When You Sit Down With Your Advocacy-minded Investors, Lead With the Impact

Last week, I was coaching a group of chamber execs who are out there building some seriously impressive advocacy programs. And a big theme bubbled up in the conversation…

“How do we actually sell this advocacy work to the members who have the ability (and the budget) to invest at a higher level?”

The truth is, you have to do it differently than how you sell to most of your members.

Most chamber leaders think like small businesses, and relate well to the small business mindset. How do I get the most bang for my buck? Can I get a volume discount?

With small business being the backbone of every chamber, this serves you well with 90% of your members.

But the dynamics are different with your bigger companies.

They likely have different budgets for different activities, so it’s actually easier for them to pay for luncheon tickets out of their “meals” budget and sponsorships from their “community impact budget.” Bundled discounts are not a priority, and may even make things more complicated for your big business reps.

When you sit down with your advocacy-minded investors, lead with the impact. Show them how your chamber is making measurable differences on the issues that affect their world.

That’s the product. That’s the pitch.

If they want tickets to your annual meeting or their logo on the screen, you can certainly add that in as a bonus.

But what you are really selling is impact.

Because at the end of the day, they need you to be the voice for business. And they’ll fund that work—if you actually sell it that way.