From my perspective, a good approach to help engage and build relationships with Candidates and Affiliates is to focus on three major aspects; 1. in-person chapter meetings, 2. in-person social activities, and 3. online social network connections.
In Seattle, we host a candidate/affiliate meeting one hour prior to the main chapter dinner. This is a great way to meet each other and get familiar with names and faces. We typically host at least four of these events a year. Also, we have had a variety of interesting topics and presenters that focus on the needs of newer appraisers who are in the process of developing their skills. Here is a brief list of some of the topics:
1. Presentation going over the AI website features and updates, as well as COP’s.
2. Panel discussion with 3-4 experienced designated members regarding their career paths. (See attachment for talking points and outline of the event).
3. Panel discussion with 3-4 professionals from complimentary industries to talk informally about how they interact with appraisers. (i.e. an Architect, and Land Use Attorney, and an Environmental Specialist).
4. Presentation from a experienced appraiser who has been published in the Appraisal Journal. He discussed what the Journal looks for in an article submission, as well as provide a behind-the-scene take on the editing and selection process, as well as providing writing and presentation tips.
5. Presentation from a marketing/PR expert who explained and demonstrated how to use sites like Linked-in, as well as other useful online networking sites.
At our last event we even put on a raffle for a $200 education voucher for Candidates who attended the meeting. However, I think it would be quite easy to incorporate a multi-user Skype session to allow remote candidate members, or members who can’t attend in person, to be apart of the meeting. This may double or even triple the attendance numbers.
These are just a few ideas that had a pretty big attendance and interest. Please share with me any past program ideas that you enjoyed so I can pass the ideas along.
On a side note, these meeting are a way for emerging leadership to practice public speaking on a smaller scale, which is great preparation for future chapter roles.
As for in-person social networking activities, we try to hold at least one event outside of the chapter in a more casual setting. Last year we met a trendy bar for drinks and small talk. I find it’s best to hold these events in late summer (August or September). This will give people the opportunity to get familiar with each other from the prior chapter meetings held earlier in the year.
Lastly, online social networking, especially Linked-in, has been a great asset in organizing, promoting, and connecting candidates with information that is relevant to them. When we set out to create a Candidate Linked-in group, we were hoping for 15 to 25 members, (based on typical attendance at chapter meetings). However, we ended up with 166 members (mostly local candidates and affiliates). Our reach and exposure was exponentially greater than we thought.
We use the group to promote chapter Candidate events and news, relay messages from the Chapter and National, promote local courses and online seminars, as well as provide a general forum for appraisal-related discussions. What’s great about this venue is that it provides ground-up communication from local emerging appraisers, as well as top-down communication from National and the Chapter.
Please feel free to reach out to me at any time.
Thank you
Patrick M. Lamb, MAI (Region 1 Candidate Liaison)
