Are Chambers of Commerce a Waste of Time?

One secondary thing to consider with a COC membership is a directory listing, if provided. Typically a COC website will be one of the top authority websites for a city/town.

A directory listing can provide a strong link as well as an important citation for you business which plays a big role with local search rankings.
 
I agree with that Bryan, another great reason to join COC. I know a lot of people also like BBB, but COC is my choice. Almost wish the Alumni Association gave a high authority link too!
 
I think you should try it, but not before asking how many members they have, how often do they do events, event details, opportunities for advertising, increasing/decreasing membership history, etc. Some Chambers run off the "good ole boy" mentality and can be great for business. Definitely worth a try IMO.
 
Definitely going to give it a shot. Spend some time with it as a long term goal, and see what develops. Thanks for everyone's feedback
 
I am very active on linkedin and I goto oje networking event a week, sometimes two....my elevator speech is polished as hell!!
That to me is more fun than BNI's and Chamber events.
You can find events by linkedin and meetup.com

LinkedIn... Can you share some ideas on how you use it properly?
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COC is a waste in N Miami.. No referrals in the 2 years give or take I have been working for them!!
 
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When signing up for chambers and other networking organizations, it is important to remember that it is a long term investment. You should focus on meeting new people and actually forming relationships with them, instead of just handing out business cards and asking if they need insurance.
 
When signing up for chambers and other networking organizations, it is important to remember that it is a long term investment. You should focus on meeting new people and actually forming relationships with them, instead of just handing out business cards and asking if they need insurance.

And deal with the bottom feeders for years... I got this lady who wants me to refer her business, how she can BENEFIT my clients by talking to them about LTC (Bankers Agent)... What a joke!!
 
BNI is way, way better than the Chamber. You get REFERRALS weekly vs. leads [if anything at all] from the chamber.

I started two BNI chapters in 2 different states. BNI is only as good as you & the group you are in. If your group is run tight, by the BNI guidebook...it will be very successful. If your chapter gets lack on the rules, then the chapter suffers as do the members.

BNI was responsible for 20-30% of new business I wrote for several years. There is almost never an opening for a P&C guy. That is why I was involved in starting up 2 chapters:)


This intrigued me as I too had never heard of BNI.

After a quick check, most insurance types are already accounted for by current local members. Damn.

Time to form a local 'BNI rejects' group...
 
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