A Vendor’s Perspective on the Value and Benefits of BOMA San Diego

 
You can read the benefits list, you don’t have to read this. 

BOMA San Diego offers an impressive menu of Member Benefits as clearly defined on the website. There are benefits intended for Principal Members and benefits intended for Associate Members. I am an Associate Member. 

Let’s talk about some of the benefits not listed on the website for Associate Members, and the secret handshake you need to know in order to receive those benefits!



The number one benefit not listed for Associate Members is relationships. Why not? Because of the secret handshake! BOMA cannot promise you relationships if you won’t learn and practice the secret handshake. It’s that simple. The secret handshake is a handshake that takes place by reaching out with your mind, your heart and your actions, in addition to reaching out with your hand. 

Example: You have to attend events in order to benefit from the events listed on the website. If you don’t go, you don’t receive the listed benefit which is networking with other industry leaders. Yes, when you show up at events, you become a leader. That is the second benefit not listed on the website; free leadership training.

If you do attend events listed on the website, and you exercise your passion for the professions represented by BOMA while at these events, that is when you become engaged in BOMA; that is when you become a part of the group. That is when your mind, heart and actions have joined together like hands clasping in a handshake; one comfortably squeezing the other firmly in a positive, reinforcing grasp, forming the handshake of a leader.

When you join a committee, you are reaching out your hand. When you show up at a committee meeting or contribute a portion of yourself (time, effort or brainpower), you are shaking hands with the rest of the group in a leadership role. It’s not really a secret, but it’s not mentioned on the website, and the secret handshake is very important. 

I have been a BOMA Associate Member for less than one year. I can already list relationships from my BOMA membership that I know will last the rest of my career. New clients, new vendors, new opportunities---worth much, much more than the price of membership---have all made their way into the contacts in my iPhone in much less than a year. I am not special. I just use the secret handshake.