American Society of Professional Estimators

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American Society of Professional Estimators
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Creating an Effective Newsletter

• Building a powerful communication tool for your
  Chapter
• by Paul S. Neuharth, CPE

ASPE
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Why do we need effective newsletters?

• To inform all members
• Promote functions events
• Recognize individuals for achievement
  participation
• Announcements education
• Foster new ideas
• Share your ideas with others
• Fund raiser

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Where do I begin?

• Build a Newsletter Committee
• Bring copies of newsletters they find interesting
• Brainstorm through ideas on what you want in your
  newsletter
• Take minutes and refer back when setting up
  newsletter
• Buy a good computer publishing program.
• Cost is less than 100

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Start the creative juices

• Check out "Page Wizard" layout feature
• Make a layout or template of your newsletter
• Give your newsletter some character -- give it a
  name!

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Start with the Cover Page

• Make it impressive and creative
• Utilize the ASPE Logo
• State your chapter name

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Build in the standard information that will be in
every newsletter

• Return mailing address
• Chapter officers and committee chair persons
• Change of address form
• Program announcement, date and time block
• Issue date blocks and volume number block

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Next, layout the standard columns that will be in
every newsletter

• Letter from the President
• This month's program information and tickler
• New members welcome and information
• Make sure to have a calendar of upcoming
  important dates
• A review of last months program

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Surprise! You have a newsletter template ready to
go!

• Allow about two days to come up with your final
  template
• Save your template and modify each month for next
  newsletter
• Use your imagination when making your template
• Be creative!

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Where do I get the information to fill in the
pages?

• Have members write short technical articles
  concerning their trade or craft
• Call on your President for a letter to the
  membership each month
• Get next program information from program chairman

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Call on committee chairpersons to write an
article

• About their committee, upcoming event or project
• Committee goals and plans
• Ask dates for committee meetings and events for
  calendar

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Check with your President for information

• Society Business Office
• Board of Trustees minutes
• National events
• Society happenings
• Newsletters received from other chapters.
• Borrow ideas and articles

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Get copies of new member applications

• Put information in new member column
• Get a biography from the new member
• Be sure to list the sponsor's name and company

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Advertise upcoming Chapter events

• golf outing
• trade show
• regional meeting
• chapter meeting
• Special seminar

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Trade magazines

• Find articles that would interest all membership
  trades
• Construction Law
• Ethics and bid procedures
• Technology
• Construction estimating

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What do I do with that left over space in between
articles?

• Invest in a good clip art program
• Makes your newsletter more interesting and
  attractive
• Focuses peoples attention
• Use quotations to fill small spaces
• Use borders, border art and shadowing
• Put in some enthusiastic comments, quotes or
  statements

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How to make your chapter newsletter pay for itself

• Determine the yearly cost of your newsletter
• Estimate the cost for one copy (paper, printing
  costs, stamp, etc.)
• Calculate cost for the year (single copy cost x
  of copies/month x of issues/year)
• Set a goal for the number of advertisers

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Decide on a price for each advertisement

• Total cost per year divided by number of
  advertisers
• Set rates competitive and appropriate

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Save a page in your newsletter for advertising.

• First issue -- advertise for advertisers!
• Hit up your officers first -- make them lead by
  example
• Hit up your affiliate members -- they joined to
  sell

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Accept special monthly advertisements

• help wanted
• seminars
• special events
• Suddenly, your newsletter has turned into a
  profit center
• and you aren't using chapter dues to pay for it!

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Making sure your newsletter is timely

• Set deadline for article submission each month
• Stick to it!
• List your deadline date in the newsletter
• Be consistent!
• Commit yourself to a minimum of one day per month

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Set a deadline for mailing out newsletter each
month.

• Be consistent
• Keep in mind the date of upcoming meeting

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In between issues, start making changes for next
month

• Change dates and issue number
• Change program information
• Input anything already received

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What do I do with my committee members?

• Assign members to help prepare newsletter for
  mailing
• printing
• folding
• stapling and stamping
• This goes a lot faster with more people

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Assign everyone on the committee at least one
task.

• Write the program review column each month
• Write the program preview column
• Got a member that always reads the paper?
• Have them watch for articles concerning other
  members, the members' business or other local
  construction related articles

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Get a good mix of trades on your committee

• Each read different trade magazines with
  different construction and estimating articles
• Have someone responsible for getting committee
  reports, dates of meetings, and event information
  for the calendar
• Have another contact other organizations for
  dates and programs

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Other helpful hints

• Use a high quality printer and copier
• Get a copy of the Chapter Leader's Critical
  Calendar
• List dates in newsletter calendar
• Think of your newsletter as a marketing tool
• Have information on becoming a member
• List who to contact for membership
• Market advertising in newsletter

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Use the spell checker

• Even with spell checker, save time to review your
  newsletter carefully
• Have someone other than yourself review also.
• Different people see things differently
• Check everything closely before copying

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Run extra copies of your newsletter each month

• Hand out at Chapter meetings to guests and
  prospects
• Give a copy to your speaker
• Mail copies to prospective new members
• Begin historical record of your newsletters

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Share your ideas and communicate what is
happening in your Chapter!

• Make ten extra copies each month
• submit for national newsletter award
• Mail copies of your newsletter to
• Other Chapter Presidents in your region
• Your Governor
• National Officers
• The Society Business Office.

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What to expect with a quality newsletter

• Helps you to meet your Chapter goals
• Well informed and organized membership
• Improve cohesion
• Builds enthusiasm
• Shows professionalism leadership
• Makes your Chapter stronger

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American Society of Professional Estimators