Ready to sample our ‘newest’ product?
Edward P. Salek, CAE, Executive Director | TLT Headquarters Report February 2010
STLE membership confers recognition, respect and a networking experience that spans the globe.
During a two-week period in early 2010, STLE’s Web site attracted more than 1,000 visitors from 82 countries—about 50% of the total site visitors during that time.
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Like the many fine companies that are featured in this month’s TLT, STLE itself has a number of products that are either new to the marketplace or ready for release in 2010. But for the purposes of this month’s column, I’d like to focus attention on an STLE “new product” that’s also our oldest product—membership in the society.
For those TLT readers who are not members, the cost of this new product is the modest annual dues investment of $125. The value returned when you make the purchase comes in the form of both tangible and intangible benefits to your professional career.
Defining those intangibles is not easy, but one STLE member nailed the value proposition in a recent market research survey. “There is a certain recognition and respect that is conferred on me due to my affiliation with STLE,” he said. “It’s a place to go to learn new things, and if you have a problem you can start there to find the answer and use the other members’ experience to help.”
Getting people to try something new is never easy, and this is especially true when it’s a product that can’t lure prospects with taste or aroma (unlike a wine or food sample giveaway). But the next best thing is peer-to-peer recruiting, in which current members reach out to qualified individuals and urge them to give STLE a try.
During 2010 STLE has assembled a membership recruiting and retention team that’s engaging membership prospects and renewing members with a personal invitation to discover the professional value and support that STLE membership delivers. Results to date have been encouraging, both from the standpoint of membership growth and feedback on how STLE can enhance its value, especially to students and early careerists looking for a professional home.
The person-to-person approach is blending with the outreach power of digital communication, especially to the international audience. During a two-week period in early 2010, STLE’s Web site attracted more than 1,000 visitors from 82 different countries other than the United States—about 50% of the total site visitors during that time frame.
Efforts to build interest with this audience include wider circulation of the digital edition of TLT magazine and alliances with other tribology societies. For example, STLE is teaming with the Tribology Society of India (TSI) to offer a three-day technical education course in India this month. Future cooperation between TSI and STLE will include other education programs and certification activities in India.
Whether you are introduced to STLE by a colleague down the hall or a Web search engine, give some serious thought to making a membership investment in 2010. You will discover this is an organization that provides its members with recognition as a technical professional, access to reliable information and a network of experienced peers to support career development and advancement.
One last footnote about membership deserves attention given the challenges of today’s economy. Our membership product comes with a unique add-on feature. For 2010 STLE’s board of directors has once again authorized a program to assist unemployed members by offering dues payment deferral and a full waiver of the annual meeting registration fee. Contact our headquarters membership department to apply for this status, and use the STLE network to support your job transition.
You can reach Certified Association Executive Ed Salek at esalek@stle.org.