Your membership in FMCC includes a number of benefits by Stephen Brown

Friday, March 29th, 2019

In the first instance, there is the positive aspect of alliance with IFMA the ultimate professional Facility Management organization. The FM Consultants Council applies focus to our respective commitments to providing services and support to Clients.

Within FMCC there are indeed some larger consulting organizations represented in the membership roster, but many members also represent smaller scale organizations with more defined or precise areas of expertise, or regional involvements. Regardless the size of the organization or whether the scopes of services are broad or narrow, we can all benefit from marketing and increasing awareness of our respective brands.

The FMCC Board has adopted that one of the ‘Three Pillars of Service’ relates to business opportunities. The networking among the +250 members is a chance for members to share – to make others aware what services we can offer and for us to learn about the services available from the other organizations.

If your legacy client needs support in Belgium but your office is in Istanbul, you may not have the capacity to meet their request. However, when you are more intimately aware of other FMCC members, there is option that you can refer the client to another organization who is capable to fulfill the requirement. In this fashion, you become the resource and history shows that the majority of clients will remember that you had ‘the answer’ and that often leads to future business contacts.

The issue with referrals…

There is a natural hesitance to make a referral unless you have personal awareness of the party you are recommending. After all, you are exposing your brand and reputation and these should never be compromised.

This is where you can realize another key benefit from FMCC involvements. Again I will cite the over-arching membership in IFMA. As a well-respected organization, this lends huge credibility in itself. Further, the membership in FMCC adds to the credibility and also provides you a means to connect with the other party – especially when you are an active participant and contributor. You have to get in the game and be part of the team in order to make a play.

“You cannot create experience. You must undergo it.”
Albert Camus (1913-1960) French writer, Nobel Prize winner

If you join FMCC – or any professional organization, without becoming an active member, you are not gaining full benefit of your investment! Recall that FMCC is engaged with podcasts, blogs, webinars, white papers, and more! Obviously, you will gain knowledge if you simply read and listen to the FMCC outputs. But I see that as a personal loss! If you take that route, the other members (including me) will not gain from your knowledge or experiences. Every one of us has varied backgrounds, diversity in education and experiences, and the awareness brought from the positions held, countries worked in, and the consultancy delivered. If we share our knowledge, we can find similarities and differences that have brought us to where we are today. If we both become more aware of the strategies, the solutions applied, technology applications, and other management skill sets, there evolves a new and enhanced opportunity to serve our clients.

Given that FMCC has approximately 250 members in more than 30 countries, it is very likely that there are others who deliver services very close to that of your organization. Reach out! FMCC has a resource that you should try. It is a searchable directory of the member consultants.

Take a few minutes to become familiar with it to avail a new tool for networking. Perhaps you are interested in alliance of similar strengths for a larger project. Perhaps you need an ally to bring alternate skills or experiences. This directory is the first place to check to identify options.

Identify five persons and initiate contact. If they have read this article, they will appreciate why you are reaching out. Make a point to promote attending IFMA World Workplace or Facility Fusion and set a time to have a coffee or share a table for a meal while you are there.

Be featured…become known…

Another way to make some contacts is to be featured in the blog from Membership Coordination Office. The goal is to include a new member and an existing member each month. Again, the idea is to expand our awareness of each other. Make your brand be known to the other members. Let us know who you are, where you are located, and what services/support are offered.

In last month’s FMCC Membership Coordination Office communiqué, there was mention about an ‘information page’ that would be distributed. If you are a recent addition to the FM Consultants Council, you may not have received it, but no worries – you are learning of the program now…

Whilst originally envisioned to be like a survey from which an article would be compiled, the strategy is amended because no one knows you as well as you do!

The call for an information page was to spotlight two focal segments of the Council membership; the ‘new members’ and ‘existing members reminded for renewal’. In this program, each member will be invited and gain opportunity to submit over the course of a year. This option can highlight your office/organization and is a new means to expand your network of contacts.

To be featured in a monthly communication adds a new dimension for Networking and for promoting specialist skills or services. These actions can lead directly to Business Opportunities. Thus, two of the three pillars are represented!

What to do…

We’re all aware of the ‘elevator speech’ – that one minute (+/-) summary used to quickly and simply define your position, service or organization, and how you can deliver value to clients.

So, here’s the request…

Compose a 200-225 word ‘release’ that documents your ‘Elevator speech’

The release can include some of your bio and/or it can focus on your services – however you want to make use the content to introduce yourself to other FM Consulting professionals.

Also consider there is dual benefit from this exercise…

If you haven’t previously organized this elevator pitch, you’ll now have one for those fortuitous times when you have fleeting access to a potential client.
If you already have the pitch in memory, you can polish it as you document it to be shared with an expanding network of professionals.

FMCC Author:
Stephen Brown, CFM, FMP, SFP, CPE, CBCP, CESCO, REM
FM-adviso, Ltd.