Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
Tips to Maximize Your ROI
If you’re reading this article, chances are you are, were, or will be a member of the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA). But how would you categorize your AFSA membership activity level? Are you an involved participant? Inactive? Observing your membership from the outside? The hope is that all members would fall into the first category, and with that in mind, Sprinkler Age has compiled a few tips to take your membership participation to the next level. Make no mistake, your level of active participation and engagement in AFSA directly relates to what you will get out of association membership, and AFSA wants you to receive the most for your money! Here are a few ways to easily increase your return on investment (ROI) from membership.
Start Strong
When joining AFSA, or any professional association, it’s important to go into your membership with a goal. What do you want out of your membership? Continuing education? Networking? Business solutions? Mentorship? Everyone joins organizations for different reasons and at various stages of business, so as you join (or renew), think about what you’d most like to get out of it. Not sure how to reach your goals? Touch base with the AFSA Membership Department to receive custom-tailored ideas on how to reach your objectives through our current offerings.
Build Relationships
You’ve joined AFSA and established your goals. Now it’s time to build some in-association relationships. As an association for fire protection professionals, AFSA is an intersection of people and companies that share a mutual goal. Other AFSA members are all potential connections ripe for the picking. Building relationships in the association fosters lifelong connections that will benefit you at any stage of business. For example, whether you’re just getting started and looking for a mentor or you’re an established business looking to connect with like-minded peers to develop strategic partnerships, don’t be afraid to search through AFSA’s membership list to find those new connections.
Get Involved
You’ve heard the saying “You get out what you put in,” and association membership is no exception to that. Getting involved is one of the single best steps a member can take to deepen their AFSA experience. Explore what kind of involvement best aligns with your goals and participate! Perhaps you start small, attending webinars or training online, or even interacting with the association and fellow members on social media. From there, branch out! Try attending local chapter events to get to know your peers and fellow members in the area who can become invaluable connections and friends to you. As you grow in membership, you can reach out further to the national level, which might look something like serving on a national-level committee, writing for Sprinkler Age, volunteering to help train, or attending AFSA’s annual convention and exhibition—interacting with fellow members on a larger scale. The sky is the limit as far as involvement, and AFSA hopes you take advantage of those opportunities.
Extend Your Membership to Your Team
From day one, when your company establishes AFSA membership, every employee at the company becomes an AFSA member with access to member benefits. When viewing offerings, AFSA encourages you to ask yourself, “What can others in my organization gain from AFSA membership?” Maybe your field employees could benefit from attending a specific webinar, or your marketing or communications department would benefit from networking opportunities. Whatever the case may be, make your AFSA membership an asset available to every employee to maximize the ROI of your membership dollars.
Keep Information Up-To-Date
This is a make-or-break point for many memberships. If the information the association is disseminating is only going to bad/old emails, addresses, or phone numbers, you’re missing out! Check your information regularly to make sure it’s up-to-date, especially if you haven’t heard from AFSA in a while. Ask yourself, “Have I updated the employees in the database since I joined? Am I removing old employees, adding in new ones, and keeping my contact information current?” Taking these simple steps helps AFSA connect with the appropriate member contacts about new training, benefits, announcements, and more that the association is continually updating and adding!
Provide Feedback
Lastly, AFSA always welcomes open and honest communication and feedback. If you have ideas for the association, the AFSA staff wants to hear from you. In all likelihood, if there is something that isn’t working for you, it’s likely not working for others. AFSA strives to meet your needs as completely as possible, and we are always looking to add and improve services for members. Member success is AFSA’s success so let us hear how we can better serve you.
Don’t Hesitate, Participate!
When it comes to getting the most from your AFSA membership, participation and engagement are key in recognizing the greatest value. If you take the time, you’ll likely get much more out of the organization than you bargained for. If you have any questions about getting the most out of your membership or what benefits are currently available, visit AFSA’s website 24×7 365 days a year at firesprinkler.org. If you have questions regarding your membership or anything discussed in this article, contact AFSA’s Membership Department via email at membership@firesprinkler.org or call (214) 349-5965 and ask to speak with the Membership team.
