a trade association. When these steps are implemented, you can experience a return on your membership investment quickly, and many times over.
- Be Present
In a recent article, we noted that one way to maximize the benefits of networking is simply to show up. The same applies here to getting the most out of your membership in a trade association. This is the most basic of steps, but it is the prerequisite for any benefit to come your way. Reaping the benefits of membership starts with really being a member, and not just in name only. Go to meetings—whether they are in person or virtual meetings. Go to live and online events. With an organization as large and diverse as the HBA, there are many opportunities to choose from, and you can be sure you will find multiple offerings that will suit your business needs and your interests. - Know Your Benefits
You can’t use something you don’t know about. Membership in the HBA comes with a suite of benefits in and of itself, ranging from networking and educational opportunities through trainings and professional development offerings and keeping current with the latest trends and developments in the industry to being afforded a voice and representation on the policies that affect housing and the residential construction trades. Beyond that, HBA membership includes automatic membership in the Pennsylvania Builders Association (PBA) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Each of these associations has their own list of benefits, which we have detailed in previous articles. Along with being present, having a full understanding of your benefits at the local, state, and national level is also a necessary foundation for any professional seeking to maximize the benefits of membership.
- Contribute
Once you know what your benefits are and you start to gain familiarity and a presence by showing up, it’s time to take an active role. Passive or minimal participation will only yield minimal benefits, but if you actively participate in events, meetings, initiatives, forums, and educational opportunities, your membership will have a far greater impact on your business growth and development. You’ll learn more, be better informed, meet more people, and establish more relationships that can be the basis for referrals and mutual profitability. - Be A Leader
When you want to kick your benefits into high gear, it’s time to level up one more time. Maximizing your benefits starts with being an attendee, builds with being an active contributor, and peaks with being a leader. Perhaps you’ll start with joining a committee, then move on to chairing one. Maybe you’ll spearhead an outreach initiative, or organize an educational event. Whatever you choose to do, sharing your expertise and talents as a leader in service to your fellow members and the industry will help you achieve the greatest impact not just for the people you are serving, but for yourself as well.
Membership in the HBA is a gold mine of opportunity for professionals seeking to hone their trade skills as well as their networking and leadership skills. How much you get out of your membership depends on how much you are willing to put into being present, learning what benefits are available to you, contributing, and helping to lead. Contact the HBA today to learn more about how you can further your business development through membership in the Delaware Valley’s premier association for residential construction professionals.