Sacramento, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/30/2005 -- Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro, attracts clients to his unique business by volunteering in professional and trade associations. Rick explains that every sales professional and business owner should join a business networking group as a means to build relationships and find referral sources.

Increasing your client base isn’t always easy. Marketers will tell you that you need to know who your clients are before you can market to them, but how is this done? Have you profiled your ideal client yet? What industry is your client in? What do they buy? Where do they hang out? All these questions can seem very elusive when you just don’t know where to start. One place to start is you! Where do you like to hang out and what are your interests? Volunteering can be a great way to meet your ideal client.

The five key tips to gaining clients by volunteering are:

1. Volunteer with passion! Volunteer with an organization that you really enjoy. Other people see your enthusiasm and want to be near you.
2. Volunteer in a role that speaks to you! Find a role that will showcase your talents. Others will see you as an expert.
3. Establish rapport and build trust. Follow through on your commitments and touch base on a regular basis.
4. Increase your visibility. It takes most people about seven interactions before they will recognize you and know what you do. The more they see you, the more they will become familiar with you. They will also be more likely to promote you to friends and family.
5. Ask for referrals. Business networking groups are ideally suited to giving and receiving referrals and usually have processes that help reinforce this behavior.

The Arden Lunch Chapter of TNI, The Network just recently elected Rick Cooper to be their new President for 2006. Rick is very excited about this role. As President, he will have an opportunity to showcase his talents as a speaker and his expertise in PDA Contact Management.

Overall, volunteering is a great way to give back to your community along with gaining more clients. People want to do business with someone they trust.

Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro, is your PDA Coach for productivity anytime, anywhere. He is a national speaker on PDA Contact Management. He specializes in helping sales professionals increase their productivity and improve their contact management skills. For more information, visit his website at www.thepdapro.com or call (800) 677-6708.