Never Forget - We’re All in Sales

We are all in sales.

If sales is the process of establishing credibility and rapport in order to further a relationship, don’t we all do that? CEO, communications director, attorney, paper delivery person? Every communicator in your association is charged with getting a member to do something. So it’s fair to say we are all in sales.

No one ever makes a sale just giving the facts.

• First the buyer (the member) has be aware of you and what you do to bring something different to their business. Knowing what the members needs or wants is crucial. (Target your audience.)
• Link how your offering (service, tools, information) will help the member do something better determines if they will consider you to help them (this is called the benefit exchange).
• Be clear on what you want them to do (your solution). The term Always Be Closing, or the ABC's of selling means giving the member options to respond to your call to action. Anything from a place (or person) to get more information, to registering right there.

Sales: the process of establishing credibility and rapport in order to further a relationship, Look at your work from a sales perspective, and change the way you present your communications. This approach helps you step into your member’s shoes to craft key messages to help solve their problem, versus promoting the association's best features.

Never Forget - We’re All in Sales

Strategic Planning’s Link to Communications

Association Executives spend this time of year planning to do strategic planning. Yes, we all plan to plan.

To be honest, during the past 25 years I wondered the practical purpose of a mission statement, a vision, and a strategic plan. I pretended I “got it” each time I went through the process during my years in corporate America - but it was more of an exercise than a part of the operational plan.

The mission didn’t really guide our daily actions, even though the statement was framed and hung on the wall. Most of the time, the head of the organization didn’t talk about it; nor could the managers reiterate the mantra. I don’t think it guided their daily actions.

A vision was misinterpreted for the mission, and didn’t inspire anyone.  Rarely did we talk about it, or use it for any communications about long term goals and directives.

Strategic planning was a required activity, but no one referred to it. Until the end of any given year when it was time to do it again. We were focused on today and tomorrow. Plans were all short term, in hopes we would hit our annual goals.

Truth be told I pondered this question for years; does it all really fit together? And what does it have to do with communications? I have resolved that communications is a critical part of all three of these concepts.

Communicating the mission and vision is the foundation of any organization’s work. The strategic plan doesn’t get done without communication of the big goals, the progress, and the work that needs to be done today. For an association:

• Strategic goals translate into annual goals.
• Annual goals are the basis of marketing goals.
• Marketing goals guide the planning for how you will get members to do what you want them to do, by communicating in a language they will respond to.

I wish I knew who to give credit for this saying. I know I didn’t invent it. But I adopted it many years ago:

Most of the time, we don’t see the world as it is; we see the world as WE are.

Thanks to whomever coined this phrase. It works for associations and it works in life.

It takes a clear set of eyes to get an association’s real work on track, and remind the leaders what they already know: members don’t know as much, care as much or want as much as those who volunteer for and run the business. That's why it's an art to developing a strategic plan to reinforce your promise to members so that you’ll get more of their attention.

Association Executives tell me communicating value is one challenge they never finally overcome. It may be the reason your communicators give members the facts and think that’s enough. So think again. See the world as your member sees it, let them know your vision and how you plan to get there. If you do, you’ll take the first step to connecting your strategic plan, your mission, and your vision to your daily work.

Strategic Planning’s Link to Communications

Having One of Those Days?

Have you ever had one of those days? You know what I mean...one of those days - where you don’t feel inspired to keep at it, stick to it, hang in there, and not give up. I suspect each of us has a quiet moment when we let this thinking overtake us for a moment. Or even longer.

Just as I have a habit of collecting subject lines and newspaper headlines that I like (ever since high school), I also keep a "keeper" file. It used to be a manila file, then it became a plastic sleeve, then a large file folder in the cabinet, and now the keeper file is on my desktop. It contains sayings of all kinds, but each of them hit home at some moment. So in my sub-file called “one of those days” there are some sayings that help keep me going.

"In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” - Theodore Roosevelt

"Whenever you see a successful business, someone made a courageous decision.” - Peter Drucker

"All I ask is this: Do something. Try something. Speaking out, showing up, writing a letter, a check, a strongly worded e-mail. Pick a cause -- there are few unworthy ones. And nudge yourself past the brink of tacit support to action. Once a month, once a year, or just once." - Joss Whedon

"The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.” - William James

"Going one more round when you don't think you can. That's what makes all the difference in the world." - Rocky Balboa

And at the last COCSA meeting I heard one of the best yet:

"You can’t wring your hands and roll up your sleeves at the same time. Let’s roll up our sleeves." - Kate Rufolo-Dreher, Incoming President, Congress of Chiropractic State Associations

In a moment when you are tempted to throw up your hands thinking you’ve done all you can, and need a little inspiration, perhaps this will be a start, or an addition to your keeper file.

Having One of Those Days?

Explaining Member Benefits

It can be a challenge to help members connect the dots about the benefits of their association membership.

We know from studies conducted at ASAE and other sources that members join an association for two overarching reasons: for their personal benefit and for the good of the profession.

Yesterday, a real life story helped me put my arms around a sometimes-intangible benefit called legislative affairs. Most associations consider governmental or legislative affairs a primary member benefit. How to explain this in a way the newest member can understand?

My husband, Dan Sight, a commercial REALTOR®, flew from Kansas to Washington, DC at the request of the National Association of REALTORS® to speak to the United States Senate subcommittee on banking about the state of the commercial real estate market.

The lobbyists prepped him, got him to the Senate Chamber on time, because they wanted a REALTOR®, not a lobbyist to "testify".

Before I go any further, remember that we should focus on three important decisions before starting to write:

• Who is your target audience?
• What does the news means to them?
• What is the goal of the message?

Here is what I would say to every commercial member of an association about the value of being a member of the National Association of REALTORS®:

Have you ever wondered about the power of an organization with 1.1 million members to a commercial REALTOR®?


Today, the Senate subcommittee on banking heard from Dan Sight, Chair of the Commercial Committee of NAR, about the state of commercial real estate lending. Dan is not an officer of NAR; he is just a caring, involved volunteer leader who supports his industry and his fellow practitioners.


The meeting provided a direct line of communication from the real estate industry to government officials - efforts that will sustain the viability of the business for all members. In other words, conversations like this can change the future for the better for your profession, your buyers, renters, and sellers. It can change banking laws, lending laws, taxes, and other conditions that affect the commercial real estate market and your ability to be successful.


If you were an 80,000-member commercial association (and not part of NAR), you may not have a seat at the table.

• The target audience – commercial members
• What the news means to them – the association influences important decisions for their business
• The goal of the message – to explain the power of a collective membership in fighting for members.

Whether your industry is real estate or not, this link is just as important in your association. Explain local member benefits and national activities. Link them to what members want and need. This is a clear and direct way that might just get through to busy, distracted, and sometimes indifferent members.

Explaining Member Benefits

Play Back What You Learned for a Payback to Your Members

After attending two well-run conferences this past week, I am energized by your open minds. Your willingness to share, and the time you spent together  will better your associations.

Organizations make an investment to bring staff and volunteer leaders together. These conferences were full of excellent programming, collaboration, and networking.

It occurred to me while riding the down escalator this morning: Let’s face it, member dues are in some part what makes meetings like this work. How do members back home get an ROI from your time at the conference? How can leaders and staff best communicate back your learnings from the week? And what will you change for the better?

Association staff, you are better at what you do because of what you learned. Communications directors spent the better part of two days in “continuing education”. The sessions were intense. Can you identify two or three gems that you will take home with you? Will you write them down and share them with your counterparts? Will you apply the knowledge to connect better with your members or fall back into your old ways?

Association leaders spent a lot of time talking, listening, thinking, and collaborating at this meeting. You are in idea overload. Can you find the energy to report to your staff and even your members about the best information you bring home with you? Can you think of two ideas that are worth pursuing that you never though of before?

Being there is not enough. Representing your members is not enough. I wish you the determination to communicate what’s in it for the member. Make sure your members know the changes you make. That’s a return on both your and their investment.

Play Back What You Learned for a Payback to Your Members

I Am Convinced of the Potential of Association Marketing

I am convinced of the potential of Association Marketing.

I am convinced that any association has the potential to add enormous value to the member experience.

I am convinced that choosing your target audience and beginning with your association goals, you can get more members to do what you want them to do.

I am convinced that if you don’t resource marketing properly, you will not advance your value.

I am convinced that without a clear message platform, you cannot establish a connection with your members (a connection is a prerequisite to “convincing”).

I am convinced that creating a Marketing & Communications (MarCom) plan helps you segment, target, and measure your results against your goals.

I am convinced that good customer service is not enough.

Barriers you might be up against:

• I don’t have time to create a marketing/communications plan
• I can’t invest in a plan I’ll never use
• I can’t afford it
• I can’t sell this to my board
• I don’t have a marketing department
• Every department has different messages
• I want to show value but I just don’t know how to do it

Think about what you can do if you remove some or all the barriers above. And besides, none of them are true.  If you are as convinced as I am, what’s stopping you?

I Am Convinced of the Potential of Association Marketing

Create Your own Career Karma, and Make a Difference in the World

This is Breast Cancer Awareness Week, so I’m dedicating this post to those who work and fight for breast cancer awareness and other great causes.

In 2007, Bill Gates quoted one of his mother’s favorite expressions in his commencement address at Harvard. I Googled it and found that Mary Maxwell Gates’ expression originated in the New Testament: Luke, Chapter 12, Verse 48: "From those to whom much is given, much is expected." That is an inspiration.

TIKKUN OLAM is a Hebrew phrase that means "repairing the world.” Michael Jackson made it memorable with this song: “Heal the world, Make it a better place. For you and for me and the entire human race. There are people dying, If you care enough for the living, Make a better place for you and for me."

Do you ever wonder if you make a significant difference in just one thing, one small difference that might start a ripple of change?

Trying to make a difference is always on my mind. It’s part of my values. It’s a key component of my business. It’s part of my brand.

I think of this every Monday on my drive to Rotary. There are special people who dedicate hours and days and years of their lives to making the world better through great community causes.

·      As I review marketing material for Reach Out and Read, a non-profit in my town, I appreciate how a group of generous people can make a difference in the lives of pre-school children they don’t even know. So I help out, too. 

·      As I read in the news about my friend Barb Unell, founder of Back in the Swing, I’m again inspired by the power of one person’s tireless efforts.  Back in the Swing is a one-week campaign that helps breast cancer, and all cancer survivors, get back to living after cancer treatment. The Kansas City program will go NATIONAL this year.

·      As I help my soulmate Ethel Davis celebrate the honor of "Fearless Leaders of Kansas City,” I’m touched by the endless ways she gives back to the world. She inspires me and teaches me more about the brand of giving with your head and your heart.

·      As I see my friend Christina Eldridge lead missions to Africa and at home, I am inspired, and I think about how making a difference is a tangible piece of her values and her personal brand. 

·      And always, as I watch my mom continue to work tirelessly for our local children’s hospital, her ongoing dedication to a cause reminds me how important one person can be. She’s been volunteering her time there for thirty years.  Whenever a special occasion comes around, she tells us she doesn’t want a gift. Her standard response is always “Please just make a donation.”

I also see a lot of people working hard, but taking what they can and forgetting to give back. There are people who expect things from the world, who maybe don’t understand how good it feels to give back as well.

When I think of them, I come back to thinking to myself: "From those to whom much is given, much is expected."

Create Your own Career Karma, and Make a Difference in the World