Presentation by:

1. Presentation by: Peter ByrneMSc Business Mgnt (Organisational Behaviour) BSc, Dip Mkt, Dip Finance. Chief Executive Officer South Dublin Chamber Session 1 – Managing Operations London – Monday 22nd March, 2010

2. In this seminar we will address: • Recession Proofing Your Chamber • Retaining Members • Increasing Income • Benchmarking Best Practice • Maintaining Profile

3. Personal Development Managing Operations

4. What is a Recession?

5. Tour de Table 1 Minute on your country’s Economic Environment

6. Reactive or Proactive Response Discuss in Groups of 4

7. What Impact has the Recession • had on your Chamber? • Finance • Strategy • Staff • Board/President/Executive • Members • External relationships e.g. • Local Government

8. Describe the Changes in Operational Environment 2009 - 2010

9. Threat or Possible Opportunity

10. Member Member Retention & Recruitment

11. WIIFM Every time you ask your members for some time, or you ask a new member to join a sale takes place. You are selling an opportunity for their time or their commitment.But…They Don’t Care About what you are selling…. They want to know - what's in it for me (WIIFM)? The more WIIFM YOU include in everything the more active your members will be. Hot buttons are switches in our head that say this is a good opportunity for ME! Your members' hot buttons reflect the reasons that they joined your chamber, contributing to greater good or that sense of belonging. WIIFM and hitting hot buttons is a must for announcements as well as written materials. Why should your member help you out? The more WIIFM you include in everything you do, the more members you will have and the more active your members will be.

12. Group Exercise Why do members join and stay in your chamber? What are the key Barriers to members joining? Give examples of how you are overcoming those barriers?

13. Trends Affecting Membership “Joining” no longer popular Members demanding more, and better quality services, at the same price Chambers must be seen by members as a business in their own right Must continue to re-package existing services

14. Trends Affecting Membership Business development services now more important (brokering training, management development) - helping members become more profitable We must be closer to the customer Economies of scale are important - collaboration with other organisations Economic Slowdown makes value analysis critical

15. Winning New Members Preparation Target Strategy The Message Recruitment Tools Recruitment Strategies Making Contact The First Impression

16. Keeping Members Could you have addressed the Reason they left? When did you know they were going?

17. Recruitment Strategies Integrate into on-going operations Use existing staff and volunteers Launch Recruitment drive - Use existing staff and volunteers - Hire Recruitment Professional (full-time or on a contract-commission) - Executive loaned from a member company

18. Cost of Membership Variable Subscription Rates - Corporate members - Full Members - Associate members Phased Increase in Subscriptions - 2-3 years Subscriptions based on Turnover (not number of employees)

19. Renewing Membership • Treat as if they just joined • Thank you letter with key value • items highlighted and signed by President or CEO

20. Membership Retention 7 Steps to Membership Retention Communications Publications Information Appreciation Feel Good Factor Value for Money Involvement What is your Annual Churn rate?

21. 7 Steps to Membership Retention 1. Product Clear Goals and Objectives and a Programme of Work 2. Credibility Delivering the Programme of Work 3. Communication Announcing benefits, celebrating success

22. 7 Steps to Membership Retention 4. Relevance Spending money on what members see as important 5. Staff Attitudes 6. Volunteer Leadership and Commitment 7. Good Management Practices

23. TO the members about what the Chamber is doing • Newsletter • Press/Radio/TV • Events • Personal contact • FROM the members • about what they think - feel - • saying – doing re the Chamber • business, politics, etc

24. Publications/Social Media Newsletters - Website Headlines that GRAB Graphics and photographs No jargon - simple - clear Sell the Chamber Inform - relevant information for business targeted at the right audience Facebook, LinkedIN, Wiki, Twitter

25. Information Membership Records (MIS-CRM-Database) Record every contact with the member, phone, personal, letter, e mail, Record attendance at all events Identify members who have not been in contact with the chamber for 6 months call them and say hello!

26. Appreciation Thank members for attending events for sending in their subscriptions for giving their opinions for replying to queries for giving their time to committees for supporting their Chamber

27. Feel Good Factor Identifying with success Chambers gets good media coverage Chamber projects a professional image Chamber runs efficient, well organised events Chamber has important people at its functions

28. Value for Money • Good business contacts • Reduced cost training • Unique products (member directory) • Discount schemes • Local, relevant, up-to-date information • Quasi legal – Advocacy services

29. Involvement Consulted through regular surveys Involved in electronic response groups Involved in Committees Met and spoken to by staff/officers at chamber events

30. Finance Funding – Commercial Services

31. Financial Trends 2010 Away from Traditional Funding Sources Towards Contracted Services

32. If you have an income generating problem, it will effect every aspect of your Chamber, from your ability to provide services to your members, to staff morale

33. Europe 64% of Eurochambre members received less than 50% of their income from membership (average 17%) US and Canada Average Chamber receives only 27% of its income from membership. Twenty years ago it was 65%

34. Income Generation‘Roadblocks & Pitfalls” • We are more focused on raising money than on looking after our members. • New funding projects are central not our Mission. • We are in debt to the funder and cannot now be independent. • We are so busy raising money that we are not carrying out activities. • I did not join this organisation to be raising money – I want to be a ‘Captain of Industry’.

35. Income GenerationThe Old Reliables: • Annual Dinner/Gala Ball/Corporate Lunch • - Sponsorship of the event- Sponsorship of speakers- Sponsorship of wine/food- Sponsorship of menu’s/music/backdrops- Auction donations • What does the sponsor get & how to keep everyone happy?

36. Traditional Sources of Funding • Membership Fees (In decline) • Events Income (In decline) • Sponsorship (In decline) • Advertising – Publications (In decline) • Affinity Deals – Chamber HR (Rising) • Patrons (stagnant) • Trade Missions (stagnant) • Services (Rising)

37. Future Strategy Traditional Sources • Lower Cost Base • Increase Income Government – EU Sources • Ring Fence within Chamber • Increase Funding Private Company (subsidiary) • Increase Income – Fix Costs • Establish Second Private Company e.g. Training Company

38. The Challenge To build sustainable financial models to develop To increase the quality and range of products on offer to members To become more relevant and responsive To move the wheel forward

39. Presentation by: Peter ByrneMSc Business Mgnt (Organisational Behaviour) BSc, Dip Mkt, Dip Finance. Chief Executive Officer South Dublin Chamber Email:peter@sdchamber.ie Thank you for your attention…..