"Yeah, I joined. I never got any business." Everyone knows an agent or advisor who said almost the exact same words. They joined an organization thinking the agent/advisor equivalent of "Is there a doctor in the house?" will happen and business will just come to them. However, it doesn't happen like that. A Chamber of Commerce professional once said: "You get out what you put in." But what does "putting in" mean?

6 levels of involvement

Many financial professionals join the Chamber of Commerce expecting to rub shoulders with car dealers, factory owners and accounting professionals. They are shocked when they attend a business card exchange and meet people similar to themselves looking for their business!

Where are all those movers and shakers? They are behind the scenes, running the place. If you're an agent or advisor who has joined or is considering joining a nonprofit, here are six levels of possible involvement:

1. Card carrying member. You are in the audience hoping to hear "Is there a financial professional in the house?" over the sound system. Seriously, you are attending events, mingling and meeting people. You are still raising your visibility, conversation by conversation.

2. Committee member. Someone approached you or you expressed an interest in taking the next step. Membership, event planning and fundraising provide exposure to lots of members. More people are learning about you. You are attending meetings, committing to do things and being held accountable.

3. Committee head. Sometimes committees are pretty small. Serve for a year or two and you might be tapped on the shoulder with a request to head the committee. You report at meetings: more visibility.

4. Board member. Your committee chair position might bring you before the board to report. In other cases, people spot your positive attributes and match them up to skills the board needs to recruit. In other organizations, your deep pockets and willingness to write checks is like catnip to the board. Now your name appears on organization letterhead. You attend more meetings. You write more checks, because of an expectation of support. You rub shoulders with those car dealers, factory owners and accounting professionals you dreamt about.

5. Executive committee. You've wondered why board meetings run so smoothly. Now you discover there's a subset of the board called the executive committee. Often, it's the officers. They often function as a "board within the board," sorting out complex issues, reaching consensus and presenting their recommendations to the full board. They meet, but in most cases, not on a usual schedule. More meetings, more visibility.

6. Elected officers. You know the organization has a president, a few vice presidents, a secretary and a treasurer. They are often elected by the membership, presented as a slate by the nominating committee. Some serve on committees. They preside over meetings. It takes a lot of time to do a good job. But everyone knows who you are.

In all six tiers you are giving back to the community through your involvement. The higher up you move, the greater the commitment in time and money. You are also gaining positive exposure.

People see you in action

At the entry level, you are raising your visibility person by person. As you move higher, people are learning about you by seeing you in action. Many people will likely assume the fact you do an excellent job in this outside organization means you also do an excellent job as a financial professional. Oh, one more point: When they need help, you're not that hard to find!

Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc. He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry. His book, "Captivating the Wealthy Investor" can be found on Amazon.

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6 levels of nonprofit involvement for agents and advisors

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