April EO Update


Did Our Referrals Become Members?

The revamped WBA website has a new focus on providing quality prospective member referrals to our locals. We've redone our "Join" section and we've also examined our processes of member referral and follow-up.

In the past, prospects who showed up to our site and were interested in joining were referred to their local without much additional information and with no real follow-up or confirmation of what happened to them. This is far from ideal, as we all know that every additional step someone has to take in a purchasing process makes them that much less likely to complete the purchase.

While NAHB is working on an application process that will cage prospects more definitively from the start and allow locals to follow-up with their specifics, the WBA needs a consistent process that cuts through the clutter and actively tracks what prospects become members. This is also an integral part of us understanding how our non-member outreach efforts with Sortis (our digital marketing partner) are working.

We have developed a template response that the EO or membership manager at your local will be cc'd to. This template response will also contain a link to your website and a link to your online application. If you do not have an online application, a PDF of your application will be attached to the email.

You can view the template here.

HELP US, PLEASE! THREE THINGS:

  • If you have a PDF application, let us know any time you change or update your application
  • Would you like to be cc'd or do you have a staff member you would prefer? Let us know.
  • Please cc or bcc Samantha (slong@wisbuild.org) in the initial response you make to the prospect so she can confirm the connection has been made, or she'll nag you :) 

Optionally, if you would like to let us know when the prospect joins, we'd welcome the news! However, we will be checking the new member list in the WMS for 3 months after the prospect first reaches out. Keeping a log, we will be able to reach out again for future follow-up/conversion. 

We are excited to take up an active role in recruitment and look forwarding to growing membership with you! 
 

New EO Resources Section & Past Materials Library

Have you checked out the new EO Resources Section yet? Here's why you should!

  • All past EO Updates and any other pertinent EO communications are now available under EO News for easy access
  • Filtered recruitment lists by local via DSPS are coming VERY soon
  • WBA and WB Foundation logo files in various colors, orientations, and more are available
  • The NAHB Local Impact Study 2018 results have been released and are available for download
  • The latest affinity partner, event, and recruitment flyers now available for download

You'll also find classic features such as the Advocacy Digest, an EO directory, NAHB membership reports, and political fundraising information.

Besides this, we've put together a Past Materials Library located under "Members/Governance Resources" that contains any special materials or powerpoints that were presented at past Member Meeting Days.
 

Filtered DSPS Recruitment Lists Coming Very Soon

In the past year, the WBA  has worked with a data management company to turn the credentialed builders list from the Wisconsin Department of Safety & Professional Services into something more efficient!

In its raw form (which is currently available for download on the EO Resources page), the list contains a wide variety of licenses outside of just dwelling contractors, and it is not easily sorted into counties or territories. There is also no easy way to remove existing members.

The data management company has been able to turn this list into something more useful by assigning zip codes to local HBA territories, and then cross-referencing the existing WBA member list in an attempt to weed out as many existing members as possible. For the time being, we've focused just on builders with DC/DCQ licenses, though we may expand this in the future.

The WBA is using this list as part of its digital marketing strategy to contact non-members each month with useful information about the building industry and what the WBA and locals do on their behalf. However, we want to share these non-member lists with each local so they can use in their own marketing efforts!

Please stay tuned - in the next week or two, all of these lists will be available on the EO Resources page, and you will receive a special email!
 

NAHB Leadership Training Seminar

Friendly reminder that in place of this year's EO Summit, the NAHB will be hosting Leadership Training for Executive Officers and local leaders (such as HBA presidents) on Thursday, October 25th at SentryWorld in Stevens Point. The tentative calendar for the day is as follows:

8:30 - 9:00 AM: Networking/breakfast

9:00 - 11:45 AM: Team Planning - designed specifically for the Executive Officer and incoming HBA President, this session helps build a solid foundation for an effective, communicative partnership. The seminar explores leadership management styles of presidents and EOs, and provides an opportunity for participants to set their leadership goals for the coming year. This interactive program will help define the roles and responsibilities of board and staff by brainstorming real-world scenarios and creating clear strategies for success.

12:00 - 12:45 PM: Lunch

1:00 - 2:30 PM: SPLIT SESSION - Membership & Generational Preferences (learn more about your HBA's competitive advantage, organizational culture, and what prospects value and want across all generations) - and - Getting the Most out of the WBA and NAHB

2:45 - 4:15 PM: Running Effective Meetings: Don't underestimate the value of a well-run meeting. Identify strategies to transform your board room into a ground base for innovation, productivity, and meaningful discussion.

4:15 - 4:30 PM: Wrap-Up
 

WB Foundation Scholarships Reminder: Deadline June 15th!

The WB Foundation is accepting applications for its scholarship programs through June 15th!

Last year, the Foundation awarded five scholarships for students going into the trades. We can't wait to award more!

The WB Foundation has its own scholarship program and a matching grant scholarship program to be paired with local association scholarships. 

You can learn more by clicking here.
 

Complaint Procedures Follow-Up: Pretty Please with Sugar on Top?

We here at the WBA want to know what systems you have in place to handle consumer complaints, because we're working on developing our own system for quickly and efficiently handling consumer complaints we receive at the state level. It is vital that we know your systems so we know how best to direct consumers in particular territories.

The more we know about your local's systems, the better we can work to deescalate situations and make the best first impression we can of our associations!  

We've been asking since January, but we still have not received responses from 15 locals:

  • Brown County HBA
  • Chippewa Valley HBA
  • Door County HBA
  • Golden Sands HBA
  • Headwaters HBA
  • Heart of the North HBA
  • La Crosse Area BA
  • Lakeland BA
  • Manitowoc County HBA
  • Mid-Shores HBA
  • Northland Area BA
  • Racine-Kenosha BA
  • Sheboygan County HBA
  • South Central WI BA
  • Wolf River BA

Please please PLEASE help us complete this survey by sending a quick email to Samantha at slong@wisbuild.org with what structures/policies you currently have or don't have in place to deal with consumer complaints.  

Alicia NaleidComment