How to Hit Your Members' Hot Buttons

By Cynthia D'Amour
From How to Turn Generation Me into Active Members of Your Association

Every time you ask your members for a chunk of their time, whether to do committee work or to attend a meeting, a sale takes place.

You are selling an opportunity for their time.
You need WIIFM - what's in it for me?

Your members will make time for that which is important to them. When you ask for their time, make sure you include what they will get out of it--hit their hot buttons with WIIFM.
The more WIIFM YOU include in everything the more active your members will be.

Hot buttons are those little switches in our head that say this is a good opportunity for ME!

Your members' hot buttons reflect the reasons that they joined your chapter- professional development, contributing to greater good or that sense of belonging.

WIIFM and hitting hot buttons is a must for announcements as well as written materials.

For example, "We need people to sell raffle tickets prior to the meeting," is very self-centered - focusing only on chapter needs.

Why should your member help you out?

"We have a great opportunity for someone to sell raffle tickets at our next meeting. You'll have an excuse to start a conversation with anyone. You'll also help send a special student to college this year with the money you collect."

Now you have painted a very different picture. Your member gets help with networking and contributes to a student's education by helping.

You've just hit two possible hot buttons.

The more WIIFM you include in everything you do, the more active your members will be.

How to Turn Generation Me into Active Members of Your Association

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Excerpted from How to Turn Generation Me into Active Members of Your Association, By Cynthia D'Amour, Jump Start Books, 1999

Found in the Energize website library at: http://www.energizeinc.com/art.html