CHRISTIANSBURG – The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is launching a new program to assist its business members.
The program is called CASE, which stands for Chamber Accelerates Sales Executives, and is a response to addressing “the needs of the members for smaller and more personalized networking opportunities,” according to Chamber officials.
Alan Fabian, 2019 board chair, announced the final details of the program at the February Chamber Board Meeting.
“The first CASE group will be championed by Chris Cook, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Townside and Scottie Wyatt, owner of Carper Insurance,” Fabian said. “We have been looking for the right combination of leaders to launch this initiative.”
The foundation of the program is to “enhance the Chamber’s mission of referring and growing the businesses within the Chamber,” according to information released by the Chamber. This will be done through the development of leads and contacts to generate sales for member businesses.
“We are anxious to build this first group under the auspices of the Chamber,” Cook said. “We considered going out on our own, but the Chamber added the credibility to our group. While we had initial bylaws, the Chamber has helped streamline those to an easy format that encourages support of the membership. It aligns with the buy local initiative that will be launched later in the second quarter.”
The CASE objectives are:
Promote and provide an affordable means for members to exchange business leads and information.
Encourage the expansion and growth of member businesses.
Create awareness and keep members informed of potential business opportunities.
Encourage cooperation among Chamber members.
“The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce works to enhance the value of membership annually,” state Chamber officials. “This one initiative can immediately provide a return on investment of $1 to 2 due to the lower dues rate and the average local sale on services and products.”
“Sales in a small community has its own set of challenges, and this opportunity allows us to bring motivated sales professionals together to improve our sales skills and know more about our fellow members in a more intimate group environment,” Wyatt said. “These goals will build stronger relationships.”
The Chamber will launch three CASE groups during 2019. CASE 1 will launch immediately with up to 30 chamber members eligible for joining. CASE 1 meets at the Chamber office weekly on Tuesday mornings at 8 a.m. CASE 2 will launch in April.
The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce serves Blacksburg, Christiansburg and businesses in all of Montgomery County. The MCCC supports approximately 650 local businesses through advocacy, education, marketing and networking opportunities. The Chamber is not a government organization. For more information on CASE or the Chamber of Commerce, visit the chamber website at www.montgomerycc.org, Facebook page or call The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce at 540.382.3020.
