Membership Memo: Benefits of Branding, Networking

By: Peter Dority

I was really impressed with the content of the speakers at the PCI annual meeting this past summer. Attending functions such as this and being active around the country in technical conferences, training sessions, local chapters, and the social activities is a huge commitment of time, money and resources for a company.

So why do we budget the time and money year after year for these industry events?

I believe that the speaker David Avrin really hit the nail on the head with his presentation and his two marketing books, “It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You!” and “Visibility Marketing.”

Being visible at these events as an active participant and providing a consistent message of your company’s capabilities is the right reason to attend. I am confident that this builds a brand and drives new business, though it may be hard to measure. I am also confident that this participation is noticed within the industry and that being recognized and known in this manner helps with your branding.

Networking with others in the industry and learning of their capabilities also helps you with knowledge of the industry. Our industry is an aging industry and many people tend to stay in this industry for many years. This has given me the opportunity for many of these relationships over the years to turn into even more than professional relationships. I have many lifelong friends in our industry and am thankful for it every day.

So get involved. Be visible, be active, and be consistent!

Peter Dority is vice president, sales and marketing, at Coral Chemical Company. He can be reached at 847-246-6666 or via email at pdority@coral.com.