Director’s Training“Road to Recovery”

Presentation by:Peter Byrne MSc Business Mgnt (Organisational Behaviour)

BSc, Dip Mkt, Dip Finance.

Chief Executive OfficerSouth Dublin Chamber

Session 2 : Seeking New & Innovative Ideas for Member Recruitment & Retention

4th April 2011London City Airport, Aviation House

Objectives of the Seminar

In this seminar we will: Assess the impact of the current economic conditions Assess your Chamber’s USPs (unique selling points) Look at how we recruit and retain members How can we use innovation in this area

Tour de Table

1 minute on your country’s Economic Environment

ReactiveOr

Proactive Response

by your Chamber

What Impact has your economy hadon your Chamber?

• Finance

• Strategy

• Staff

• Board/President/Executive

• Members

• External relationships e.g. Local Government

Exercise One

List your Chamber’s Unique Selling Points

Recruitment MaterialRecruitment MaterialNewsletters/Annual Report – BrochuresNewsletters/Annual Report – BrochuresWebsiteWebsiteSocial MediaSocial MediaPress/PRPress/PREventsEventsMember RecommendationMember Recommendation

Recruitment Tools

Integrate into on-going operationsIntegrate into on-going operationsUse existing staff and volunteersUse existing staff and volunteers

Launch Recruitment driveLaunch Recruitment drive- - Use existing staff and volunteersUse existing staff and volunteers- - Hire Recruitment Professional (full-time or on a contract-commission)Hire Recruitment Professional (full-time or on a contract-commission)- Executive loaned from a member company- Executive loaned from a member company

Recruitment Strategies

Recruitment Strategies

Variable Subscription RatesVariable Subscription Rates- - Corporate membersCorporate members- Full Members- Full Members- Associate members- Associate members

Phased Increase in Subscriptions - 2-3 yearsPhased Increase in Subscriptions - 2-3 years

Subscriptions based on Turnover (not number Subscriptions based on Turnover (not number of employees)of employees)

• Direct MailDirect Mail• New Member EveningNew Member Evening• ReferralsReferrals• Offer IncentivesOffer Incentives• Target InvitationsTarget Invitations• Advertising & Public RelationsAdvertising & Public Relations• WebsiteWebsite

Winning New Members – Making Contact

Winning New Members – The First Impression

•Response to application should be fast, personal & warmResponse to application should be fast, personal & warm

•New Members should receive an information packNew Members should receive an information pack

•Letter of welcome - identifying upcoming eventsLetter of welcome - identifying upcoming events

•Invitation to call to Chamber offices, meet staff, officersInvitation to call to Chamber offices, meet staff, officers

•Invitation to go and meet extender

Present your best recruitment idea

Exercise 2

•Chamber is relevant to their needsChamber is relevant to their needs

•Good service – good contactsGood service – good contacts

•Value for money – discount schemesValue for money – discount schemes

•Feel appreciatedFeel appreciated

•Feel involved in what is happeningFeel involved in what is happening

•Feel consulted about what is plannedFeel consulted about what is planned

•Feel Proud of Feel Proud of theirtheir Chamber Chamber

Why Do Members Stay?

7 Steps to Membership Retention7 Steps to Membership Retention

1.1. ProductProductClear Goals and Objectives and a Clear Goals and Objectives and a Programme of WorkProgramme of Work

2.2. CredibilityCredibilityDelivering the Programme of Delivering the Programme of WorkWork

3.3. CommunicationCommunicationAnnouncing benefits, celebrating Announcing benefits, celebrating successsuccess

7 Steps to Membership Retention7 Steps to Membership Retention

4.4. RelevanceRelevance Spending money on what members Spending money on what members see as importantsee as important

5.5. Staff AttitudesStaff Attitudes

6.6. Volunteer Leadership and CommitmentVolunteer Leadership and Commitment

7.7. Good Management PracticesGood Management Practices

Membership Records (MIS-CRM-Database)Membership Records (MIS-CRM-Database)

Record every contact with the member, phone, Record every contact with the member, phone, personal, letter, emailpersonal, letter, email

Record attendance at all eventsRecord attendance at all events

Identify members who have not been in contact Identify members who have not been in contact with the chamber for 6 months call them and say with the chamber for 6 months call them and say hello!hello!

Keeping Members - Information

Keeping Members - Appreciation

Thank membersThank members •for attending eventsfor attending events

•for sending in their subscriptionsfor sending in their subscriptions

•for giving their opinionsfor giving their opinions

•for replying to queriesfor replying to queries

•for giving their time to committeesfor giving their time to committees

•for supporting for supporting theirtheir Chamber Chamber

Keeping Members – Feel Good Factor

•Identifying with successIdentifying with success

•Chambers gets good media coverageChambers gets good media coverage

•Chamber projects a professional imageChamber projects a professional image

•Chamber runs efficient, well organised eventsChamber runs efficient, well organised events

•Chamber has important people at its functionsChamber has important people at its functions

Keeping Members – Involvement

•Consulted through regular surveys Consulted through regular surveys

•Involved in electronic response groupsInvolved in electronic response groups

•Involved in Committees Involved in Committees

•Met and spoken to by staff/officers at Chamber eventsMet and spoken to by staff/officers at Chamber events

Recruiting SMEs

Speak their language

Understand their needs

Focus your recruitment, make it sector specific

Retaining SMEs

Provide services/information/supports they need.

(Have you surveyed this group?)

Real and meaningful involvement

Places on your Governing Board

Good two way communication

Advice / Funding / Import / Export

Political lobby / Voice in the press

Exercise 3

Present your best recruitment idea

All Chamber activities involving members are

network opportunities

•Start with people with whom you are most comfortable•Develop relationships, find things in common•Keep a database of contacts, set goals and measure results•Act like a host, not like a guest•Be opportunistic: every interaction is a networking opportunity•Follow up regularly•Continuously build new relationship and maintain the ones you have•Pick referral sources that are useful to your business•Ask for feedback on your networking skills

Effective Networking

Exercise 4

Why are they members?Discuss

A Chamber’s role

•Provide opportunity and added value

•Be innovative

•Be strategic – ensure suitable groupings and develop appropriate partnerships

•Facilitate, stimulate, inspire, entertain

•Coach/mentor – provide training

•Be creative

•Find out what members want/need

•Provide a range of events – something for everyone

•Sell the benefits of each event clearly

•Get member feedback on the success of the events

Chamber’s role contd

What is innovation?

Innovation in Recruiting

Innovation in Retention

Innovation in selling your Chamber

Today we have looked at the furtherdevelopment of our retention and recruitment,

building on knowledge and experiences ofothers and trusting our own judgement

Presentation by:Peter Byrne MSc Business Mgnt (Organisational

Behaviour)

BSc, Dip Mkt, Dip Finance.

Chief Executive OfficerSouth Dublin Chamber Email:peter@sdchamber.ie

Thank you for your attention…..