Find the hidden takeaways

By Todd Daniel, NOMMA Executive Director

In this new economy, I keep hearing the expression “gaining an edge.” The idea is to have one more “plus” in your arsenal to win a job. Can you make yourself a little more efficient to get your bids down a few dollars? Is there one more “value added” service you can offer your customer? Do you have just a little more knowledge than someone else? Can you woo your client with your superior product knowledge? Do you know how to negotiate and upsell to get the best price for your product?

I know just the place where you can obtain the “edge.” It’s called your industry trade association. Imagine tapping into a 53-year-old bastion of information with an online knowledgebase,
14 hours of FREE online education
videos, education conferences, and
opportunities for networking. If you take advantage of the printed and electronic resources of NOMMA, I assure you that you will obtain your edge.

But better yet, the real power comes from what you learn at education sessions and workshops.

And then there is the most powerful information source of all — your hundreds of fellow professionals around the country. You can tap into this resource through our annual METALfab conference, NEF events, and electronically via our ListServ,
webinars, and phone conferences.

All combined, I call this
“NOMMA Power,” and it’s this power that gives you the edge.

A ‘NOMMA Power’ charge

The mystery of NOMMA Power
is that you never know when you’ll
receive it. A METALfab class instructor could give you a single tip that could save you hundreds of dollars. Or, a vendor at the trade show might show you one new product or give you a single idea that could save thousands.

But the best NOMMA Power is when you make professional contacts around the country. Need a job installed in another state? Call a NOMMA brother or sister.

And as your colleagues get to know you, they’ll send you referrals, or they may even subcontract a project to you, or the two of you may even partner on a job. Now, this is true POWER.

Get plugged in

The more you are involved with your trade association, the more
opportunities you have for gaining a “takeaway.” We are all extremely busy, but if you can get away for a Saturday chapter meeting or a NEF class, you are again exposing yourself to new people, and new ideas!

And best of all, if you attend the
national conference you are in the heart of a thriving organism full of ideas and energy. METALfab is like the core of the sun — bright and powerful.

My personal experience

I am a member of a society of association executives. When meetings are held, I often think of a dozen reasons why I can’t attend, but I make myself go. I always wonder when and where I will find my next “takeaway.” Will it be from a keynote speaker, a class presenter, or the person sitting next me? Sometimes I will share, and sometimes I will receive, but always I will gain.

At my last meeting, I didn’t think I was going to get my “takeaway,” but then, surprise, I ran into a colleague in the parking lot and we had a great conversation. Those takeaways are hiding at every corner, and I guarantee that if you join and get involved in NOMMA, you will find them.