Area 7

1
Area 7
About Chapter Growth
2
Impacting Chapter Growth?

• Adding real value to prospective members.
• Outstanding programs
• Good networking opportunities
• Education and growth opportunities
• Great reputation in the community The place to
  go for TD
• Inspired marketing of programs and events
• Sound recruiting and retaining methods

3
Great Programs that are well attended

• Have an active program committee (Key point here)
• Use member survey information for interest
• Use an RFP process to get great coverage
• Plan one whole year in advance
• Use postcards in addition to online advertising
• Use speaker list from ICE and ALC for possible
  speakers
• Invite the Area Manager to attend often
• Organize topics around themes
• Preview next meeting at the end of each meeting
• Have at least 2 special event meetings each year

4
Make new People feel Welcomed

• Consider first meeting free
• BOD welcomes each new guest
• Introduce each visitor at start of the
  meeting
• Send a Welcome note to each visitor with
  information on how to become a member (same
  person who made introduction)
• Use a room configuration that facilitates
  networking

5
Outstanding Outreach

• Personally invite local TD professionals to
  meetings
• Get ASTD information on the websites and
  newsletters
• Get spots in local paper about meetings
• Write articles about successes of members

6
High Value Added at Each Meeting

• Important point after the program, the host
  should do a debrief of how this information can
  be useful to participants. Open dialog on this
  point underscores the value.
• Each person feels the time and money were great
  investments
• Engage each participant personally in the topic
• Give everyone something of value to take away
  with them memory jogger, quick-card, handout
  etc.
• Use an Idea Collector sheet at every meeting

7
Dont forget about dormant members

• Dormant members are the largest opportunity for
  chapter growth
• They are typically overlooked
• Recruit dormant members actively
• Invite prior experts to come back and speak
• Hold panel discussions with dormant members
• Establish a target for gaining some percentage of
  these people back.

8
Watch for people moving into town

• Often people already in ASTD will move into the
  area
• These people are great resources to add new
  dimensions to membership and even leadership
• Be alert for new faces in the area when they show
  up at networking events

9
Links to Community

• Participate in local charitable activities
• Engage in the political process as appropriate
• Create partnerships with other professional and
  networking organizations
• Leverage local educational institutions as
  partners and mutual sponsors
• Look for opportunities for joint meetings and
  mutual initiatives

10
An Active Vital BOD

• BOD meets regularly
• Has a strategic plan for the organization
• Involves as many members as possible in volunteer
  activities and committee work
• Has a concrete succession plan
• Gives committees freedom to accomplish activities
• BOD meetings are working sessions that set the
  course of the organization

11
Chapter Meets CORE Requirements

• Part of chapters strategic plan
• BOD reviews CORE progress regularly
• Submit Application on time or early
• Chapter celebrates CORE accomplishment

12
Special Programs and Conferences

• Method of drawing in significant new blood
• Possible partnership with other organizations
• Requires significant planning ahead of event
• Can be a major fundraising activity for chapter
• Way to draw in big-name talent to local area

13
Senior people act as mentors

• Most experienced members seek out potential
  members who could benefit
• Mentor relationships kindle
• New members see value in teaming with more
  experienced people
• Look for opportunities to partner as business
  associates
• Formal briefings about local community
  opportunities

14
Meeting venue is important

• Look for a convenient location
• Setting should be comfortable, not stilted
• Avoid noisy networking locations
• Good to have a standard home base, but have
  occasional meetings elsewhere
• Room aspect ratio conducive to networking
• Always provide refreshments to aid in networking

15
Contests and excitement to draw in new people

• Consider a new recruiting day where members
  bring in a friend
• Have raffles, picnics, bowling parties, other
  social events to break up the typical meeting
  format
• Can combine with charitable event to improve
  community visibility and spirit
• Get creative and have fun

16
Viable Special Interest (SIG) Groups

• SIG groups help draw in new people
• SIG groups manage themselves and do not take BOD
  energy to run
• SIG groups often contribute financial support to
  the parent organization
• SIG groups leverage the organization reputation
  in the community
• SIG groups provide excellent speakers and topics
  for meetings

17
Monthly or Quarterly Newsletter

• Online for current information, but keep up to
  date
• Hard copy in addition to online is a great idea
  increase exposure is more widely read
• Ask some non members to contribute to newsletter
• Try to get an ASTD corner in the newsletter of
  other organizations in return for giving them
  space in your newsletter
• Make each newsletter have a compelling reminder
  so it gets posted on the bulletin board
• Use highlighting if possible

18
Ability to pay for events by Credit Card

• Make paying for anything easy
• Fewer roadblocks to immediate payment means fewer
  dropped prospects
• Has a more professional feeling
• Saves the hassle of change and cashing checks
• Use PayPal or other secure service

19
Consider group rates

• Multiple people from same organization may get
  lower entry costs
• Make sure this is well advertised
• Make the multiple high enough to really make a
  difference like more than 10 people
• Could have lower annual dues or lower meeting fees

20
Resource Library

• Consider an online library of resource
  information
• Possible to draw in new people by asking them to
  contribute articles to the library
• Can use to network with other chapters to gain
  leverage
• Make good use of National Resources on the website

21
Evaluate each meeting

• Use a standard form to evaluate each program
• Make these very user friendly because people
  typically want to leave at end of meeting
• Keep statistics and use for future topics of
  highest interest.
• Ask what other programs people would like to have.