I say that knowing that very few of you had a great 2003 financially and that for the most part, Portland small businesses continue to struggle simply to survive. And with news like Mad Cow and Homeland Security, the prospect for a swift and dramatic turnaround is not bright. Some days it feels like the light at the end of the tunnel is just the locomotive heading right for us.
We can sit and moan about how bad things are. We can pretend we are Iowa farmers and complain about there being too much (or too little) rain (or snow) and that it is too hot (or too cold). We can complain about Bush, or Kulongoski, or Katz. We can blame those damn bureaucrats - federal, state or local. We can vex about Metro or Tri-Met or even the Trilateral Commission. Heck, maybe we can also blame global warming, sunspots and aliens.
Its easy to play the victim. It is easy to allow circumstances to define our reality. In some perverse way, it allows us to say “its not our fault.” But at the end of the day, week, month or year, our world as we know it will remain exactly the same.
The challenge is a ying-yang sort of thing. To survive, small business folks are forced to put blinders on -- if something doesn’t affect our bottom line (as in immediately), time and attention cannot be sacrificed. Yet, if all we deal with this is the here and now, we have forsaken the ability to define our own destiny.
If you’ve seen my thinning hair and growing paunch, it is no surprise to learn that I am a child of the ‘60s. Those were years of sit-ins, sit-downs, marches, vigils and an assorted of other forms of public demonstration. Those years taught me three critical lessons:
Thirty-five years have taught me one other lesson -- it is OK to make mistakes. Only Perry Mason was perfect. So long as we admit our mistakes and learn from them.
The paradigm for success is clear. It is as clear in 2004 as 2003 as 2002. For APNBA to succeed, we need you. It cannot thrive or survive as a small cabal of souls. Yet, we do not need weeks or even days of your time -- a half-hour to an hour a week would be great--26-52 hours a year would move mountains.
And for its part, APNBA needs to join with others working in concert to solve our issues and their issues. We need to broaden our horizons, broaden our networks and be prepared to make mistakes.
Finally, as the old motivational speaker Zig Ziglar is prone to say, we need a check up from the neck up. We need to adjust our attitude so that we work positively, aggressively and constantly to create a stronger and better business environment for Portland. We need to assume responsibility for representing the business interests and in the process of advocating for our needs, to seek for synergy and compatibility. In the words of first century Jewish scholar and teacher Hillel,
What's in it for me?
Your membership and meeting attendance could be decreasing because of the economy, 9/11, or perceived low value. The only one of these reasons you can control is value.
Basically, two kinds of people join associations and attend meetings. First are the members that support their association regardless. The others generally expect to get more out of the association than they put into it. They expect a greater amount of return than they pay in dollars and time.
To bring back association backsliders, every association executive and his/her board members should ask, “How do we deliver more value and how do we demonstrate the value that we currently offer?”
One suggestion is to produce an Association Value brochure to show businesses the value of affiliation. An example would be:
$300 for monthly business information.
$200 networking value at monthly meetings.
$200 for image associated with membership.
$200 for publicity and exposure through membership.
TOTAL VALUE = $900 -- DUES = $45
Any smart business leader can see that it makes good sense to join and receive such value for their money.
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Using E-mail to communicate
When should you use e-mail as part of your business association’s communications? That depends entirely on how many wired businesses you have and what you want/need to say to them. Short messages, meeting minutes, email newsletters, and list-serves can all be used to contact a lot of people as quickly as possible without spending money on printing and postage.
E-mail communications programs are most successful when they have clearly defined goals. For example, you may want to announce meetings, encourage businesses to sign a petition or attend an important event. Whatever your primary initiative, good e-mails can also be used to publicize your association and its web site. This simple checklist will help you determine if your e-mail is ready to send:
Will readers know who sent the e-mail? Clearly identify your organization as the source.
Will readers know how to contact your organization? Always include your organization's e-mail address, postal address, Web site address, phone and fax numbers. Include the name, title and phone number of someone in your organization who can be contacted if readers have questions.
Will readers want to open the message? Make the subject line compelling or provocative — never leave it blank! The subject line determines whether someone opens and reads your message, or deletes it unread.
Will readers know if the e-mail is timely?Always include the date of distribution and the date by which action is requested. If your e-mail is compelling enough, it could circulate online for years without people knowing it is too late to participate in the particular initiative you're advocating.
Will readers understand why action is important? Include clear, concise background information and the key point(s) to communicate. Don't assume the reader will be familiar with the issue.
Will readers know what action to take? Be specific about how the reader can help. Include the postal address or phone number if you are asking readers to write letters or make phone calls.
Are you sure of the facts? E-mails can literally be forwarded to thousands of people in minutes. Because you won't know exactly who sees your e-mail, factual errors aren't easily corrected. Make sure the information is correct before you hit the "send" key. If you're drafting an e-mail in response to information provided to your organization, make sure it's from a trusted source, or can be verified by a trusted source, before sending it out.
Are you building your base of support? Always include information on how readers can subscribe to or unsubscribe from your e-mail list. And you'll definitely need to include information on how to join your organization!
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Develop presentation skills
If you want to succeed in the business world, you need excellent presentation skills. That advice also applies to your business association.
I make my living writing, but when I became president of Division/Clinton Business Association, I discovered that writing, no matter how good, is not always the way to inform and persuade the many business owners in the area. You have to talk to them.
It was a great leap from writing anonymous documents to walking into a business and speaking to the owner or manager. I have learned that preparing to speak to individuals on any subject is much the same as preparing to speak to a group (or write a document). Here are some things I learned along the way.
Decide what you want to have happen as a result of your presentation
Do you want to impart information clearly and concisely?
What do you want to persuade/motivate your audience to do (donate money, sign-off on a budget, volunteer their time).
Decide who you are talking to.
Should all businesses receive this information?
Does this matter affect only your retail/ property owners/food businesses?
Tailor your presentation to the listener. Tell them what they need to know to make a decision.
Put yourself in the audience's shoes.
What do they know about you/your association?
What do they know about the subject, and what do they want to walk away with?
Putting yourself in their shoes will make the difference between a dull conversation and one that they will enjoy and remember.
Organize your thoughts.
Write down the key points.
Think of stories and data to include in the conversation.
Figure out how to open and close the conversation.
These people are busy and will respect you more if you go in, present your case, ask for a response, and leave again without wasting their time.
While writing the outline, anticipate and answer questions the audience might have.
What are the weak points of your case?
How can you express it another way?
How will their decision benefit them?
Remember who your audience is and their connection to your organization. Be prepared to introduce your district before you can introduce your subject.
Speak from your heart.
Don't be bashful about showing your personal commitment to the ideas you are presenting. The most compelling thing you can do is be real — to be authentically, genuinely yourself — and no one can do that as well as you.
Connect with your audience.
Ask them questions.
Make meaningful eye contact while speaking.
Begin when you are ready.
Take your time. Get centered. Breathe. Focus. Look at your audience. If you get stage fright, acknowledge it and move through it.
Becoming a polished speaker takes time, but it is a skill that can be learned. Use every opportunity you can to speak because the more you do it, the better you become!
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