"Why get involved with associations?" Part One

I'm currently writing about associations and conferences in my upcoming book, and I thought I'd share some ideas here with you.

"Why get involved with associations?"

Every vertical has professional (or trade) associations.

For example, dentists in the U.S. have the American Dental Association, roofers have the National Roofing Contractors Association, pharmaceutical companies have Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and so on.

Let's talk about 2 reasons why getting involved with a vertical or trade association is an excellent use of time and energy.

Reason #1: Getting involved with an association gives you access to influential people in the vertical. The tastemakers and opinion leaders are typically intimately connected with their associations. These are the people who others in the vertical look to for making decisions like which vendors or partners to work with. If you win the tastemakers over with your product or service, you'll enjoy instant credibility while also reducing the friction involved in the buying process.

Reason #2 two is tomorrow!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does nearly every vertical have its own professional or trade association?

Because industries naturally organize around shared professional interests, examples like the American Dental Association for dentists or the National Roofing Contractors Association for roofers illustrate how common this structure is across different verticals.

What's the first reason getting involved with a trade association is worth the investment?

Access to influential people within the vertical, the tastemakers and opinion leaders who others in the industry look to when deciding which vendors or partners to work with.

Why does winning over a vertical's tastemakers create instant credibility?

Because their endorsement or association carries significant weight within the industry, other members trust their judgment, so aligning with them transfers some of that trust directly to the business they've embraced.

How does association with tastemakers reduce friction in the buying process?

Because their implicit or explicit endorsement removes some of the skepticism a new vendor would otherwise need to overcome, prospects are more willing to trust a business that's already respected by the people they themselves look up to.

What's the second reason for getting involved with associations, based on this series?

A follow-up reason covered in the next piece of this series, building on this first point about access to influential tastemakers within a given vertical.