Advocacy: How To Write an Effective Letter-to-the-Editor

There have been a number of "How To's" on this subject matter over the years.

I'm reminded of the days I managed grassroots campaigns for corporate 500 companies and national trade associations across the country and we followed some pretty simple but effective rules.

First and foremost, the legislator's name and how you want the legislator to vote on the specific issue you're addressing must be in the first paragraph without fail.

That’s key!

Those two things in the first paragraph will get the attention of their staff and in turn it will end up on his/her desk to read, if your letter is published.

Second paragraph should talk about the issue in detail.  This is a great time to state the facts and any other information you want out in the public domain.

Close with the action item - vote for or against a piece of legislation. Again, this is key!

It's also important to put your full name and full contact information on this communication.  That's what makes it legit and hopefully published from the papers point of view!  And don't be surprised if you receive a phone call from the paper before they publish your letter-to-the-editor.

Your goal is to get your legislator to support your position. Don't let them off the hook and with the typical "I'll keep your views in mind" should this legislation come up for a vote response, if and when they reach out to you in response to your letter.

Remember, in the grassroots business, you're in the business of influencing a legislator to vote a certain way.  Once you've secured that vote, you move on to the next legislator (most campaigns are targeting multiple legislators at the same time).  That's how the successful grassroots campaigns are run.

While these are basic suggestions, it will give you a better chance of getting that letter-to-the-editor published.

And isn't that your ultimate goal?

Good luck!

Determining What Technology Will Support your Chamber's Mission

It was stated in a technology session I attended the other day that we've had more technology in the last five years then in the previous 50 years.

I've been around long enough to know the difference between an "off the shelf" versus a "proprietary" version of an association management system.

I'm a fan of "off the shelf" as a solution.

Let me explain!

In my experience, the more you try to make your system a proprietary system, the more money you'll spend and the longer it will take to get the system up and running.  In addition, it will probably take longer to make future updates/changes.

Let's file this under the less is more way of thinking.

We all want a system that works all day, every day.  Think electricity!  You hit that switch and it works.

Isn't that what you want with your association management system?

Besides, technology is changing so fast, let your technology partner do the upgrades, based on their clients' feedback, from all sizes of chambers and then you can make the appropriate upgrades in a timely fashion.

Again, proprietary systems will need special programming (think more money, time delays).

It's nice to know that your technology partner will just automatically make the upgrades.

Think how Microsoft works on your computers.  Same philosophy applies, they're getting feedback from customers across the world and they send periodic updates automatically to your computer to optimize its function.

In my opinion, "off the shelf" is definitely the way to go!

For a great blog for ongoing information on database management please visit Wes Trochlil’s blog HERE.

Public Speaking 101: 3 Tips to Remember

There have been many articles and books written on public speaking from how to deliver a great speech to how to control your breathing.

Here are three things I think about before giving a presentation.

And by the way, these three are on multiple lists, just Google it!

• Knowledge
• Audience
• Delivery

Knowledge

It goes without saying that giving a speech about a subject matter you know well is a great confidence booster.  I would suggest you don't give a speech on a subject you know little or nothing about.  You must be credible.  Don't' fake it!

Audience

It's important to know the audience you're speaking to and how they identify themselves.  Speaking to a group of business people and talking about organizations or vice versus is a killer.

I also put the room set-up in the "audience" category.  It's important that you visit the venue where you will be speaking to get comfortable with the lighting, make sure your AV works and how you will project your message.

Delivery

Watch those nervous ticks!  I hate when a speaker says "um."  It's a pet peeve of mine.  Remember, silence is golden.  Don't rush your delivery and stay on message.

Open strong, tell a story and end with a powerful quote or fact to bring it all together.

If you keep these three things in mind the next time you're about to give a speech, you'll do great.

Just get out there and do it!

For two blogs on public speaking go HERE and HERE.

How to Keep Volunteers Engaged During Your Slow Season

Slow Season?  If your chamber is like most chambers, there is no slow season, right?

Yes, but, there are times throughout the year when the normal pace is slower than usual and this is a good time to remind your volunteers to stay engaged.

The key is to keep thinking ahead of the curve and use your volunteers to identify those emerging trends that the business community is going to be dealing with in the next three to five years.

Do you have an Emerging Trends Committee or Task Force?

You probably have a handle on what's happening today - that's being reactive to what is sent your way.

Use your volunteers to be pro-active by identifying the big issues that will need to be addressed, in your community, by the business sector.  Just to name a few:

• Economic development
• Transportation
• Technology
• Education
• The demographic shift of the workforce

If it's real work, they will enjoy the challenge!

For previous blog posts on volunteer management go HERE, HERE or HERE.

Decision-making 101: Why Practice Makes Perfect

I bet you're a lot wiser today then you were five or ten years ago in making decisions for your chamber.

Your decision-making process has probably evolved over the years.  That's called experience.

But as the title suggests, it's important to have a system in place that allows you to deliver the right decisions consistently.

That's where practice makes perfect.  It should become a natural process for you where you don't sweat the details.

We make decisions all day, every day, and having a process in place can keep you on track and moving forward.

Here’s my list of items I think about when making a decision:

• Gather all the facts
• Listen to different views
• Don't make any knee jerk decisions
• Communicate your decision clearly to all
• Don't be afraid to re-access and change your decision, if warranted

That's my formula.

Don't make it complicated.  And don't be afraid to share your decision-making process with your staff.  I suggest you'll get better intelligence from them the next time you need to make a decision on an issue if they know the process you go through in making decisions.

Do you have a formula?

For a great resource on decision-making from the folks at Mind Tools go HERE.

What You Need to Know Before Launching an Advocacy Program

It's serious business and yes you should be very active in supporting the business community before your elected officials.

The key is making sure you have a structure in place that can properly identify, review and decide on which issues your chamber members want you to get involved in.

It's imperative that you have a government affairs committee that can vet these issues and can make a recommendation to the full board.

The full board must vote on these recommendations and when supportive you need to communicate your position to your members, non-members and the community in general.

Remember, there will always be someone on the other side of your position. That's because we all listen to the same radio station WIIFM (What's In It For Me).  That goes with any issue in any community.

And that's why it's so important to have a transparent process on how your chamber decides on what issues to support, oppose or choose to not take a position.

You will also find that some issues you won't want to take up because it may be too controversial or you have members on both sides of that specific issue.

A proactive chamber advocacy program will garner a lot of attention from the press. Use it to further your cause and the publicity can be a great membership recruitment tool.

Start advocating now!

For past blog posts on advocacy for your chamber go HERE and HERE.

Fail Forward: Learn From Your Failures

I attended an educational session recently, on the title of this blog, conducted by Professor Rita McGrath, from Columbia University.

I found it fascinating!

There are many business books out there that talk about this concept.  In fact, the business community knows this concept all to well.

Statistically speaking, over 50% of small businesses fail each year (Small Business Association statistic).

The key is to learn from these failures and not make them again.  That's what a free enterprise system is built around.  Your small business members understand this concept.

Do you run your chamber like a small business?

Are you trying to be innovative, cutting edge for your membership and delivery value while at the same time learning from your successes and failures?

It's been said before, running a nonprofit (chamber) does not mean don't make a profit.

Be innovative and create value for your members.  Don't be afraid to fail. Learn from your mistakes and move forward.

For a copy of her book go HERE.

For a great resource on performance measurements from The Bridgespan Group go HERE.