Effective Strategic Alliances from the Pros

Partnering for Profits: Compare to Top Alliance Professionals

A recent study done by the American Management Association and Pearson in collaboration with the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals (ASAP) titled, “Today’s Alliance Professional...Tomorrow’s Strategic Leader” offers some very insightful information.

In examining strategic alliance professionals who identified themselves as “top experts in the field” the researchers wanted to see how those alliance professionals differed from ones who identified themselves as novices and moderately proficient. The “top experts” differed from their peers in several ways. The key findings were:

* “Top experts” are even more independent and sociable than most strategic alliance professionals.

* They are also higher in critical thinking and in leadership orientation.

* Finally, they possess a higher level of concern for others, which means that they have a strong empathic connection with people. When we look at the overall profile of top strategic alliance experts; areas where they differ from their peers as well as areas of similarity; a pattern emerges:

* Top experts appear to be very dynamic individuals who care about and connect with people; they positively influence and motivate others.

* They are constantly reaching out and networking with people.

* They are also very strategic and likely to find and create opportunities to use their critical thinking skills and independent and innovative style.

* On the other hand, they are likely to feel bogged down if required to devote energy to a lot of strict procedural demands and attention to details. They would suffer if forced to work within a bureaucratic environment.

You can read more about my perspective on the fine points of alliance development at:

http://www.Rigsbee.com/morearticles.htm (Permission to reprint my articles is also there.)

Executive Presentation Skills: From Ed’s Bookshelf

This week I’d like to share with you the 12 rules for speaking success from James Anderson’s book (published 1989) titled, “Speaking to Groups, Eyeball to Eyeball.” Good ideas, all of them. One caution…have a script, but do not read your script.

1. Find your action objective.

2. Know your audience.

3. Build from the closing.

4. Hook your audience instantly.

5. Create a script.

6. Keep a sharp focus.

7. Use good delivery.

8. Add impact with visuals.

9. Sell them with persuasion.

10. Keep a positive attitude.

11. Be totally prepared.

12. Follow up your success.

Executive Public Speakers, Professional Speakers, and Emerging Professional Speakers; please visit http://www.SucceedInSpeaking.com for additional ideas, assistance, and resources.

Trade Association & Professional Society Executives: Get the Membership Two-fer

How good is your membership recruitment brochure? This is a great time to take a look. In order to combine a member recruitment campaign along with a member retention campaign, you need to have a four-color pocket sized tri-fold brochure, you know, one that neatly fits in a #10 envelope. And the brochure had better address the benefits, rather than the features of membership. Features are what you get when you join, and the benefits are how those features make your life better—by helping you to get more customers, make more money, keep the best employees, and benefits like that.

The way you get a two-fer is to motivate your current members to call on prospective members. Have a class at your next conference going over all the benefits your association delivers—your members will need to attend to get “up to speed” on the benefits so they can talk about those benefits. And, what are you doing? You are reinforcing in the minds’ of your current members that they made a good decision in joining themselves…go for the two-fer!

If you need help with this, give me a call at 800-839-1520, I mean it.

Association Executives may access association growth articles and member recruitment campaign information at http://www.GrowingYourAssociation.com

Improving Supplier Relationships

Partnering for Profits: Supplier Relationships

Yes, this is a great time to squeeze your suppliers for an extra nickel. The economy sucks, everyone is scrambling, and you want to get more than your fair share—it’s just looking out for my company you might say.

Don’t do it!!!

You might not think so now, but your suppliers really are the lifeblood of your company. Without your suppliers, you’d have nothing to sell or service to offer. Sure it is natural to want to take advantage of a situation. But hear me loud and clear—stick it to your suppliers now, and when things get better, they’ll remember.

By partnering with your suppliers in both good times and bad, you will be making superior “Relationship Bank Deposits” in anticipation of future withdrawals. If you have not yet done it; have meetings with your key suppliers and ask for their recommendations for process and supply chain improvement, especially in this lousy economic time. I’m pretty sure they will have a few recommendations that you have not yet implemented.

You can read more about my perspective on the fine points of alliance development at:

http://www.Rigsbee.com/morearticles.htm (Permission to reprint my articles is also there.)

Executive Presentation Skills: Avoid Competing With Yourself

You have most likely seen it; the speaker has a nervous habit, or several. And these habits are completely distracting. In fact, you have a hard time concentrating on what the speaker is saying. Some things to consider that will help you avoid competing with yourself the next time you give a presentation:

Playing with your eyeglasses

Playing with change in your pocket

Continual nervously sipping water

Over using “you know” and “uhhh”

Reading your speech

Dis symmetry in clothing; one coat pocket in and one out, wearing your name badge, or over sized broach

Executive Public Speakers, Professional Speakers, and Emerging Professional Speakers; please visit http://www.SucceedInSpeaking.com for additional ideas, assistance, and resources.

Trade Association & Professional Society Executives: Partner with Your Speakers

I was just reading in the April issue of “Smart Meetings” yet another article on frugal meeting tips and found myself wondering why the author would suggest creating an adversary relationship with speakers. While the author did not say it in so many words, however the author’s recommendations said it loud and clear—limit the number of hotel nights and only give conference registration for one day. Over the last several months, I have been interviewing people that book speakers for my column in “Speaker Magazine” and a frequent criticism is that the speaker runs off after their speech.

You cannot have it both ways. If you want your attendees to have access to your speaker for more than a few minutes—you’ve got to make it work for your speaker. Providing an extra night at your conference hotel is a minimal investment compared to the value your attendees will receive. And registration for only one day—how miserly can you me? It basically costs the association nothing to give a full registration.

In your effort to cut costs, be careful not to cut off your nose to spite your face. If you really are under the budget microscope, then hire only one speaker for your entire conference—that will be the most cost effective approach possible. Your attendees will have more access to the speaker, and besides, you do want your speaker to be your partner in making your meeting successful, don’t you?

Association Executives may access association growth articles and member recruitment campaign information at http://www.GrowingYourAssociation.com

Increased Employee Productivity

Partnering for Profits: Relate Honestly to Employees

How do you, the executive, relate to employees in this tough economic time? First, employees are scared; even if they feel their job is somewhat safe, perhaps a spouse or close family member has recently experienced a lay off? We are all being assaulted several times a day with rotten news about the economy. What are you doing to help your employees overcome this continued negative influence? Perhaps more frequent and more honest information sharing would serve everyone?

Second, your integrity will be their motivator. Your employees want to believe that everything will work out all right. They want to believe in you, and your leadership team. Your integrity in keeping your words and actions consistent will play a huge role in keeping your employees motivated—especially now with cutbacks in pay, benefits, hours, etc. Paint an honest picture, your employees will thank you for it.

You can read more about my perspective on the fine points of alliance development at

http://www.Rigsbee.com/morearticles.htm (Permission to reprint my articles is also there.)

Executive Presentation Skills: Use Mind Pictures

One of the stories that I frequently tell from the platform is about the importance of having the needed skills before one tries to implement. It is a story about when I learned to ski. My goal is to create a picture in the minds of my audience members before I start to use my body as the visual. I start the story with, “I wish you could have been there; it was a sunny fall day in Yosemite National Park at the Badger Pass Ski area…” This conjures something in everyone’s mind. Make your presentations more powerful by frequently painting mind pictures for those in your audience.

Executive Public Speakers, Professional Speakers, and Emerging Professional Speakers; please visit http://www.SucceedInSpeaking.com for additional ideas, assistance, and resources.

Trade Association & Professional Society Executives: Exchange Older Members for New?

(First, I’d like to connect back to last week’s cost cutting. If you need a speaker to perform several activities at your next convention, for a single price, please give me a call at 800-839-1520. Have I got a deal for you!)

Why are senior association members not renewing their membership? ASAE did a study in 1999 and found that 76% did not renew memberships because of value issues. Perhaps the question behind the question might be: Is it smart for your association to let go of their older members in exchange for younger ones? Does a continual membership turnstile really serve the association and its membership?

And another question might be: What would be the cost/benefit ratio analysis to adjust programs, benefits, and membership types to keep the older speakers? (Do they have enough relevant knowledge/skills to benefit the newer members?)

The above questions have never been more relevant. Yes, you want new blood in your association. And yes, you want to honor and value the experience, knowledge and wisdom of the more senior members. While many associations have created groups for younger members, most have not done so for the older members. Creating a special group for your older members will both deliver more specific value to the senior members and possibly add a small additional revenue stream into your coffers.

Association Executives may access association growth articles and member recruitment campaign information at http://www.GrowingYourAssociation.com