Transparency

In today’s world being transparent is expected.

Don’t hide behind closed door sessions, private meetings, and this goes for staff and volunteers too.

If everybody can see the big picture, everybody should be able to support the organization and its mission.

This is especially true when something goes wrong (i.e., a program or event loses money) or certain members aren’t paying what they should.

Can we all say scorecards?  See previous post on scorecards HERE.

Transparency is about filling out a plan on what the chambers challenges and opportunities are and setting a proper course of action to deliver value to your members.

Remember, your members are business people and make business decisions every day.

If a program is not working, being a transparent organization is a great way of shining a light on that loser, or sacred cow, and kick-it to the curb.

Past post on sacred cows can be found HERE.

Be transparent, your chamber will be better off for it!

Succession Planning

As a chamber CEO it’s probably not on your radar screen to think about what the chamber would look like after you leave.

Some chamber execs stay a couple of years and some stay well over 20 years.

In either scenario you should have a succession plan in place for your chamber.  This is good for you and the organization.

I will take it a step further and say you should have a plan for each critical position at your chamber.  When coming up with a plan, it’s important you at least cover the basics.

The plan should at least include:

• A press release announcing a transition;
• A timeline for the selection process;
• A job description for the open CEO position; and
• A communications plan to keep your members informed on the process.

It’s important to be transparent in the process.  The other important thing is don’t make any knee jerk decisions.

You have the time to review your program of work and clearly identify the direction your organization should take.

There are many reasons why CEO’s leave:

• New job
• Retirement
• Contract not renewed

No matter the reason, your chamber needs to have a game plan to move forward.

The chamber will be around a lot longer then you or I. Do what’s best for the organization.

Formalize a succession plan today!

For more resources on succession planning by the Annie E. Casey Foundation go HERE.

3 Elements of an Effective Blog Post

I recently attended a social media breakout session that focused on three key elements of writing an effective blog post.

And boy did I get some great ideas!

While there may be other elements to think about, they suggested that if you focus on these three, you’ll be well on your way to that next great blog post!

So when it's time to write your next blog post think of these three elements to capture your audience:

1. Title
2. Images
3. Content

Title

Title matters and it’s important to focus on its length, is it compelling and does it tell a consistent story?

• Length –Keep it short, no more than 8 words or less.
• Compelling – Know your audience and create a title that makes the audience want to click/read the blog.
• Telling – Article should follow the title and must be relevant.  The title should tell people what they are going to get if they read the article.

Images

Images are a key part of your blog post, and the image needs to be engaging, relevant, and shareable.

• Engaging – Show action.  Charts and graphs are not always good. The image must add to the story.
• Relevant – Don’t mislead readers with your image and title.
• Shareable – Will your friends and colleagues share your post to their networks? That’s where you get your bang for your buck – think viral.

Content

Content is key, I’ve said it before in a blog post HERE.  Focus on your audience, the length and flow of your blog post.

• Audience – Know your audience and content.  Make it targeted.
• Length – 90 seconds is all your audience will spend on a blog post. Keep your message short and tight.
• Readable – Don’t use acronyms, however, mini titles can be effective throughout a blog post and the use of links can be effective too, both internally or external.

I hope some of the tips mentioned above help you write that next great blog post.

At least it gives you something to think about the next time you put pen to paper or should I say fingers to keyboard!

For more information on how to write a great blog visit the folks at problogger HERE.  For a great resource on how to grow your blog go HERE.

Social Media Redux

If you haven’t had a chance to read my previous post on social media Is it Just White Noise you should give it a quick read.

As stated before, it’s making noise.  We all need to continue to pay attention to what your members want and the channels they're using to communicate.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s the fact that tomorrow will bring a new gadget, app, social media trinket with shining stars for you to engage in and potentially use as your new shiny tool to attract members.

I find myself chasing the elusive “next best thing” from time to time.  At the end of the day, you could probably keep up with all the different social media tools out there (i.e., Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Ning/proprietary site, Wiki’s, blog, etc.), but you’d be exhausted and I’m not sure all your members are on all of these platforms.

My advice, pick the two or three that make the most sense for your chamber and focus on tying them together and communicate a succinct message while maintaining a consistent brand.

Communicate that brand using all communication vehicles you’re used to working with (i.e., website, newsletter, magazine) and add the two or three social media tools you’ve decided to focus your resources on to communicate with your members.

Social media is just one more avenue we can use to communicate effectively with our members.

Let’s not make it the only way we’re communicating with our members!

For additional resources on social media go HERE, HERE and HERE.

Do You Have a Membership Renewal Sales Plan?

Or do you just send that auto invoice and hope for the best?

Use this renewal process as an opportunity to further engage your member.

Most chambers I know have the customary 90, 60 or 30-day auto-invoice.

Do you call your members 120 days out to give them an update on the chamber’s accomplishments and how their dues contributed to that success?

Maybe this is the time to ask for an increase in their support of the organization!  If you give them a reason they just might do it.

BTW, who makes that call?  Here’s a great opportunity for your membership committee volunteers to do some real work.  Create a script for them.  Keep it simple.  Communicate what the chamber has done over the past year:

• Thank them for being a member;
• List three accomplishments on behalf of the business community; and
• Tell them why their financial support is so important.

…and then finish with “The Ask.”

Get a commitment for an upgrade to the next level of membership support and get that updated invoice in the mail.

For more information on membership retention visit ACCE’s website HERE.

What's Your Most Effective New Member Recruitment Channel?

If you’ve been in this business any length of time, I’m sure you’ve tried them all:

• Direct mail
• Member-get-a-member campaigns
• Personal visits
• Phone call campaigns
• Chamber sponsored events
• Email
• Social media

The first thing that you need to do is apply some metrics to your results. It’s important to segment your audience and stay focused, and set a frequency (number of times a year you’re going to communicate/pitch) that prospective member, which ever vehicle you to choose to communicate.

In my experience, the first four bullets represent the methods that most chambers historically have used in recruiting new members.

It’s important to find out what works best for you and your chamber.

Measure your efforts!

For more information on membership recruitment visit the Marketing General Inc. website HERE.

The New Chamber CEO

There have been many articles and blog posts on a new chamber CEO’s first 100 days. 

Some chambers may have a formal onboarding program for the new CEO with an official plan of action for the new chief staff over their first 100 days.

If they don’t, and knowing while there’s no one list that fits all, here’s a few suggestions that should help you get started in creating your to-do-list when you start that new job.

• Meet with every board member in their office;
• Review staff resumes and job descriptions;
• Meet with each staff person individually and as a group;
• Ask specific questions and listen to everybody;
• Don’t make any changes overnight; and
• Communicate your vision to all (staff, volunteers and the community).

Remember, you’ve heard the saying, if you’ve met one chamber, you’ve met one chamber.  Tailor the above suggestions to the needs of your specific opportunity.

Create your list today for your next opportunity.

Good luck!

For additional resources go HERE and HERE.