Why Associates are Key to Successful Membership Drives

Associate members represent all facets of the home building industry. They are the trade professionals and professional service providers from fields such as subcontracting, sales and marketing, financial services, product manufacturing and distribution, among other specialties. Comprising 68% of NAHB's 140,000 membership network, these members are experts at their craft and are continuing to make strides in membership efforts. According to the NAHB 2018 Member Census Report, Associate membership is up 3% — the first significant increase since 2008. The report showed that 22% of those members are female, which is the highest percentage of growth among that demographic since 2008 as well. This growing body of members could play a vital role in your next membership drive. Not only do Associates work with a variety of people in the industry and have large networks, but they are also great sales people. They know how to establish relationships, provide great customer service and keep people happy — all great qualities to have in a recruiter. In a recent Third Tuesday Townhall webinar, Membership Committee Chair Helmut Mundt spoke about what Associate members get out of participating in membership drives. "It’s a great way for them to market themselves if they are making cold calls. It’s sales training and helps them with sales experience," he says. Mundt also noted that Associates often get two jobs done at once. They are helping recruit new members to the HBA, while also converting a sale or making a customer for their own company. A big reason Associate members join is to grow their business, and using a drive as a platform is a major selling point. It not only helps bring in new members, but it also gets more volunteers involved in recruiting efforts. The larger and more diverse your group of recruiters is, the wider net your HBA casts. It’s important to have this level of input from across your association, and Associates are no exception. September is Associate Member Appreciation Month. Visit this page for more resources to help you celebrate all of our Associate members. Look for Associate Member Appreciation Month announcements on NAHB's social media channels with the hashtag #AMAM19, and be sure to use the tag in your social posts. For questions about Associate Member Appreciation Month, contact Julia Andretta at 800-368-5242 x8673. Thank you to Associates Premier Partner Sponsors Whirlpool Corporation, Dominion Energy, HBA Builders Risk Program and Louisiana Home Builders Association for your support.