I as a member have a responsibility to my chapter and to LeTip International? Really?
What are my responsibilities? Where do I find what they are and how do I take care of them?
Merriam Webster’s Definition of “responsibility“
1. The quality or state of being responsible.
2. Moral, legal, or mental accountability.
3. Reliability, trustworthiness.
As the definition implies, you have a duty to your chapter members to be the best you can be, period. Each time anyone gives you a warm lead from your LeTip chapter, the member’s reputation is on the line so they are counting on you to give their clients the best service possible in your own industry and take care of their needs as if they were your own family.
There are many responsibilities to your chapter and to LeTip International and you can find most of them listed on the back of your application or contract with LeTip. When you signed your LeTip application, there were some things on there that you agreed to;
a. Agreed to take the New Member training or NTS within the first 60 days of joining. Have you done this? It is designed to show you how to become a great member much faster and support all members within your chapter. If you still haven’t taken the class and it is a year, two years or even longer think about taking the training and learn what you missed that could still help you along the way. Collectively it is information that has been used and proven successful for over 41 years!
b. I understand if I miss too many meetings, I can and will be terminated. I must tell my Vice President if I am going to miss and I am only allowed four “excused” absences per quarter. If I miss a meeting and tell no one ahead of time, I could lose my position in my chapter after two consecutive absences.
c. I agreed to dress like a professional. We are professionals no matter what we do for a living, we want people to have a good first impression of your business. Come to all meetings in clean clothes ready to be introduced to the highest paying client you might ever have. T-shirts, shorts, flip flops are not a professional look nor does it belong in our weekly meetings. Instead, that kind of attire should be saved for a chapter social at the pool.
d. You were asked and you agreed to support every member within the chapter. That means you have tried using their services or products and in the event, you can’t you need to find them business from the outside. In doing so, you create the loyalty we regard so highly in the chapter amongst the members. If someone leaves your chapter you should plan on moving your business to the new member who replaced them. It is all about loyalty remember?
e. You agreed to invite guests. Not for LeTip International, but selfishly to grow your own business. Do you know who your power partners are? You also agreed to sponsor a new member in your first year. You have an entire year! If you bring them in right away, not only have you been responsible to yourself and the chapter, you have a power partner to work with to grow your business. Can you imagine how much more business you will have with three or four power partner in your chapter?
f. You agreed to give a minimum of 4 tips per month. Really? 4?? Not only is that easy but you should be able to give much more. Learn how in NTS training. It isn’t hard, it takes time but soon all types of people are seeking you out to ask for the help you can give them through your chapter members and beyond! No one in your chapter should ever and I mean ever receive a Top Tipper badge for four minimum or less. They must do 5 or more within a month to even be considered! Those are the rules of engagement that keep us all earning more and moving forward.
g. We have an important component to our chapters that most networking groups do not. A structure on what to do if we have an “ethics” issue and how to handle it. We take care of members who are doing things right and especially for those who are not doing it right. Remember we have a structure and bylaws to help us not only understand how to work together and be supportive but to nip in the bud anyone who wants to be disruptive or not follow the structure. It is once again, each of our reputations at stake when we give business. It is necessary to do the best we can or else.
h. You agreed to work full time in your industry in order to be allowed to be a member. You cannot come into our chapter and tell us you’re a realtor and then we find out the majority, of your income comes from your job at the bank! NO! We need a full-time realtor to take care of our clients’ needs. We are business owner to business owner or a really fabulous sales person who has decision making rights in order to be in our chapters. We trust you, earn our trust.
i. Many of us in life do more than one thing. We are good with that but within your LeTip chapter you will only represent one category. ONE. Why? Because we only allow one entity of business in each chapter. We want to give you our loyalty and you cannot talk about, discuss or even hint that you do something besides what your name badge says you do. If you do you can be fined, put on probation or even terminated. Our members are protected by insurance when they represent one category only and it negates the insurance we have for each chapter if you are not following this rule.
j. You agreed that if you needed to have a license, a certification, etc. for your job function, service or product that you have it and it is in good order. For instance, insurance for your business, a certificate or doctorate if you are a chiropractor or insurance professional. In some states, even the handyman must have a business license. If you agreed to it then have it! It not only protects you but it protects the clients your members are sending to you including themselves.
k. You agreed to and signed an agreement to follow the bylaws and structure of LeTip. Why? Because it is proven to be a successful way to run a chapter. In 41 years we continue to be successful. When chapters decide to change the bylaws without consulting LeTip International or not follow them at all they dwindle and eventually close-down. Is that what you want? Wouldn’t you rather have a vibrant, energetic chapter that is growing, passing business and bringing in new members for all to earn from? Follow the flip chart and use the bylaws, it is the structure for success.
l. The application requires that you do not belong to any other “exclusive” networking group. That means you can belong to Rotary, Lions Club, other organizations where they allow more than one category of the same industry join. You cannot belong to BNI, Leads, or a Barter organization as it stands today. We do this for the loyalty to each other. If you are in two exclusive groups and you have two realtors, who gets the business? We want to be the only realtor you use so you can count on me and you can feel comfortable sending me business! You can be immediately terminated if it is discovered that you are in two groups. You joined LeTip, make it work for you!
m. Your application says you understand you must serve on the board, be a chairman or sit on a committee. No one in your chapter should be sitting out. When everyone engages in a role like they agreed to, the chapter roars to life and everyone is helping everyone else. It truly becomes a family affair. Everyone then earns the right to receive business!
n. You also agreed that you understood LeTip International nor your chapter will use any of your information for any purpose other than to qualify you for membership within the chapter. Things happen and there are many individuals out in our world who don’t want to work for a living but live off of people like our members to scam. Understand, we never sell, share or give your information to anyone inside or outside of LeTip from the corporate office. EVER! We do allow you to belong to our public website, letip.com where others can see your information.
You have now read most of the responsibilities you are responsible for but there is more. You are responsible for yourself to create an environment in which our members can learn from you so they can easily sell you to others. This would be in the form of “Outside” business. Without that education, no one is giving you business. They have to trust you and understand your business in order to give you business. The best way to get this done is to be responsible for meeting each and every member one to one as soon as you can. Find out what they need and give them business before you ever expect them to give you business. Giving allows getting and then you start to grow but it must be repeated over and over throughout your lifetime. LeTip makes that easy!
You have responsibilities to LeTip International. Do you open your emails? Why belong to an organization if you don’t want to know what they are doing on your behalf? You will learn so much information today in our member’s only website, LeTip Wired. It is designed just for you the end user.
Did you know there is a place for your profile information and a picture? We are trying to send you more business from the outside of your chapters but many of you don’t even have a bio or picture in Wired. People can’t find you on our website, www.LeTip.com which is seen around the world! How about social media? Have you liked us in LinkedIn? Have you liked us on Facebook? www.facebook.com/letipintl/ You can even post your chapter meeting, day and time and the next five prospects you want on our page. Many, many people will see it. Do you think that might help you with more guests coming to your meeting with the intention of joining? How about photos of your chapter meetings or the speaker for the day? We use Instagram and you should be a part of that to get more exposure!
LeTip International HQ has one sole purpose… to serve our members and promote your businesses now and always. Step up. Be responsible in your chapter, to yourself and to LeTip. We care and we certainly hope you do too!
To read more of Kim Marie’s Blog, click here
Kim Marie Branch-Pettid
LeTip.com
(800) 495-3847
40 Years of helping build businesses just like yours, everyday of the week.
