CHECK YOUR REFERENCES!

That’s the best advice, other than “buyer beware,” anyone can give to the purchaser of a major product, service, or event. That’s what a membership campaign is, a major purchase! Don’t believe everything the seller says about his service or, even more importantly, about his competition’s service.

I recently pulled up a couple of web sites to see what’s what, who’s who, and what who has to say about whomever. One gave out a number of statistics that made you think they never had a failed membership drive. Another gave out information intimating how badly others ran their companies compared to them, which made you look like incompetent decision makers if you chose to work with anybody else but them. One of them even put in bogus comparisons grouping all the competition together to make their own group look like supermen vs wimps. They all referenced their winning drives. Not one mentioned the failures.

That’s why we give you a list of current references and offer to give you the complete list which includes the good and the bad. We are including in our web site  the complete list of Chambers that we have worked with….. the winning campaigns and the losing ones. Check out www.chamberconnect.com.

We encourage you to talk to your peers and ask questions like…

Did they do what they promised?

Do they promise only what they can do?

Were the volunteers happy?

Would the volunteers do it again?

Was the campaign successful? Why?

Was the campaign a mistake? Why?

Were they honest with you?

Did they settle up the monies per agreed terms?

Would you ask them back?

You wouldn’t hire a janitor without a complete check of references, would you?

Then why would you hire a membership campaign company without a complete check of their work ethics and philosophies? Call us! 800/678-6241

 

 

RETENTION DEPT: Surveys. One of the best ways to keep your retention numbers up is to know what  your members’ hot buttons are. The best way to find out is through surveys. Not a survey that asks you to respond with a simple yes or no, but one that makes you prioritize.

Recently the Dodge City, Kansas Chamber sent out surveys to all its members asking their opinions on items of importance to them and to the business community. The survey listed the various projects and committees the Chamber leaders and the Chamber membership were involved with. The survey asked the members to rate them as high priority, Moderate, or low priority items. This section covered issues on leadership, education, workforce training, transportation, seminars, networking opportunities, and government (local, state and national) issues.

The survey asked the members to rank the perception of the chamber in a number of categories and whether or not the Chamber was doing a good job publishing the monthly newsletter.

Then it asked the members to list their thoughts on how the Chamber can do a better job for the benefit of all and finally asked the members how they would rate the Chamber today.

The entire survey consisted of a cover letter from the Chairman of the Board, the survey on two sides of one piece of paper, and a self addressed return envelope. Simple, yet effective.

To get a copy, contact Cindy Malek, EVP of the Dodge City Area Chamber of Commerce at 620/227-3119 (fax 620/227-2957).

 

 

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE, IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,  NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,  JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS, A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,  ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE, CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR  IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER, NOT HOW I PICTURED A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ? CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES  THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,  THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY, AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR  BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,  LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY ALONE, ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE;  I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE, "SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;  I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE, MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP, I COULDN'T CONTROL IT;  I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS SO SILENT AND STILL, AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD DARK, NIGHT, THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE, WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I kNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."
(Ed. Note: All too often we take our military, our police, and our firefighters for granted. This adaptation was sent to me by David Allen of the Rio Grange Valley CofC with a request to pass it on. Thank you, David; it’s our pleasure!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

GUEST EDITORIAL DEPT: Would You Repeat Your Number Please?……….Slowly This Time!

Seems like the older I get, the faster other people talk.  One of my pet peeves is people that leave voice mail messages with a call back phone number recorded at a machine gun pace.  Numerous times I find myself having to listen to a voice message 5 or 6 times until I capture the phone number - if I ever do.

Besides the person that leaves his phone number at a rapid fire “machine gun” pace on my voice mail, there are other annoying deviations.  One is the person that leaves his number and gives you the area code last or doesn’t give the area code at all. It’s up to me to figure it out!  Or the person that has created a new cadence for giving out his phone number, like two numbers at a time, such as 31-05-76-12-34.  This method will drive a sane person crazy in no time at all.

I have always been a big believer that everyone in the chamber office should be instructed how to answer phones and leave messages in the same manner.  If leaving a message, I would advise that the person:

·         state his name,

·         what chamber he is with,

·         then slowly give your return phone number (pretend you are writing it with your finger in mid-air as you record it),

·         your message/question,

·         a good time to return your call,

·         and then repeat your phone number again - slowly,

·         and don’t forget to say thanks.

That’s my opinion, I welcome yours.  Call and leave me a voice mail message at 916-930-1241.

(In this case, the opinions of the writer ARE endorsed by this editor. Thanks again to guest contributor Steve Snyder, Field Director of the California Chamber of Commerce and former President of the Tempe, Arizona Chamber of Commerce.)

 

CHAMBER ATMOSPHERE DEPT: : How would you like to run your Chamber from the imposing edifice shown above? The La Grange, Texas (home of the storied Chicken Ranch) Chamber of Commerce has this “pleasure.” This was the jail where the Burt Reynolds character kept the drunks and the bad guys. It was the last working community jail in Texas into the 80’s when it closed and sat empty for a number of years before the Chamber renovated it and took it over. They didn’t have to do much to the place. It is as solid as a jail! They added central air and heat, a new coat of interior paint, removed all but one of the cells (for show), put together an exhibit of jail memorabilia, and, of course, added indoor plumbing, including a washroom!

Executive Director Margo Johnson and her staff have run into only one problem since moving in: the jail is HAUNTED!

It is not just the bumps and sounds of the night. Desk drawers open and close on their own.

Pictures move from one area to another. Employees feel a tap on the shoulder, and no one is there. Because of this, Exec Margo discourages employees from working at night at the Chamber by themselves. They must be accompanied by someone working on the same floor.

When the original guest gets a little too active and disruptive, Margo will hold a family meeting. Just she and the original family members of the jail attend. Margo, in a calm and friendly voice, lets them know they are getting out of hand and requests them to cool it. She repeats that no-one in the present world means them harm, and that they should respect the current use of the jail by the Chamber.

It works….. for a while.

Jimmy and I worked with Margo and her wonderful volunteers on a small membership event in October. La Grange has less than 5000 population, in a rural area of south Texas. A number of family companies from San Antonio and Austin that want to get out of the hustle, bustle, and expense of the bigger cities and raise their kids in quieter and safer atmosphere are moving to La Grange. It was time for the La Grange Chamber to grow also. Not every event can be a 200 to 300 gain, and this one wasn’t. Only 88 new members this time, but the noise and the fun was the same as the bigger ones. The volunteers were terrific, as was the Chamber staff.

But neither Jimmy nor I would stay there to work at night!

MALE VS FEMALE DEPT: The Washington Post postulated that English should have male and female nouns, and readers were asked to assign a gender to nouns of their choice and explain their reasons. These were the best submissions:

SWISS ARMY KNIFE— male, because even though it appears useful for a wide

variety of work, it spends most of its time just opening bottles.

KIDNEYS— female, because they always go to the bathroom in pairs.

PENLIGHT— male, because it can be turned on very easily but isn't very bright.

TIRE— male, because it goes bald and often is over-inflated.

HOT AIR BALLOON— male, because to get it to go anywhere you have to light a fire under it...and, of course, there's the hot air part.

SPONGES— female, because they are soft and squeezable and retain water.

WEB PAGE— female, because it is always getting hit on.

  COPIER— female, because....once turned off, it takes a while to warm up. Because it is an effective reproductive device when the right buttons are pushed and because it can wreak havoc when the wrong buttons are pushed.

ZIPLOC BAGS— male, because they hold everything in, but you can always see right through them.

SUBWAY— male, because it uses the same old lines to pick people up.

HOURGLASS— female, because over time the weight shifts to the bottom.

 

As we head into another holiday season and another year, the three of us have three wishes for all of you. Have a joyful holiday season, have a prosperous new year, and may you and yours share laughter and fun now, next year, and for many years to come.

 

 We have made some changes. 

  Please note our;

 

  New fax number…..

 817/492-0785.

 

  New Email address…...

  info@chamberconnect .com

 

  Updated web site……..

  www.chamberconnect.com