The world is buzzing about STLE
Edward P. Salek, CAE, Executive Director | TLT Headquarters Report May 2011
Member-Get-A-Member campaign in full swing!
Every time you recruit a new member, you strengthen STLE.
STLE’s 2011 Member-Get-A-Member (MGAM) campaign, which began less than one month ago and continues through early September, is already creating a buzz among current members eager to recommend a good thing to a friend or colleague.
In fact, you may have already participated in the campaign as a recruiter and now have a chance to win an Apple iPad tablet computer. Or because TLT reaches about 12,000 non-member prospects, you may have been on the receiving end of a membership invitation. New members have a shot at winning an Apple iPod.
The MGAM effort is being coordinated by the STLE Membership Development team with assistance from research support from McKinley Marketing, a highly regarded association marketing consultancy.
The program enables the society to take advantage of the positive word-of-mouth discussions that sometimes occur between current members and prospects. The goal of the project is to formalize and incentivize these recruitment efforts and further develop them from their grass-roots foundation.
We know that many corporate and individual members understand that our association holds tremendous value, but that value often is not communicated sufficiently to those outside the organization—especially potential members.
The content of messages about STLE’s value will make a substantial difference in terms of recruiting results. So in addition to helping STLE devise a membership development structure, the McKinley experts have worked with staff and volunteers to formulate a brand essence statement that identifies a series of six tangible and emotional benefits.
TANGIBLE BENEFITS
•
Educational programming improves my knowledge on fundamental lubrication topics and cutting-edge techniques throughout my career.
•
Timely and comprehensive information keep me up-to-speed on the latest trends and critical issues in the field.
•
Face-to-face membership gatherings offer me unmatched opportunities to conduct business with and learn from my colleagues, which has an immediate and demonstrable effect on my company’s bottom line.
EMOTIONAL BENEFITS
•
I am a part of a community of professionals who speak my language and share my passion for tribology.
•
I have joined an elite group of experts and am individually empowered to make my own memorable contribution to the field.
•
By joining STLE, I enhance my professional reputation, gain credibility among my peers and become a go-to individual in the eyes of my supervisors.
If you are a recruiter, these are great points to make and to personalize when inviting a colleague to join. If you are thinking about becoming a member, this is excellent food for thought on how STLE can help fuel your professional growth and career prospects. They work well when proposing the idea of financial support for your STLE membership to a supervisor or manager.
Details of the MGAM campaign rules, recommendations and deadlines are available at
www.stle.org. When you visit the site, you’ll see that the program incentives are attractive.
But remember that there’s a less tangible but more significant reward associated with inviting colleagues into the organization. Every time you recruit a new member, you strengthen STLE. A vital and growing STLE means greater recognition of the profession, improved educational and networking opportunities for all members and the advancement of the profession worldwide.
You can reach Certified Association Executive Ed Salek at esalek@stle.org.