communication department

By Suzanna Laurent, Oklahoma Chapter, Associate Fellow

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the October 2003 issue of Leadership Tips, an e-mail bulletin formerly sent to STC leaders by the STC Leadership Tips Committee. The author has updated it for Tieline.

Monitoring a discussion on the president’s listserv made me reminisce about my year as a chapter president. The leaders were discussing how to improve meeting attendance, and that was one of my chief concerns as president, too. Presidents of both large and small chapters shared ideas, solutions, and dreams for getting more members to attend. All presidents seemed to think their chapter had a lower percentage than anyone else at meetings. By comparing notes with others, though, they found out that their attendance wasn’t so bad after all!

Perhaps this means our expectations are too high, but to be successful you must continually strive to improve attendance and educate members about the value of their membership. I’d like to share these tips for building attendance—hopefully there are some new ones you can try:

• Diversity runs rampant within STC—we have a large range of chapter sizes with members in a wide variety of industries—and all of these technical communicators seek fulfillment and a place in STC that helps them meet their needs. Find out what the members’s needs are and offer them a way to meet them, perhaps by learning more about a particular topic or participating in a meeting or project.
• Make the meetings fun—after a long day at work, we need to relax. If you can help them relax at the meeting, you are a step ahead. Some chapters use a relaxation technique at the beginning of their meeting. One California chapter president responded on the listserv that he wears a Santa suit at his chapter’s December meeting, so don’t be afraid to try something new!
• Would meeting at a different time or location help? One month the Oklahoma chapter had a total of thirty-eight of its seventy-seven members attend meetings because we held luncheon meetings in Tulsa and evening meetings in Oklahoma City—that was something we had never tried before.
• Provide programs with a wide variety of interesting topics—don’t forget those entrepreneurs, lone writers, and corporate communicators. Also, don’t forget to take time during the program to help members become better acquainted. There are many ways to accomplish this goal.
• Let people try something new—like introducing the speakers or giving a committee report. Many people need to improve their speaking skills and this is a good way to do it.
• Give door prizes—interestingly enough, several chapter leaders mentioned that the more door prizes they have, the higher their attendance.
• At every meeting, why not recognize one member’s contributions to the chapter that month? Recognition is one of the most powerful motivators, and everyone likes to feel appreciated.
• Members say a great Web site is one of the most useful benefits they have in STC, so use yours to its best advantage. Can members make reservations or pay for their dinners online via your Web site?
• Have you thought about asking members who don’t attend what would get them there or what kind of programs they would like to hear?
• Networking is another big reason members attend meetings, so provide a time when members can visit with one another.
• Do you make members and guests feel welcome? Have someone greet them at the door and introduce them to another person who does similar work.

Because we know how much we benefit from STC, we want others to get the full advantage of the opportunities offered as well. That makes it hard for us to understand why more people don’t attend meetings and get involved. But remember, too, that STC is a prestigious organization, and some people want to belong just so they can put their membership on their résumé; that’s not all bad, because more companies and communicators learn about STC this way!