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March 2010
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Chairman's Message
The other night I heard Dick Vitale, veteran ESPN basketball analyst, mention that he was on Twitter and sent a “twit.” It made me laugh for several reasons. For one, I realized that Dick Vitale is more technologically savvy than me. i also found it hard to believe that Vitale can find a bigger stage than TV, radio and ESPN.com. And lastly he said “twit!” Even I know a message sent through Twitter is called a “tweet.” Currently social media sites are the Internet’s playground. Millions of people are playing in the numerous sandboxes with scores of virtually unknown people being followed by the masses. Of course the race is on for someone to figure out how to make one of these sites into a cash cow. When I was younger, my dad would periodically laugh at me when I had an opinion. He would ask if I had been reading the newspaper again. “You know what they say son,” he’d say, “’it has to be true if they print it,’” and then he would laugh. I cannot help but cringe as I think about an entire generation who is being programmed to believe what it reads. When getting advice online, please consider that every business and individual is able to produce positive feedback and reviews about themselves. And, our current, less than cynical approach, gives a decidedly huge advantage to the unscrupulous. It is for this reason that the only Twitter site I read is “(blank)mydadsays.” I am not sure if the cat who posts the information is actually quoting his dad; yet it really does not matter to me because the content is hilarious. Interestingly, the posts seem to have paid off because the guy has been offered both a book and sitcom deal. Oddly enough, I have never read any other Twitter posts with the exception of an odd tweet that is repeated on the news as a fact. Unfortunately for those who use Twitter, mass media only repeats a tweet when it makes the writer look like an idiot or worse. Seriously, have you seen a tweet used to drive home a brilliant point or observation? No need for research because the answer is no! Consider for a moment that the glass might be half empty. That means the world would all of a sudden recognize that Twitter was a great resource for people with nothing worth saying. It would furthermore demonstrate that LinkedIn was a resource for salespeople trying to open a door through people they did not know. I am not stating that either is the case – just wondering if we are already headed down this path. In an economic environment where chambers are experiencing dwindling revenue and shrinking staffs, I simply remind everyone to stay focused on those things you can actually control. I believe that our Chamber is simply not prepared to play in a meaningful way in any of these playgrounds. We struggle to keep our website up-to-date and battle like crazy to communicate with our members as it is. Diversifying our resources and bifurcating our messaging is just not the right move right now. We will eventually get there. Over the years our industry has given way to many competitors by trying to be all things to all people. For the time being we should remain focused on doing what we do best: gather the right people in the right places at the right times. Doug Holman Circle of Champions 
2010 National Sales Conference Have you heard the buzz, or should I say...the music? For those of you who haven’t heard, here’s the scoop. In 2008 ACCE hosted the first Circle of Champions National Sales Conference in Atlanta. The response following the event was awesome. Valuable tips, tricks and best practice were shared from some of the industry’s best. The event, compacted into a day and a half, even offered a panel discussion from actual members of the local Atlanta chamber on their experiences as chamber members. Where else can you find that? There was even the popular Best Practices session, which is always a favorite at the national ACCE convention. And, that was just the first year for the event! With the success of last year’s sales conference, we just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do it again. So, this year we are heading to Nashville, Tenn., March 25-26. Whether you are a novice or a well-seasoned sales professional, you don’t want to miss it. The Membership Development Division of ACCE raised the bar for 2010. The sessions and keynote speakers are chock full of current, timely and innovative practices to help the membership salesperson excel in today’s market. Let’s face it, times have changed. Sessions will include: Social Media for Membership Sales, Sales Tactics in a Tough Economy, The Members Panel & Roundtable discussions and MUCH MORE! The registration deadline has been extended to March 22; don’t miss out! Check out the full list of sessions and descriptions, conference schedule and travel information HERE. Carrie Subity Network Development
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My apology in advance to anyone hoping that by reading this article you would be introduced to the code unlocking the secrets to using social media. 
