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By Lucretia DiSanto Jones

When a group of insurance and financial advisors talks about making it through tough times, three concepts usually surface: remain committed to your clients, hang in there, and deliver quality—or lose your clients.

Chuck Olson, CFP, CLU, ChFC, immediate past president of NAIFA-Omaha, shared similar sentiments when Advisor Today asked him what his association did to rise to Diamond Association status in 2001-02.

If you build it…
Olson, encouraged by his general manager, joined the association 12 years ago. “After seeing the importance of it, what it does, the friends and acquaintances I've made, it made sense to stay,” he says. Since then, Olson moved up through the chairs and last year served as president.

It’s that kind of commitment that helped him and the rest of the association’s board straighten the once tilting ship. NAIFA-Omaha, like many associations, had experienced a trend of declining membership for a few years.

The board didn't run from the problems it faced. Instead, it hit the problem head on and made a commitment to make the association grow. "I was amazed at what was accomplished by people who still had to go out and earn a living, run their own businesses," says Olson. "Association leadership stepped up to the plate and really made things happen. That's what makes membership grow, what makes the association stronger."

“Association leadership stepped up to the plate and really made things happen. That's what makes membership grow, what makes the association stronger.”

—Charles Olson

… they will come
NAIFA-Omaha orchestrated a makeover of sorts for the association. "We went to work putting products and benefits in place that our members want. You can't ask people to join an association unless you're giving them what they want.”

For one, the board revamped the association's monthly speaker program. "We tended to bring in no-cost or little-cost speakers, whether or not they were good. Members were telling us that we needed to do better. It all came together last year for the first time when we used the dues structure as a way to pay for quality speakers," says Olson.

The association also pumped up its professional development offerings with one-hour meetings prior to the monthly general membership meetings. For example, a premeeting may be held for agents with less than two years in the business. It helps the new agents become accustomed to the association, and for many, it's what keeps them in the business. It also keeps them interested in the association. "They remember that it was the association that helped them stay in the business," says Olson.

NAIFA-Omaha also takes advantage of the Programs in a Box available from NAIFA national. "Members can receive free CE for being at the meeting. It's another benefit for our membership," Olson says, and the bulk of the work is already done.

Top-notch leaders
To successfully transform an association of any size, leadership must be willing to listen. “As part of our strategic plan, we surveyed our membership. We wanted to know what will make them continue to send in their dues," says Olson. Next, association leadership must learn to delegate responsibility for the many tasks that need to be tackled. "When you do," he says, "you find others become stronger supporters of the association because they're involved. They go out and get others involved, who then get others. The more people are involved, the more likely you'll retain them."

A cut above the rest
Board commitment, attention to member needs, strong programs and benefits, and word of mouth paid off for NAIFA-Omaha. Its membership increased from 390 in 2000-01 to 434 last year. "That, I think, is the beginning of a trend that will continue at our local association," says Olson.

Diamond Association is one level of NAIFA's national membership excellence awards. Diamond Association status is granted in recognition of achievement in association management, professional development, public relations, community service, political action and membership.

2001-02 Diamond Associations were Shoals AIFA, Ala.; Sawgrass AIFA, Fla.; Baton Rouge AIFA, La.; NAIFA-Omaha, Neb.; Lehigh Valley AIFA, Pa.; Lynchburg AIFA, Va.; and Western Wisconsin AIFA, Wis.

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