Trade associations are they good for business leads?

[BobWolf]

Any fleet owners, expedite company owners, owner operators, belong to any trade associations involving machine shops, tool & die, technology, and printing, industries?
I had a manager tell me that the company is closing. So, I'm looking for other ways to market my company and stay as local / regional as possible, but cant get past the S/R manager who has his favorite carrier or the receptionist.
I'm thinking, if I can get in front of the man behind the curtain and not have my card chucked by the receptionist or the shipping receiving manager I can boost my sales and possibly be able to justify my rates.
If you do or have in the past are they worth the money to join, and does it help with sales, does it make your company look better than some other company that is not.

Bob Wolf

 

[geo]

find out if they be long to elk's club and other civi groups
mason's , chamber of commence , what gym do they work out at, what church does he belong to
boy scouts etc
you have to think outside of box

 

[Jamin_Joe]

They are good to network, which cant hurt. With my experience with the Apartment Owners Assn.In Richmond, I met alot of people but no buyers of DirecTv. This is a different animal and may be good.

Been thinking about checking this out for a while.

 

[Bruno]

Go to the Expo and you will meet people and network that way. It never hurts to network.

 

[crich]

Go to the Expo and you will meet people and network that way. It never hurts to network.[/QUOTE

I have never been the expo.
could you tell me if I went would I be networking with some tops at dana corp or would I be more likely to be networking with bolt express?

OR another way ask

will the owner of bill and bobs screw shop be at the expo? or will it just be a bunch of other squirrels trying to get a nut?

 

[Jamin_Joe]

Go to the Expo and you will meet people and network that way. It never hurts to network.[/QUOTE

I have never been the expo.
could you tell me if I went would I be networking with some tops at dana corp or would I be more likely to be networking with bolt express?

OR another way ask

will the owner of bill and bobs screw shop be at the expo? or will it just be a bunch of other squirrels trying to get a nut?

Typically you meet both business owners, representitives and people looking for jobs as well. It still cant hurt to get the word out about your services.