Chambers Ireland Best Practice Manual
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Chambers Ireland Best Practice Manual Gweedore Derry Letterkenny Sligo Erris Monaghan Ballina Newry Cootehill Dundalk Boyle Castlebar Carrick-on-Shannon Westport Ballyhaunis Kells Drogheda Claremorris Longford 07 Navan Roscommon Mullingar Swords Athlone Dublin Galway South Dublin Tullamore Dun Laoghaire Naas Bray Newbridge Greystones Laois Roscrea Athy Wicklow Ennis Nenagh Carlow Arklow Shannon Limerick Thurles Kilkenny Enniscorthy Listowel Clonmel New Ross Charleville Tralee Waterford Wexford Mallow Dungarvan Midleton Youghal Cork Cobh West Cork Page 3 v1.0 07 Regional Activities Page 4 v1.0 Increasing Your 08 Membership 08 Increasing Your Membership A Chamber is a business and like any other business its success or failure depends on the product or service it provides. As long as the products fill the needs of the customers, they will buy and continue to buy. The purpose of this chapter is to assist a chamber’s Membership Development Executive or membership sub-committee to develop a recruitment strategy so as to maximise its membership. Chambers Ireland Best Practice Manual While the key to attracting new members, and to Some sectors are slower to see the benefits of joining a retaining the loyalty of existing members, lies in chamber than others. As such, a successful recruitment providing useful services on a value-for-money basis, strategy will require market segmentation. Most there are a range of steps you can take to boost your chambers provide better quality services to the sectors membership. These are set out below. which are strong in membership numbers. If you wish to boost your membership base amongst Step 1: less well-represented sectors of the local business Define membership target community, you may need to develop some new services Each chamber should have an objective in terms of and products to attract them. Many towns/cities have membership which should be a guiding principal of the Business/Traders Associations in existence which can chamber and fully understood and supported by all the provide stiff competition in attracting retailers. officers. The following in an example: Step 3: Chamber Membership Targets (Sample) Do some market research l ‘To attract 70% of the businesses in [define your geographical area – your market] to join and remain Identify the true profile of the chamber in your in membership of [ ] Chamber; town? Why not commission a survey of the business l To increase the Chamber membership by 10% or community? Probe them on their rating of your chamber 20% per annum until this figure is reached; across key service offerings, as well as what services, they l To ensure that 100% of as members, might envisage as an attractive offering in Manufacturing; the future. Tourism; State/semi state; Do local business people know about the chamber? Financial services businesses; What do they know? Are they aware of the full range of and 60% of services and programmes available? Do they know the 08 Other services; issues on which the chamber has made representations and retail businesses in the area are members of the in the past year? Do they know what you plan for the Chamber.’ next year? The results may be shocking – all the more reason to know them. Step 2: How big is your market? Step 4: Define your product Many chambers do not know what percentage of the local business community is already in membership. Some businesses may join a chamber just because it is Your chamber should build up a listing of all firms there. This is a shrinking minority, however. In order operating in the area. Your local authority will have to persuade anybody to join your Chamber you should such a list for commercial rates purposes and may be have some good selling points. persuaded to either make the list available or, at least, to summarise the number of different operations broken The key is to show that you are providing useful services down by sector. which are value for money. An easy-to-read, up-to-date, accurate leaflet or letter is an essential marketing tool. The Golden Pages will also (for a fee) provide a listing of all entries in your area code broken down by sector. Remember, any chamber should be the local market They may, however, provide you with the number of leader in providing networking, lobbying/representative such entries for free. services and sound business advice. Your unique selling points should emanate from these headings. Networking Chambers Ireland has made the Kompass listing available is the most cost effective method of marketing. In terms of to CRM Chambers during 2007. lobbying, any percentage reduction on the otherwise rate struck for commercial rates by the Local Authority will often be worth more than the price of an annual subscription! Page 1 v1.0 08 Increasing Your Membership A Chamber’s Promotional Brochure Should Include: Step 5: 1. Name of Chamber/logo/branding etc.-ensure Get out there and sell adherence to the guidelines. Membership of a chamber is a service a business pays 2. Services provided for just like any other. It should be sold on this basis. (in essence there are three types): Direct services which come with your n Appoint a sales representative membership fee Membership should be sold like anything else, l Listing in the Chamber directory professionally and enthusiastically. Where the scale of l Business contacts through regular networking events the local market permits, Membership or Commercial l Free seminars Development Executives are being increasingly l Once-off advice and information recruited as a self-financing position. Consider the l Representation at many Local Government bodies following model that assumes the following: and functions l MDE/CDE costs on average over 3 years is €40k per Income generating business services annum inclusive of PRSI, phone, computer etc l Events l MDE/CDE is a 3-year investment l Information l More members = more events, better attended, l Courses higher event revenue l Promotions Model for recruiting a Indirect services Commercial Development Executive: l Economic development YEAR EXTRA MEMBERSHIP EXTRA EVENT RETURN l Legislative action SUBS (CUMULATIVE) REVENUE ON INVESTMENT l Crime prevention 1 50 @ €300 €10k -€15k l Educational €15k l Improvements, lobbying/representation 2 100 @ €300 €15k €5k Whilst difficult to quantify but should be translated €30k (-€10k) bluntly into bottom line services in sales brochures, 3 150 @ €300 €20k €65k annual reports etc. €45k +€15k 3. A short statement defining the mission of the The first two years’ losses could be made up by MDE/ chamber (see chapter 3 of this manual for assistance) CDE running Chambers Ireland commercial projects such as Chambersafe @ €17k, Succession Planning @ 4. A contact name in the chamber, for further information €28k, etc. Chambers Ireland has a constant flow of 5. Membership fee rates (see chapter 4) revenue opportunities. 6. List of recent achievements A component of the salary can be target-based. It is very important to keep the nature of this role commercial. An 7. An insert or section detailing forthcoming events important by-product of recruiting the MDE/CDE is that other executives, including the CEO, are freed up for Promotional brochures and membership application forms strategic elements of Chamber activity. should be downloadable from the chamber website. Every council member should be aware of, and committed n Consider Giving discounts to, this statement of why firms should join the chamber. Your chamber might consider a dual pricing policy for all services. Under this strategy non-members Remember it is businesses that join chambers – not should understand clearly that they are paying 20- people! Your pitch, should be how the chamber can 30% more for services than members. This could be benefit their business. a strong incentive to join a chamber. You might also consider a special first year rate for new members. Your branding pack contains a template membership Bray & District Chamber found this to be a most brochure specifically designed for your chamber. useful tool during their 2005 membership campaign. Page 2 v1.0 Chambers Ireland Best Practice Manual n Segment your market and divide your labour n Referrals Prepare a list of businesses targeted for membership The system records and reports what referrals have and divide it amongst the membership sub- been passed to members, what events they have committee. Ask them to provide an update attended abd what telephone contact we have had on progress in recruiting their short list e.g. 10 with them. Statements can be issued to members on candidates at every successive meeting. a quarterly basis advising what their chamber activity in the recent past has been. This is an attempt n Use your Chamber CRM to arrest the trend of membership churn which is common throughout the movement. Chamber CRM is a tailored-for-chambers Customer Relationship Management system. It is a powerful n Committees tool that allows chamber executives to systematically Chamber CRM allows chamber executives to develop their knowledge of members, non-members, manage the various lobbying groups, committees key relationships and suppliers. There is a separate and task forces that exist within chambers. Meetings section for each of these four categories within the can be scheduled and committee members can be one database. This enhanced understanding will help invited and minutes recorded and filed. chambers do more of the things their members like, for more members. n Event Management There is a fully comprehensive event management To-date, Chambers have in many cases only held system which enables users invite targeted nominees, information on member nominees as opposed to key employees of companies in selected geographic and potential contacts within member and non-member location to a specific event. Traditionally many companies.