August Newsletter 

Hello [firstname], August 2005 Newsletter Welcome to the August newsletter of the Houston Society of Association Executives.  The summer heat continues to warm up HSAE with new ideas.  If you would like to submit an item for the September newsletter, please send it to pruth@houston.rr.com by Sept. 16. Go West to Hear about Sarbanes-Oxley By Allison Kelley, Vice President and Program Chair With corporate fraud in the news, HSAE will hear how Sarbanes-Oxley laws are likely to affect nonprofit organizations at the 11:30 a.m. luncheon, Aug. 25,  at the Hilton Westchase, 9999 Westheimer in west Houston. The speaker is Terry Frederick, a certified public accountant and audit partner with Blazek & Vetterling, LLP . Frederick joined Blazek & Vetterling, a mid-size accounting firm specializing in nonprofit organizations, in 1998 after 11 years with Deloitte & Touche and eight years with Neighborhood Centers, where he was vice president for finance and administration of the then $80 million organization. He drafted the audit Standard 61 for communication with audit committees. Frederick is a member of the Houston CPA Society, the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, the National Association of Black Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He served on the board of directors for People in Partnership and is a former scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts of America. The cost of the luncheon is $25 for HSAE members; $35 for non-members. For reservations, contact Julie George at 713-341-2747 or email jgeorge@absoluteplanning.com . The President's Message Dear Members, Hello from ASAE in Nashville, TN! I hope that many of you got to come to this national convention. I look forward to sharing great information and updates. We have seen the new logo for the ASAE and Center for Leadership and heard speakers about taking our Associations to the EXTREME. It looks like ASAE and TSAE want to partner more with us in the future and provide excellent education opportunities.  We will be hearing more about this. Have a great month! J. Ralston Creswell, CAE HSAE President 713-977-7706, ext. 6083   Target Leaders: Sponsor Association Day By Jay Hagins, CAE, Association Day Chair   U.S. Congressman Ted Poe will keynote the Ninth Annual Association Day Luncheon sponsored by HSAE on Friday, October 28, 2005. This event will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Houstonian Hotel, 111 North Post Oak Lane in Houston.   Association executives are being encouraged to bring their staff and volunteer leadership to the luncheon.   In connection with Association Day, Affiliate members and others who market to the association industry, are able to showcase a property, product or service by becoming an event sponsor.  Sponsorship benefits include:   A tabletop exhibit to be viewed by attendees Recognition during the luncheon Recognition in the event program (send us your logo in a jpg if you wish) Recognition in the HSAE Newsletter and on our website, www.hsae.org The cost of a sponsorship is $150. Exhibit space is limited.  For more information, contact Jay Hagins with any questions at 713-553-4425 or email jay@haf.org.    Deadline for registrations is Oct. 6, 2005.   Last Month About 35 people turned out to hear Suzanne Penley, speaking to HSAE on her wedding day about "Men Are From Mars and Women Aren't Impressed."  Penley's company, Customer Focused Systems, is a four-time recipient of The Houston 100, an award presented to the Top 100 fastest growing privately held companies. HSAE Vice President Allison Kelley, Romance Writers of America, with the July luncheon speaker Suzanne Penley.

Josena Arquieta, Women Contractors Association, with Jay Hagins, CAE, Houston Advertising Federation and HSAE immediate past president.

HSAE Treasurer Toy Wood, CAE, Greater Houston Builders Association, with Jill Morgan, Houston Publications, and Past President Janet Diaz, CAE, Houston Lawyer Referral Service.

Membership News

By Jo D. Miller

HSAE is about to launch a direct mail campaign to a list we are developing.  If you know executive directors who would benefit from membership in HSAE or affiliate members who might appreciate the exposure, please contact me at jmiller@iremhou.com.

Last chance to form a CAE study group for the December, 2005 exam!

By Jeff Tafel, CAE

To date, three members have expressed an interest in forming a CAE study group, but space is available for more.   Please email Jeff Tafel, CAE, at jeff.tafel@ifma.org  if you are interested by Aug. 31. 

HSAE also has the recently updated CAE study guide available for sale for $75.  This guide is a tremendous resource to 1) prepare for the CAE exam, and 2) a comprehensive overview of the profession of Association Management for anyone who is serious about learning all the aspects of Association Management, even if you aren’t planning on taking the exam right now. 

There are other options for CAE preparation, too.  The Michigan SAE offers an in-depth on-line study and preparation group, and the Center for Association Leadership hosts a 2-day immersion course in DC.  For more information on the CAE and how you can prepare, contact Jeff Tafel at jeff.tafel@ifma.org.  For more information on the CAE, visit www.asaenet.org/cae.  

From Other Sources

Audit Your Marketing Performance: 12 Questions to Ask

By M. Michelle Poskaitis

An association marketing audit should be an honest appraisal, exempt from organizational politics, of what’s working and not working. Here are some key questions to help you get a “quick read” on how well your organization employs sound marketing principles.

…About Marketing Planning

•     Is there a written marketing plan that articulates goals, strategies, and tactics in terms of time, people, and money?

•     Is the marketing plan shared throughout the organization?

Sounds obvious, but many forgo the annual practice of developing a written marketing plan. Admittedly, this requires a hefty dose of discipline. But you can’t achieve a goal without first articulating it, identifying where you are, and determining how to get there. Writing down your goal allows your team to easily share information and avoid unforeseen breakdowns.

. . . About Marketing Research

•     What do our customers want and need, and why?

•     What is our procedure for capturing, storing, and updating customer information?

•     How do we collect, analyze, and act on competitive information?

Staff should be able to articulate a customer profile for each product or service and explain the want or need each product or service satisfies for each customer type.

. . . About Customers/Members

•     Who are the primary customer groups that purchase from us today?

•     Which customers are the most profitable?

The correct answer isn’t necessarily “those who pay us the most per order.” Why? Because, if tracked, you may discover customers who don’t prefer big-ticket items may routinely spend more on multiple purchases over time.

. . . About Cost and Price

•     What is our unit cost for each product or service?

•     How does our pricing compare to similar products or services?

Without an eye toward cost of goods sold and the competition, marketing initiatives will lack any focus on profitability.

. . . About Convenience

•     If our product or service did not exist, how much would it cost a customer in time, money, or other resources to satisfy the same want or need that we are satisfying?

•     Are there multiple venues for customers to acquire the product or service from us? How many?  How efficient are they from the customer’s perspective?

With innumerable options available, ease of use and ease of purchase can turn into a competitive advantage or a deal-breaker. If you offer high quality at competitive prices

and satisfy customers, but make them work too hard to buy, you risk losing sales.

. . . About Brand Communication

•     What is the single primary benefit that will motivate prospects to act?

Listen for a three-sentence answer that articulates the most sustainable benefit that gives the greatest leverage for membership, a product or service, which cannot be owned by any competitors.  If your organization doesn’t own the answer to this question, how will you communicate your value? 

There are no permanent, “right” answers in marketing. Member and customer wants and needs are moving targets, and marketing initiatives require testing and re-testing to find the most profitable formula. As such, the activity of examining your organization’s marketing practices and results is itself germane to more productive marketing. 

Author of the ASAE best-selling book “Smart Marketing for Associations: Marketing Plans That Work," M. Michelle Poskaitis’ expertise includes marketing planning, positioning, messaging and content development. A contributing writer and editor for association trade press, Michelle owns Originations Marketing LLC Contact: mmp@originations.net, 703-836-1956.

© 2005, M. Michelle Poskaitis.  All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Upcoming Dates for HSAE Meetings

Luncheon: Thursday, August 25, Hilton Westchase, 9999 Westheimer

TSAE Conference: September 11-13, Galveston, TX Robert Morris will be speaking at the TSAE Annual Conference in Galveston on September. 12th and will review several best selling books on Leadership.   For more information on this conference, click here: https://www.tsae.org/Staticpages/Conference/2005/General.htm

Wine Tasting: Thursday, September 29, The Tasting Room

Luncheon - Association Day: Thursday, October 28 (note date change), Cong. Ted Poe, speaker

CenterPoint Energy – “Power Tools for Nonprofits” Conference: November 16, Reliant Center.  Registration fee will be $49, if early.

Holiday Party/New Officer Installation: Friday, December 30

2005 HSAE Officers

J. Ralston Creswell, CAE, President

713-977-7706 x 6083

Senior Executive Director, American Diabetes Association

Allison Kelley, President-Elect

832-717-5200

Executive Director, Romance Writers of America

Toy Wood, CAE, Treasurer

281-970-8970 x 150

Executive Vice President and CEO of the Greater Houston Builders Association

Jo D. Miller, Secretary

713-783-9225

Executive Director, Houston Chapter Institute of Real Estate Management

Jay Hagins, CAE, Immediate Past President

713-237-9999

President, Houston Advertising Federation

This is an electronic newsletter of the Houston Society of Association Executives.  The deadline for the September newsletter will be Sept. 16. This can be a tool for your association and your professional growth, so send your items generously to pruth@houston.rr.com.  To opt out of this newsletter, please email Aaron Long at along@schipul.com.