Becoming An AGC Member

wilsongc

We discussed BBB membership, now I would like to know the benefits of AGC membership. I know how to become a member, and it is a lot more expensive.

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Website Professional
General Contractors - Chattanooga, TN

BKFranks

Why don't you use their website, look for your local chapter, give them your contact info online, and let them call you with the benefits of membership?
A G C. O R G

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wilsongc

I already talked to them, just wanted 'real world' benefits and not sales benefits.

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Website Professional
General Contractors - Chattanooga, TN

Ivinni

hahahahaha...exactly.

You can only get the "real for real" by talking to other members and past members.

Talk to at least ten. Some will be happy, some unhappy but all points of view will give you the benfits as well as the caveats. If you know the down sides going in, you'll know what to expect.

You are doing the right thing, IMO.

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its not going to get better with straps, or new footings or even aroma therapy.

wilsongc

so benefits depend a lot on the local chapter?

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Website Professional
General Contractors - Chattanooga, TN

Ivinni

Absolutely. Think about who your customers will be. Local people? Local people make up local chapters.

Also take a look into ABC if there is one in your area.

When I was getting started, I chose one over the other because the effects and activities were so much better than the other whicls meant that there were way more active participants.

Look for the chapters that are active as well as the more active members in those chapters.

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its not going to get better with straps, or new footings or even aroma therapy.

Publisher1

This is a story of "you get what you give" but you can't measure it straightforwardly (at least rapidly!)
There are the organized 'benefits' but the best value of these associations is the intangible relationships and connections you develop, and these come primarily through active contribution and support rather than passive waiting for things to happen. But all of this can seem highly indirect from the marketing goal of finding people needing your services immediately.
If you are interested in joining an association for more immediate marketing benefit, consider joining the association(s) of your major clients or, on a lesser priority, the associations of the people you wish to be your clients. Then apply the same principal outlined above -- focus on giving, rather than 'receiving'.
For real value, the process can take years -- I've made a serious commitment to support the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS),for example. This is the association of AEC industry marketers -- obviously of relevance to someone like me selling services to the AEC marketing community. I've decided to make my contribution by doing what I do best -- writing journalistically -- in this case as a volunteer for their internal magazine (circulation 6,500). I know the process is 'working' as my network within the group grows dynamically, but can I trace hard dollar sales (yet) to the work? -- no. Is it good marketing and common sense business? Yes. I expect the first real cash business to arise from the association participation here will happen some time next year, and within two to three years the benefits will far offset the time and expense incurred in getting involved.
Things can move much more quickly in the right circumstances, of course. You join, make connections, learn of a project, and connect, either through invitation to a closed bid or (even better) a wired competition where the odds are stacked in your favor. Meanwhile, the association provides you with insights, market information, technical and legislative knowledge, and the like, so you gain value even without the marketing benefit.
We of course belong to AGC chapters (and ABC chapters) in communities served by our publications -- these are essential marketing expenses!