Tips and Tools - The Importance of Announcing Your Membership

If you and your spouse have a baby, would you send out an announcement to friends and family? Of course you would.  Good news loves an audience.

The same holds true for your business.  When you hire a new employee, earn a professional designation, add a new product or service, or receive an award, it makes sense to spread the word.  Yet our recent NEB membership survey found that 50% of members did not announce their membership.

This is a huge missed opportunity.  Think about what NEB membership means:  When NEB approved you, it verified your licenses and made sure you had no violations against public interest. Because of your clean record, we awarded you with the NEB “Seal of Approval”, which consumers view as a badge of professional ethics and integrity. Given the choice of doing business with an NEB member or a non-member, whom do you think they’ll prefer?

But here’s the rub.  Because NEB membership is not automatic—we have rigorous qualification standards—NEB members will always be in the minority of advisors.  This is a good thing, because it gives you a marketing edge over the majority.

However, the edge gets dull quickly unless it’s used.  Here’s how:

• Within a week of admission, send a letter or e-mail to clients announcing your membership.  Make sure they understand what NEB means and how it makes you different. Consider giving them a copy of our approved member brochure or referring them to our web site (www.ethicscheck.com).

• Send a similar letter or e-mail to referral sources such as attorneys, accountants, bankers, business consultants, etc.

• Insert the NEB logo on your web site home page.  Include a link to our web site and encourage people to go there to verify your background and view your Professional Profile. (You need to create the profile first.)

• Send out a press release to the local business media shortly after you receive word of admission. (Stay tuned for details on getting good PR for your membership).

• As your stationery and other marketing materials come up for reprinting, revise your artwork to include the NEB logo.  All marketing tools (brochures, biographies, direct mail, etc.) should display the NEB logo.

The point is this:  Becoming an NEB member is great.  But it’s just the beginning.  To take full advantage, you need to announce your membership to everyone who affects the success of your practice:  your clients, prospects, product providers, referral sources, former business associates, friends, family, and the general public. When the right people know you belong to the National Ethics Bureau, good things will happen.