Member Services

Membership Recruitment ‘The Duke’ Style

By Melody Benjamin

    John Wayne is my hero. I’ve always admired that he rode his horses with soft hands, he did what he said he would do and he was out in front when the going was tough. I wish I could have met The Duke to see if the real man was the man I saw on the screen. I believe that he was. I know the characters he played are great role models, and many of the lines from his movies are very quotable. What does that have to do with membership? Well, mosey along with me.

“Slap leather and let’s ride.” – Horse Soldiers. Every December the Member Services Committee gets together for a quick meeting. One time-honored tradition is to set some goals for ourselves. This past year, the committee set the goal of 500 new members for the 2006 membership year (Nov. 1 to Oct. 31). Under Membership Chairman Scott Reynolds’ leadership, we started down that trail.

“A man ought to do what he thinks is best.” – Hondo. Dr. Reynolds is a veterinarian in the Broken Bow area who promised the Board that if anyone sold more memberships than he did, he would give them a free day of work.

“Well, there are some things a man just can’t run away from.” – Stagecoach. Of course, the NC Top Hand Club recruitment program was offered again this year. To become a part of the Top Hand Club, a member must recruit three members for dues dollars totaling more than $300. Once in the club, the recruiting member will receive 3 percent of the dues they collect as cash back. Recruitment is always most successful when a person is known and respected by the prospective member. This popular program saw 260 new members recruited by 85 members.

“This is it. This is where we start growin’ good beef.” – Red River. Nebraska Cattlemen also offered an opportunity for seedstock producers to buy a complimentary membership for their customers as a package deal.

“Now, you’ll show up at my place first Monday after school at 5 a.m., and come with grit-teeth because, gentlemen, that is when school really begins.” – The Cowboys. Two seedstock producers took advantage of that opportunity and purchased memberships for their customers, bringing in nearly 60 new members! The membership at NC was growing in new areas and these producers had been given the opportunity to showcase what NC can do for its members.

“Well, a gun that is unloaded and cocked ain’t good for nothin’.” –True Grit. We began the last quarter of the membership year about 125 members short of our goal. Scott Reynolds, as the ramrod of membership, had another challenge for the Board. He made a motion at a Board meeting that each Board member recruit five new members from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31. The motion passed unanimously. Reynolds and the staff vowed to support anyone wanting help with membership recruitment.

“There’s no land anywhere worth a hoot ‘til it’s flowed with good honest sweat.” – Three Faces West. Recruiting memberships is tough work for many. But if NC is something a person truly believes in, and they want to help friends and neighbors reap the benefits that membership has to offer, it becomes a little less daunting. Many on the Board took the challenge. They poured over rosters and drop lists, looking for people they knew to approach.

“I’m going to Missouri with every steer, cow and bull I can lay my hands on.” – Red River. About two weeks from the end of the month, NC staff joined the fray. One morning at our staff meeting, we set a goal for each staff member to recruit five new members. The field staff works throughout the year, helping sell memberships, and many other staff have the opportunity to recruit when they are out in the field. However, it is our policy to help members recruit and not sell memberships in our own name. We suspended that policy for the last two weeks of the recruitment year to allow the staff to claim five new members. It was a lot of fun to see staff members who are not usually involved with membership recruitment get very competitive about getting their five new members. Everyone on staff got into the act, asking people they know to become members. Our theme was “Gathering the herd and picking up the strays.”

“I don’t like quitters, especially when they’re not good enough to finish what they start.” – Red River. I am happy to report we made the goal. At noon on Oct. 31 we had 502 new members and we were still expecting a few more to arrive by mail. That is huge. On that day, those two seedstock producers, every member who asked someone to join, every staff member who went beyond their job description to offer a membership to an associate, and every Board member who answered the call and did the job became my hero. I know how tough “selling” can be, but you all pulled as a team. Like John Wayne, you did what you said you would do. Many Board members showed true leadership by being out front when the going got tough. They have my utmost respect.

Each new member makes NC that much stronger. The very best of the Top Hand Club is listed on page 18. Take a moment to look at their outstanding accomplishments. I thank each of you for putting your faith in the leadership and staff who works for you.  Keep in mind that Nov. 1 was the first day of the 2007 membership year. Keep up those recruitment efforts because if we don’t, “We’re burning daylight!” – The Cowboys.    Melody Benjamin is part of NC’s Member Services team. She manages the Alliance office and coordinates the Member Services field staff around the state.

There is a reference to the Top Hand listing ‘on page 18’ so I’ve included the Top Hand below this. You can change the reference however you’d like.

2006 Nebraska Cattlemen Top Hand Cash Reward Program – Final Results

The Nebraska Cattlemen 2006 Top Hand Cash Reward Program ended October 31. The following members recruited at least three members and over $300 in dues dollars (both NC and NCBA) and earned a cash reward of three percent of the total membership dues they collected. They will be recognized and presented their cash back reward during the Annual Convention, Nov. 28 - Dec. 1 in Lincoln.

Name                               # of recruits

Greg Baxter                               17

Anne Burkholder                     8

Duane Fanta                            11

Jeff Johnson                            26

Harry Knobbe                          11

Jenny Koziol                             5

Pete McClymont                      5

Jerry Meyring                           5

Keith Nielsen                            4

Steve Niemeyer                        7

Del Puls                                    15

Ken Real                                    8

Jeanne Reigle                            7

Scott Reynolds                        25

Bill Rishel                                 23

Chris Schluntz                          9

Todd Schroeder                       5

Mark Spurgin                            5

Brad Stephens                          4

Jerry Underwood                     5

Levi Whipps                             4

Jay Wolf                                   13

The 2007 NC Top Hand Recruitment Program is now underway. Any new memberships received by the NC Lincoln office between Nov. 1, 2006 and Oct. 31, 2007, will count toward the 2007 program totals. For more information on how you can be part of the NC Top Hand Recruitment Program, contact an NC Member Services staff person.