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Start smart recruitment and retention webinar
This document provides guidance for strengthening a chapter through second semester recruitment and retention efforts. It outlines goals for recruitment campaigns, including hosting a welcome back party and targeting underclassmen and business students. Benefits of joining include sharpening business skills, earning scholarships, and gaining leadership experience. Tips are provided for effective networking and using various strategies like posters and social media. The document also discusses programs and events for retaining current members through the end of the school year.
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Start smart recruitment and retention webinar
- 1. $tart $mart A Guideto Second Semester Recruitment and Retention
- 2. Membership Recruitment ď‚— Awell-planned, aggressive second semester recruitment campaign can strengthen a chapter and increase its membership.
- 3. Recruitment: Goals &Game Plans Get New Members What to Say What to Do Where to Look Second Semester Business Reasons to Join Welcome Back Invitations Students Party Scholarships, Networking, Underclassmen Travel, Leadership, Fun
- 4. Recruitment: FBLA-PBL Benefits ď‚—Students: ď‚— Sharpen Business Skills ď‚— Become Leaders ď‚— Meet People ď‚— Earn Scholarships ď‚— Gain Community Service Experience ď‚— Earn Recognition ď‚— Travel
- 5. Recruitment: Networking Tips  Be Curious  Everyone loves to talk about him or herself  Ask open-ended questions like “What are your hobbies and interests?”  Be Brief  If you can’t interest someone in what you are saying, you are probably taking too long to say it  Be Courteous  Learn the person’s name and use it frequently  Smile  Be Direct  Use eye-contact (body language is important)  Be Enthusiastic  It’s contagious!
- 6. Recruitment: Strategies ď‚— Createposters, brochures, and bulletin boards ď‚— Create an exhibit booth or have a table in a high traffic area ď‚— Show pictures of past members in fun displays ď‚— Create chapter T-shirts ď‚— Give away food or candy ď‚— Use FBLA-PBL membership poster and membership videos
- 7.
- 8. Recruitment: Membership Recognition Programs ď‚— February Frenzy ď‚— Sign up online ď‚— Sponsored by National Officers ď‚— Help recruit and retain members ď‚— Membership Madness and Mania ď‚— Recruit 5 or 10 members ď‚— Membership Achievement ď‚— Equal or beat previous year membership totals ď‚— 100% Class Participation ď‚— All students in one class join FBLA-PBL
- 9.
- 10. Recruitment & Retention: Attend the NLC ď‚— PBL: June 22-25 ď‚— FBLA: June 27-June 30
- 11. Retention: Meetings  Advertisechapter meetings  Make meetings productive and fun – implement icebreakers  Have a solid agenda
- 12. Retention: BAA, CMAP,MAP ď‚— Encourage your members to participate in ď‚— BAA (FBLA) ď‚— MAP (FBLA-ML) ď‚— CMAP (PBL)
- 13. Retention: National Programs ď‚—Stock Market Game ď‚— Virtual Business Challenge ď‚— America Saves Week ď‚— Operation Enterprise ď‚— Brainbench ď‚— i-SAFE ď‚— Junior Tours
- 14. Recruitment & Retention:Celebrate FBLA-PBL Week ď‚— February 10-16, 2013
- 15. Retention: Plan Newsworthy Activities
- 16. Retention: Focus onCommunity Service
- 17. Retention: PD Engagement Activities  The Thursday of FBLA- PBL Week is “Professional Division Engagement Day”  Invite PD members and other business and community leaders to speak at a local chapter meeting.
- 18. Retention: Connect with National Officers ď‚— Google Hangouts ď‚— Request by e-mailing the officer you want to meet with ď‚— Skype ď‚— http://go.fbla.org/FBLASkypeRequest
- 19. Questions ď‚— If werun out of time and are not able to answer your question, you will receive an individual e-mail response. ď‚— Contact us anytime at general@fbla.org
- 20.
- 21. FBLA-PBL Week Forum ď‚—FBLA, PBL, and Professional Division National Presidents kick off FBLA-PBL Week ď‚— Bring plenty of questions ď‚— Monday, February 11 ď‚— 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Editor's Notes
- #2 DONNIE:Welcome to FBLA-PBL’s webinar titled, “$tart $mart – A Guide to Second Semester Recruitment and Retention.”.This session will offer tips for recruiting members and keeping them active, and will explain why it's never too late to recruit more members. My name is Donnie Iorio and I serve as this year’s PBL National President. I will be on today’s webinar along with FBLA-PBL Membership Director Lisa Smothers. We will provide recruitment strategies, ideas for keeping members involved, and will focus on how members and advisers can use national programs including FBLA-PBL Week to motivate both current members and recruit new ones. I will also serve as today’s moderator. We encourage you to submit questions at any time during the broadcast using the GoToWebinar tool bar at the top right of your screen. We will go over questions at the end of this presentation.Just as a reminder, we will be recording this webinar at will be available to download on our YouTube channel tomorrow. And don’t forget to update your social media status to let everyone know you’re taking part in today’s webinar!Ok. I will now turn it over to our Membership Director, Lisa Smothers.
- #4 LISA:Chapters that are successful in increasing membership numbers have found that the key to growth is a well-planned and aggressive recruitment strategy. Set a goal for your chapter. How many new members would you like to gain? It’s always good to overshoot your goals and set high expectations. Next, make a game plan. Create a list of steps you will take in order to recruit your new members. What kind of people are you looking to attract? How will you advertise? What will you say once you have their attention?Now here’s Donnie to explain how to promote the benefits of FBLA-PBL.
- #5 DONNIE:Thank you, Lisa. Before your officers and chaptermembers can recruit new members, they must be proud of FBLA-PBL. Ask them, why did you join? Or if they are an officer, why did you decide to run for office? Tell them to have a prepared elevator speech (No more than 30 seconds to a minute long) to give to anyone who asks about FBLA-PBL. The mission is also an excellent place to start: “Our mission is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs.”And here is my elevator speech…(DONNIE’S ELEVATOR SPEECH)
- #6Â DONNIE:Coach your officers and members on how to talk to prospective members. They should be curious, be brief, be courteous, be direct, and, most importantly, BE ENTHUSIASTIC! Next, Lisa will talk about some things you can do to promote your recruitment events.
- #7 LISA:Thank you, Donnie.Active, long term members are vital to your chapter’s success. They are your source of leadership, serve as important role models for new members, and carry the torch into the next year. Get them involved in your recruitment activities. Have them distribute brochures and information packets about your chapter activities to potential members who visit your meetings.Tabling is among the most effective recruitment strategies. Members could take shifts at an informational table in high traffic areas such as: different sporting events, in the student union or cafeteria, or at an activities fair.An effective table or booth is colorful, interactive, and informative. Try having candy at the table, showing a membership video, or displaying a chapter scrapbook.
- #8 Lisa: Our members have grown up with technology, so use it to your advantage and publicize your recruitment events where students spend their time -- on social media! Use social media to get your recruitment message out to potential members. And encourage your existing members to Like, Share and Retweet your posts – it helps to amplify your message.Connect with prospective members on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. That way you’ll have multiple ways to let them know about upcoming events and activities. And don’t forget to post pictures afterwards!If you have not done so already with your current members, record their cell phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and social media profiles. Don’t forget to connect with the National Center on Facebook at Facebook.com/FutureBusinessLeaders and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FBLA_National
- #9 DONNIE: FBLA-PBL offers several incentives to local chapters and members to help build membership. February Frenzy. This NEW national program, sponsored by your FBLA and PBL National Officer teams, is designed to help chapters recruit new members and engage existing members in new and creative ways. Sign up and ignite your chapter membership numbers!FBLA and PBL members of chapters that successfully complete the February Frenzy program and attend the 2013 National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, California, will receive special conference ribbons that designate them as February Frenzy participants. For FBLA, the designated project manager will receive a special recruitment pin. Check the home page for more details. The deadline for this program is February 28 so there is still time to participate.Members recruiting either 5 or 10 new members are rewarded with a certificate of recognition through theMembership Madness and Membership Mania programs.Chapters are recognized with certificates of recognition for maintaining or increasing their membership totals from the previous year or signing up all students in one class for FBLA-PBL. Please note: you may only receive 100% class participation for one class each year.Please take advantage of these programs – you will build your membership numbers as well as receive recognitionApril 1 is the deadline for these awards.
- #10 LISA:Many state and local chapters are adding a blog to their local chapter Web sites. Blogs are a great place to post recruitment videos and important, timely updates to your local chapter membership including the dates and times of local chapter meetings and special events.Once there, you can link the information to your Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin accounts and send it to some friends to pass on to their friends—recruitment at its best!FBLA-PBL also has a National Blog that contains information on programs, officer articles, and links to successful projects and activities. Check it out when you get a chance!
- #11 DONNIE:Two of the biggest benefits that FBLA-PBL members receive from joining our organization are leadership skills and travel. Make plans now to attend this year’s NLC which willbe held in Anaheim, California where members and advisers will network with business leaders, gain new leadership skills, and travel to the home of Mickey Mouse.2013 CONFERENCE DATES PBL NLC June 22–June 25 FBLA NLC June 27–June 30 Start making plans to attend now!Remember: in order to be eligible to compete at the National Leadership Conference in Anaheim this Summer, FBLA national dues must be paid by March 1 and PBL national dues must be paid by April 15.
- #12 LISA: We’ve just covered strategies for recruitment, and we’re going to move on to Retention now.However, keep in mind that, when it comes to membership, “retention” is just another word for recruitment – always invite prospective members to attend your day-to-day events, such as chapter meetings and community service activities.Let’s talk about promoting your meetings.Great flyer or poster locations for advertising chapter meetings include libraries, departmental bulletin boards, and progressive hang-outs. Chalk general meeting announcements in high traffic areas around campus.And, as Nikitas just mentioned, use your social media networks to get the word out.Make the most out of your meetings by keeping members interested and engaged at the meetings that they attend. Invite guest speakers, plan interactive activities, present awards, recognize members for achievements, or have your meetings hosted by other groups and organizations (and invite their members to join!). Don’t just hold a meeting for meeting’s sake. Set out to make the best use of each member’s time.
- #13 DONNIE: FBLA-PBL offers a program call the Business Achievement Awards (BAA) for FBLA; the Middle Level Achievement Awards (MAP) for FBLA-ML, and the Career and Membership Achievement Awards (CMAP) for PBL. These unique recognition programs are designed to grow and retain local chapter membership through activities and projects with special emphasis on career development and preparation for the business world.Encourage ALL of your members to take part in these programs. Remember, for the BAA and CMAP programs, advisers must register students in the Adviser Area of the Web site before students can log on. These two programs are offered online and all forms are interactive with no paperwork! If you need help registering your students for the BAA and CMAP, contact Ms. Smothers at membershipdir@fbla.orgThe entry forms for the MAP program are located in the Chapter Management Handbook.March 1 is the deadline for all three programs with the exception of the America level of the BAA program – the deadline for this level is April 25.
- #14 DONNIE:Our curriculum-related programs provide members with unique opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge that they are learningin the classroom. Let’s focus on two programs that your local chapter can take advantage of: America Saves is a program of the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) centered around America Saves Week (February 19-26), and is a national effort aimed at teaching and motivating students to save money. CFA provides training to advisers and students, materials, resources, and many events are sponsored by business partners and include cash awards.i-SAFE, a non profit foundation and worldwide leader in Internet Education, offers online training for members to get involved in service learning activities ranging from conducting student assemblies to speaking to parent groups.Information on these programs and all of our partners can be found on the Chapter Management Handbook or online under Membership Benefits.
- #15 LISA: During FBLA-PBL Week (February 10-16) our chapters throughout the country are celebratingby publicizing their activities that include everything from FBLA-PBL t-shirt day to Adviser Appreciation Day. Remember, celebrating this week can serve as a springboard to celebrating the entire month of February for Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. How can you get ready? Continue to plan different activities throughout the month – it could be sponsoring a guest speaker at a meeting, hosting a chapter etiquette dinner, job shadowing, sponsoring a business fair, or manning an informational booth to get the word out to prospective members. Other events for FBLA-PBL Week include: Dress to Win Wednesday, on February 13, where all members are encouraged to wear professional attire, take a group photo, and post it to our National Facebook Page. And, don’t forget --It’s not too late to recruit. Use this week of fun activities to invite students to participate. Host a pizza party, movie night, field trip, or any other fun activity to attract more members. Keeping your members interested and involved is the key to retention.
- #16 LISA: Get noticed --- Make sure your school, local media, business, policy makers, and the community know about CTE Month! Invite community leaders or State Officers to attend your chapter meetings and communicate with public officials by writing and visiting them. This is a good opportunity to take pictures and write news stories.Plan a group outing during FBLA-PBL Week such as attending a professional sports game and then take a group photo for the newspaper.And why not make your outing a recruitment event – don’t forget to invite prospective members to your outings and activities.Take it a step further and make sure your chapter is in the news throughout the year. Media looks for news that is timely, includes high resolution photos, and is of interest to the community—student award winners, group events, unique fund-raisers, and projects are all great things that your chapter reporter can focus on when preparing news releases for the community, school newspaper, or Web site. Oftentimes, journalists look for a hook to a story. Instruct your officers that when writing news releases, use words like, “Local,” “First-ever,” “Best,” “Largest.”
- #17 DONNIE: Saturday, February 16, is National FBLA-PBL Community Service Day. If you have not planned something,there is still time! You could even plan a project for later in the month, but promote it to your members now!Serviceactivities help your chapter get involved and contribute directly to the community. Members recognize the importance of being responsible citizens and form networks with business and community leaders. Service learning helps your members:Learn about real-world issues, concerns, and needs.Matches members’ strengths with community needs.Provides practical experience in planning and organizing.Develops leadership skills.Builds recognition and goodwill for the chapter.Teaches satisfaction of a job well done.Activities could include working with the March of Dimes, volunteering at a homeless shelter, conducting a blood drive, developing community improvement projects, or developing a project with any other service organization.
- #18Â DONNIE:This year, your Professional Division National Officer Team is again sponsoringProfessional Division Engagement Day.During this day, chapters are encouraged to plan activities that involve local business leaders. For example: invite PD members and other business and community leaders to speak at a local chapter meeting to share his/her expertise or to talk about some aspect of business.
- #19Â DONNIE: And finally, remember that your National Officers are just a Skype or phone call away. This Fall semester, Jake has skyped into several local and state chapter meetings. And Taylor has been busy fielding phone calls and text messages from our new Officer Hotline. The numbers to call are listed on the screen. And if YOU would like to arrange a Skype call with Jake or Taylor, fill out the request form at go.fbla.org/FBLASkypeRequest.
- #20 DONNIE: OK . . . We had a number of questions submitted during the presentation, and we’ll start getting to those now. If we run out of time, wewill e-mail you individually to answer any question that we were not able to get to.The first question . . . .
- #22 DONNIE: Ok, that’s all the time we have for today. Please don’t miss next month’s LIVE FBLA-PBL Week Kick-off which will be hosted by our three divisions presidents.Also, don’t forget you can find all of our past webinars archived on our YouTube channel as well as on the national Web site Media Gallery. They’re a great resource to include in your next chapter meeting!Thankyou all for attending and I hope you have a great week!