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Thank Your Chamber Board Members

In a previous discussion in our Chamber Professionals Group on Facebook, a member asked about Christmas gifts for board members.

chamber board gift

This time, someone asked about gifts for outgoing board members. You’ll note my advice is very different for these two occasions.

My take is that you want people in the community to know how prestigious it is to be on the board of directors of the local chamber of commerce.

It is the height of recognition and success in your community and you get that by treating your board members as if they are superstars, as if you are so lucky to have them that you almost have to pinch yourself. These astounding, successful, prestigious, A-list on the social circuit people are on your board! People like that deserve a public recognition at the end of their term.

Awards Honor Service and Bestow Prestige

 

Out-going board members deserve a plaque, or a clock, or some kind of a gift that they can put on their desk or on their wall. That way when other people from the community are in their office, they can be reminded of their service. “Wow. You were on the board of directors of the chamber? Very nice.”

It’s very impressive. There’s a lot of credibility and authority there, which I talk about in the book 7 Secret Laws of Society.

You want your community to perceive your chamber as the most prestigious organization in the region. The board members, therefore, are the most prestigious board members of any organization in the region. They need to be celebrated.

It’s not very expensive and recognition needs to be done publicly. Take a picture of your board member with the gift/trophy/plaque/award of service and post it to Facebook, thanking them and recognizing their service. Laud them. Bestow your approbation.

Make them feel like celebrities because that’s what they are due to the fact that your organization is the most special one in the community.

Do this consistently and you will have a waiting list of potential board members. Treat your board members like they are a burden to you and you will find slim pickens when looking for top talent.

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Frank Kenny is a successful entrepreneur, chamber member, chamber board member, chamber board of directors chair, and chamber President/CEO. He now coaches chamber professionals, consults with chambers, trains staff and members, and speaks professionally. He helps Chambers and Chamber Professionals reach their goals. See full bio.

Christina R. Green teaches chambers, associations and small businesses how to connect through content. Her articles have appeared in the Midwest Society of Association Executives’ Magazine, NTEN.org, AssociationTech, and Socialfish. She is a regular guest blogger on this site and Event Managers Blog. Christina is just your average bookish writer on a quest to bring great storytelling to organizations everywhere.Visit her site or connect with her on Twitter @christinagsmith.
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