Chambers of Commerce Need to Tell Their Story

Chambers of Commerce often struggle to effectively communicate their value and impact to their communities.

Telling their story is crucial for attracting new members, engaging existing ones, and building stronger relationships with stakeholders.
 
Here's why and how Chambers of Commerce need to tell their story:
 
Why Storytelling Matters:
 

Humanizes the Chamber: Stories connect with people on an emotional level, making the Chamber more relatable and less like a faceless organization.

 

Demonstrates Impact: Stories can showcase the tangible results of the Chamber's work, such as businesses thriving, jobs created, and community improvements.

 

Builds Trust and Credibility: Sharing authentic stories builds trust and credibility with members and the community, demonstrating the Chamber's commitment and effectiveness.

 

Creates Engagement: Compelling stories capture attention and encourage engagement, fostering a stronger sense of community and participation.

 

Differentiates the Chamber: In a crowded landscape, stories can help the Chamber stand out and communicate its unique value proposition.

 
How to Tell the Chamber's Story:
 

Identify Your Audience: Understand who you are trying to reach (businesses, residents, community leaders) and tailor your stories accordingly.

 

Focus on Impact: Share stories that demonstrate the positive impact of the Chamber's work on businesses, individuals, and the community.

 

Highlight Member Successes: Showcase stories of how Chamber membership has helped businesses grow, connect, and succeed.

 

Share Community Stories: Tell stories about how the Chamber has contributed to community development, improved quality of life, and addressed local challenges.

 

Use Multiple Channels: Utilize a variety of channels to share your stories, including website, social media, newsletters, videos, podcasts, and events.

 

Be Authentic and Relatable: Share genuine stories that resonate with your audience, highlighting both successes and challenges.

 

Encourage Member Participation: Invite members to share their stories and testimonials, creating a sense of community and shared success.

 

Use Visual Storytelling: Incorporate images, videos, and infographics to make your stories more engaging and memorable.

 

Measure and Evaluate: Track the reach and impact of your stories to understand what resonates with your audience and refine your storytelling strategy.

 
By effectively telling their story, Chambers of Commerce can strengthen their position as a vital resource for businesses and communities, driving economic growth and community development.

Communicating Your Chamber’s Value

I've written on this subject before and the following are tips from a breakout session I attended recently led by Shari Pash.

What is your messaging? What are you known for? What is your Brand?

Go HERE for a past blog post on that subject.

Are you known for advocacy, knowledge, community leader? Are you a connector?

That’s where you want to be.  Most people have come to the realization that you can’t just be a chamber that does events.  She even mentioned the following:

• Are you a chamber who does events?; or
• Are you an event company who has members?

I suggest you want to be in the business of advocacy and helping your members solve-problems.

What are your doing after a new member joins?  Don’t overwhelm them with everything in one email or mailing.  Do the Amazon approach.  Dribble marketing.  Think a 30, 60 and 90 day marketing plan to engage your new members.

Learn how to tell the story of your advocacy work because that’s a great reason for members to join who don’t come to your events.  That is something they will see as real value.

She spent some time on how to respond to the "I don’t have time to be a member" conversation we've all had over the years.  She offered up the following responses:

• Tell them how you highlight members on your website - maybe a job announcement, highlight a good story of the member;
• List things that you’ve done on their behalf (things you’ve done for the entire membership);
• Perks while you work (talk about the things you’re doing for them while they are running their business - attending council meetings, research, etc.).

Start communicating your value!

Podcasting: Is it Right For Your Chamber?

Do your homework first.  Find out what technology will be needed that you currently don’t have.  The good news is that the price point barrier in the past has come way down.

What is your goal of the podcast - is it another communication from the CEO?

The content should be consistent with your other communication vehicles (i.e. newsletters, website, white papers, etc.).

Decide on a frequency (once a week, once a month) and stick with it! Just like your blogs you need to build an audience and the best way to do that is by a consistent schedule and don’t forget to archive your podcasts.

Once you’ve decided on a frequency let’s think about how long they should be.  They need to be digestible.  For a resource on deciding what might be right for your chamber go HERE.

Questions to answer:

• Frequency - once a week or once a month?
• What kind of content do you want to cover?
• Advocacy?
• A new regulation?
• Highlight a new member?
• Is this the new ribbon cutting so many chambers are involved in?
• Who’s responsible?
• Who’s the voice?
• Does it change?
• Lecture or is it an interview with a member?
• How do you select the member without upsetting those who are not picked?
• Should you set-up criteria for selection?

Now let's talk about selling sponsorships to fund the podcast and the vendor/partner gets a commercial at the front end - sponsored by “you name the company.”  I suggest you only sell quarterly sponsorships and make sure you have a full years worth before launching.

Remember, you want people standing in line to sign-up!

This could be a great new revenue stream while also delivering real-time content in a timely manner.

For examples of chambers who are podcasting go HERE, HERE or HERE.

And finally, for a great resource to podcast right from your iPhone go HERE.

Good luck!

What Makes a Great Chamber Executive?

Much has been written on this subject matter over time.

For me, I'd like to focus on the following four areas I believe make a great chamber executive:

1. Leader;
2. Visionary; 
3. Communicator; and
4. Flexibility.

Leader - a leader in our field understands that the Board sets policy for the organization and the CEO's job is to implement that policy with his or her staff.

Visionary - a visionary is a person who is able to see how the organization will implement the policy set forth by the Board to maximize the resources available within the organization to benefit the members.

Communicator - if you can't communicate what you and your staff are doing on behalf of the members, you will always be playing catch-up. Keep your communications clear and consistent.  Tell your organizations story to your members and the community.

Flexibility - in your program of work not everything will go perfectly, if it did you wouldn't be challenged and you would become bored. Flexibility will allow you to meet your goals, even though it may be different then originally planned. 

I did a blog post earlier titled "Owners, Managers, Customers."  It's important that you understand this concept.

It's been stated many times before why most executives get fired?  They get on a different page than their Board, a Board member, or there is a financial issue.

Don't let that happen to you!

Communications: Set Your Chamber Apart

After being in the non-profit business for more than 20 years, if there's one thing that sets one chamber or association above the other is the way they are communicating their story.

I can't emphasize enough the importance of having a great communications team on your staff.

A consistent message on the activities of your chamber is critical to position you as the leader in the community.

You've all heard the phrase: "if a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it, does it make a noise?"

Well, the same is true for your chamber.  If you're not promoting what you're doing on behalf of your members they will not, nor will the community, have any idea the role your chamber is playing in the success of the community.

Remember, if it's true, it's not bragging!

Focus on what your chamber stands for (advocacy, economic development, community) and communicate that to your members and non-members alike through all of your communication vehicles.

Or as Tony Rubleski would say, use the COPE method – “create once publish everywhere!”

If that's not enough, how about Bill Graham's comment at a recent educational session I attended:

"Communication is not an activity, it's a result." It's about "what I leave in your head."

Everyone wants to be associated with a winner!  There are 7,000 chambers out there.  Don't you want to stand above the rest?

Communicate.  Communicate.  Communicate.

Communicate the winning programs of your chamber and how you're serving your members better than anyone else.

Something to think/talk about!

Service vs. Issue Based Chamber: Which Are You?

As you know, there are over 7,000 local, regional and state chambers of commerce in this country, and in many cases recruiting/engaging the same small businesses.

At the end of the day, "you've got to ask yourself a question" (pardon the line from Dirty Harry - but I couldn't resist).

What does your chamber want to be known for?  Are we relevant?  These are questions your board and members need to ask and decide for a plan of action. 

From my experience there are basically two types of chambers, those that deliver services and those that are advocacy based.

Are you in the services business for your members?  Things that include:

• Education programs (i.e., monthly luncheon, annual meeting)
• Leadership Program (yearly program)
• Networking (ribbon cuttings and after hour events)
• Etc.

Or are you in the advocacy business?  Things that include:

• Lobbying at the local, state or federal level
• Making candidate endorsements
• Distributing money through your Political Action Committee (PAC)
• Etc.

Your chamber needs to decide what you want to be and focus on that discipline.  And by the way, it's ok to do both at the same time if you have the resources.

From my standpoint, you should be in the advocacy business.  That way you will always be relevant as long as you play to win at the different levels of government on behalf of your members.

Services?  There are so many opportunities today to network and get programming through a host of organizations (other chambers, for profit companies, your members).  In addition, social media and a Google search on the Internet can help get your members what they want or need.  But that's not the same as you fighting on their behalf.  You have the access and the brand of the chamber.

That's why I believe it's imperative that you stand for something and that something should be the issues that affect your small business members at all levels of government (including the city council when appropriate).

Your members will support and thank you for your leadership in that space!

Who Are The Leaders in Your Community?

Are you new to your chamber job?

If you're not from the area, how should you go about identifying the leaders in your "new" community?

At the very least, the following exercise will give you a chance to identify who the community leaders are on your terms, not just from a sheet of paper someone at the chamber gave you in your CEO orientation packet.

Here's a place to start:

• Identify board members of the other local business and community groups;
• Identify business sectors and size (retail, manufacturing, health care, etc); and
• Finally, meet with the leaders of those sectors (i.e., hospital CEO, plant manager of the biggest manufacturing plant in town, etc.).

Once you've collected this information see where the lists overlap. That's a great place to start.

From that list, meet with them individually and ask them questions about the community.  Find out who is in their inner circle of friends by asking them if there is someone they know that you should meet.

Sound familiar, we have a circle of friends in the social media space.

This time meet face-to-face with these folks. You might find that some of these individuals are not current members of your new chamber.

Ask why?

Let them know you're the new leader of the chamber and invite them to join or rejoin.

For a previous blog post on a new chamber CEO's first hundred days go HERE.

Mobile: What’s Your Plan?

Are you in the mobile space?

Are you thinking about the mobile space for your chamber?

Let’s start with a couple of statistics (provided by ComServe and SoMobile 2013):

• 42% of phones in the U.S. are smartphones
• More than 110 million smartphone users in the U.S. and Europe access social networks and blogs on their phones

Now let’s add your website to the mix.  Now it’s important to note that you can’t just put your website on a mobile device.

Many chambers are using mobile apps through third party companies or their CMS (content management system).

All the research I’ve read makes the same statement.  Your mobile application must be user friendly.  Chris Brogan recently said "if there’s more than two items on the smartphone screen it’s too many."

I’m not sure I buy into that theory, but you need to really think about what your mobile presence looks like.

One thing is for sure.  Your mobile look cannot be your website on a smaller screen.

In the old days we talked about how your website cannot be your brochure.  I remember those days.  Do you?

We’re transitioning to mobile like we transitioned to websites 10 years ago. Something to think about!

For a list of resources on the mobile web click HERE and for a list of FAQ's click HERE.

Leader vs. Manager in Chamber Management

The official definition according to Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary:

• Leader - something that leads
• Manager - one that manages

I like to think of it as vision vs. tactics!

We need both leaders and managers to be successful organizations and our chambers are structured that way.

Do you have both?

This post isn’t about becoming one or the other. It’s about recognizing the difference and playing to the strengths of each.

Allow me to draw an analogy we are familiar with – The Strategic Plan.

Pull out your strategic plan. I bet it starts with your mission statement and a vision for what you want to be. But under that you have a objectives and tactics laid out in a bullet format to achieve that vision.

The leaders create the vision (your board), the managers execute the strategy and tactics (chamber staff).

In my 20+ years in the association management field, it’s critical to understand the difference for your chamber to be successful.

Once board and staff understands their role, the opportunities are endless!

Incubators: Are You Supporting Your Local Entrepreneurs?

Does your chamber have a program to allow folks with an idea to get it up and running from within your chamber?

A number of chambers across the country are providing such a venue or “incubator” for new business ideas to take hold.

What a great way to get new members.

By supporting these start-ups it will position you to potentially get a lifelong member.

As chambers, we should do everything possible to help the entrepreneurs in our communities bring their ideas to market.

Today’s start-up will be tomorrow’s job creators and your future community leaders!

In membership, we talk about the lifetime value of members and a great way to fill that pipeline of prospective members is with businesses that got started through your "incubator" program.

Here are four examples of incubator programs at local chambers of commerce:

• Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce
• Thurston County Chamber

Help get that new business started this year!

Are You a Connector?

As chamber executives we wear many hats!

We’re advocates for our small business members, we educate our members through our programming, and let’s not forget that networking thing we do. 

Being a connector is the business of today’s chamber executive.

We connect people for many different reasons.  We connect people to:

• Solve problems
• Generate business
• Create a better community
• Educate/influence our government officials

I wrote about it in a previous blog post HERE - the statement that your network is your net worth.  If you have a strong network, you’ll be a great connector. 

The more people in your network, the more people you can connect.  That’s the position you want to be in as a chamber executive. 

Position yourself as the go to person in the business community!

Social Media: Content Rules

The book Content Rules is a must read by any chamber who wants to start or raise their game when it comes to social media.

The book has many great suggestions but I wanted to focus on the frequency template that they describe.

The 1, 7, 30, 4, 2, 1 rule:

• 1 – daily tweets
• 7 – weekly blog post
• 30 – monthly blog post on a recent meeting
• 4 – quarterly research paper
• 2 – biannual webinar roundtable
• 1 – annual best practices, book, etc.

And don’t forget the title of the book, Content Rules. That's key!

Your social media should not be used as just another marketing tool. Use it to deliver content and encourage discussion on the important topics facing the business community, like growing their business, complying with regulations and electing pro-business candidates.

It’s been said before you can’t be all things to all people. The same is true with social media. You can’t be on all platforms and be successful!

Find out where your members are hanging out in the social media space and build a reputation in that space. It could be a blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google +, or some other platform.

It seems to me that every time I turn around a new tool is introduced in social media and is hyped as the next best thing.

Go where your members are and potential members are, don’t wait for them to come to you.

Content Rules!

For the latest articles in content marketing go to the Content Marketing Institute’s blog HERE.

SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats

A SWOT analysis is a very good way to periodically gauge whether your chamber is on the right path.

Done right, it’s a valuable tool that should be used during your strategic planning process.

• Strengths – what you do well, the best part of your programs.

• Weaknesses – what you don’t do well, areas where you can improve on your programs.

• Opportunities – where you can make incremental or wholesale improvements to your programs to increase member value and possible growth.

• Threats – what outside forces are having on the success or failure of your programs.

Hire a third party (current or former chamber executive you trust) to conduct a planning retreat for your board and then do the following:

• Conduct a SWOT analysis on each of your programs (i.e., annual meeting, monthly luncheon, afterhours networking and Leadership Program to name a few;
• Identify what you should keep doing and what you should stop doing;
• Prioritize what you have identified that you should keep doing;
• Assign the resources to be successful; and
• Create a review process (scorecard) to measure how you’re doing as you move forward.

Remember, a SWOT analysis is just one tool in a comprehensive review of your programs, albeit, a very important tool!

For tips on conducting a successful SWOT analysis go HERE.

Nominating Committees: Are You Part of The Process?

It’s imperative that as a chamber CEO you are fully engaged in the nominating process.

I’ve talked before about the partnership between a board and the chief staff executive.

Historically, there are two main reasons why a CEO is relieved of their duty. A financial issue or when one gets crossways with the board or a board member.

Playing an equal role in the nominating committee process gives you the opportunity to fill your board with members who are:

• Committed to the organization
• Support the mission
• Understand the relationship between the board and chief staff executive
• Allows the chief staff executive to implement the board’s policy without interference

Not being a full participant in the nominating process is something that needs to be addressed immediately.

Don’t you want to play a part in picking your next boss?

For an article by Leigh Wintz, CAE on a new model of nominating go HERE.

Social Media: Is It Just White Noise?

I ask this question every chance I can with chamber execs across the country.

And, I get the same three answers:

1. I don’t know;
2. The puzzled look on the face; and
3. Everybody is doing it, we need to be doing it.

Our members only have so much time in the day. They are trying to run a business.

Have you asked your membership if they want you to communicate with them via social media? Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogs, Ning and Twitter? Just to name a few.

For information on tools to conduct a needs assessment surveys go HERE.

Setting up and managing these social media sites can be a full-time job. In today’s economy, small staffs and possibly no expertise on the technology, what’s a chamber to do?

Solution/s?

Conduct a needs assessment of your membership and ask them what they want. If you’ve got a small staff with no expertise, get a college intern to set it up and teach you how to do it.

Social media is very user friendly and can be fun. The key is turning it into a moneymaking entity for your chamber.

There’s no question social media is making noise, I just don’t know if it’s white noise or noise that we all need to be aware of and pay special attention to by listening.

Get the facts, engage and embrace this technology accordingly!

Latest info on social media go HERE and HERE for two great websites I visit on a regular basis.

Delivering Value

In today’s economic times, it is more important then ever to deliver the core good to your members.

I’d like to refer to a book I read on the restaurant business recently. The author is Anthony Bourdain, his book is titled, Kitchen Confidential.

In the book the author suggests that we go to the same restaurant year after year after year and order the same meal for one simple reason, we know what we’re going to get and we love it! The restaurant is delivering a core good.

What is your core good?

As chamber leaders it’s important that we continue to push the envelop of innovation. Our members expect us to be cutting edge. It’s ok to fail. In fact, I know of one organization that has a line item in their budget for “new projects.”

Many chambers have incubators for entrepreneurs to get a start on their business idea. This is your little slush fund for you to be innovative for your members and potential members.

Having said all that, it is important to note that while you are allowed to try new things and fail, you must never stop delivery the core good that Mr. Bourdain talks about in his book. That’s why your members renew their membership.

Are you on the cutting edge while continuing to deliver your core good?

Scorecards: Do You Have One For Your Board of Directors?

Do you have a scorecard for your Board?

If not, you should.

We all know our Boards are supposed to be the biggest supporters of our organizations.

What better way to showcase that by creating a scorecard for your Board of Directors!

The scorecard should be prominently displayed at every Board Meeting. It should be in every Board book produced. Peer pressure is a wonderful thing. No one wants to be a slacker.

Yes, peer pressure works!

At the very least, the following items should be included in any scorecard:

• Board Terms
• Attendance Record for Board Meetings
• Membership Level (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, etc.)
• Number of Members Recruited
• PAC Contribution (if you have one)

These are just a few examples of what you might want to include in your scorecard. While some board members may push back, get the backing of your current chair, incoming chair and membership chair. Let them lead the charge.

Part of your annual “Board Orientation” should include the scorecard and set the expectation up front of their role as leaders of the organization. If all your board members are on the same page, you will have a stronger chamber.

Start that scorecard today!

For a sample scorecard go HERE.

Governance: Owners, Managers, and Customers

What a unique business we are in. Our members are our owners, our managers and our customers.

• Owners: That’s right, members own the organization. It belongs to the members, not the staff. That’s why they’re called membership organizations. Sometimes we forget that.

• Managers: Your volunteer structure ensures that the members are involved in managing the organization. Task Forces, Committees and ultimately the Board of Directors. The Board has fiduciary responsibility for the organization in setting policy and making sure the organization is financially stable.

• Customers: That’s right again! Who buys the Chamber’s products? Membership, monthly luncheon registrations, after hours networking events, sponsorships, annual meeting registrations, and the list goes on.

The key to successful organizations, in my opinion, is to have a strong working relationship with your Board of Directors. A level of trust must always be present. If you don’t have it, you have nothing.

As CEO, you were hired by the Board to implement the policies that were decided by the Board. Take that charge seriously.

That’s your responsibility!

The Relevance of Chamber's of Commerce

Are Chamber’s of Commerce relevant? Are some more relevant than others?

Are all your members important? Are some more important than others?

The answer is yes to both, some chambers are more relevant than others and some members are more important than other.

The key is to fine what your chamber stands for and focus on executing that mission.

I’m reminded of the Hedgehog Theory – by Jim Collins in his book “Good to Great.”

As you may know, the theory uses three circles to make his point. Using these three circles, indentify what you have passion for, what you are or could be the best at, and what do you make money on. Where those three circles come together is where you should focus your energies.

Just a quick look at the numbers of chambers across the country are mind boggling. Differentiating your chamber from the competition is critical to your continued growth and success.

What makes us relevant? Based on a Winston Study in 2001, the following were identified by members of chambers across the country.

• Networking opportunities
• Economic/community development
• Issue advocacy/lobbying
• Tourism/Community promotion
• Leadership training
• We help our members grow their business

It should be noted that what is relevant for one chamber could be completely different for another. That again lies the real question. What do we want to be known for? What is going to make us relevant? If you don’t know, it’s time for you to conduct a board retreat and find out.

What’s Driving Change in Membership?

There are internal and external forces that are forcing chambers to change the way they do business. The following are just an example of the issues facing chamber execs each year, and as you can see, many are out of our control.

Internal

• Budget cuts
• Staff cuts
• Doing more with less (doing away with or cutting back on services – 24 hours just became a 48 hour turnaround time – is that acceptable)

External

• Economy (your members have fewer dollars)
• Internet (free or pay as you go)
• Competition (bookstores, state & regional chambers, local chambers, our members)

It’s important to revisit your value prop on a regular basis. You know the equation, Benefits – costs = value. The challenge is to communicate that value effectively to your membership, non-members and community alike.

I subscribe to the philosophy that all businesses in your community are either members of the chamber or are going to be members of the chamber.

What's Your Brand?

That is the $64K question.

Has your brand changed over the years?

Building a brand is important, it’s built over time, and you need to review your brand every five to ten years if you want to stay relevant.

Which leads me to my next question.

As I visit with the chamber community across the country, I’m always asked the following four questions.

1. Are Chamber’s of Commerce Relevant?
2. Are some more relevant than others?
3. Are all your members important?
4. Are some more important than others?

As you might have guessed, the answer is yes to all four. But, let’s not fool ourselves, some chambers are more relevant than others, and some members are more important than others.

Based on the Winston Group study, a question was asked – “What makes chambers relevant?” The top 4 answers:

1. Networking opportunities (41%)
2. Economic/community development (37%)
3. Issue advocacy/lobbying (16%)
4. Tourism/Community promotion (15%)

That being said, I’m quick to point out a conversation I had with a chamber CEO last year who stated, “If you’ve met one chamber, you’ve met one chamber,” which leads me to my next question.

What is your Chambers Value Proposition?

You’ve seen the equation: Benefits – Costs = Value.

What is your Chamber’s Golden Handcuff? What do you provide that every member wants to be a part of. That’s your golden handcuff, and that’s a question only you can answer.

I’m reminded of two books I’ve read and wanted to share two concepts that I keep “top of mind.”

The first, is by Jim Collins. The book is Good to Great, and it talks about how organizations make the leap. Mr. Collins refers to a concept called the “Hedgehog Theory.” And, in a nutshell, it’s a business model for lines of business. Think of three circles:

1. What do you do better than anybody else?;
2. What do you have passion for?; and
3. What do you make money at?

The book suggests to focus on where the three meet.

The second book, Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain. Mr. Bourdain was the executive chef at Les Halles in New York.

He talks about why people go back to the same restaurant year, after year, after year for the same meal. I’m guilty. I went to Café Dalat, in Arlington, VA, for 15 years, and I order the same thing every time (without exception).

I’m so guilty, I go cross country to California and order the same meal at Lares, a Mexican restaurant, every year – that little tradition has been going on for 20 years.

Mr. Bourdain states that people order the same meal, from the same restaurant, because they know the quality of the meal will be the same every time.

I suggest the message to chamber leaders (volunteer and staff), is too never forget why your members join.

Your members will want you to innovate, push the envelope, create new products and services, but at the same time, you need to deliver the core goods that your members expect from your chamber.

As you look towards the future: show the value; communicate, communicate, communicate your brand; build partnerships/alliances; and never take a member for granted.