American Council of
Snowmobile Associations
271 Woodland Pass, STE 216
East Lansing, MI 48823
Phone: (517) 351-4362
Fax: (517) 351-1363
info@snowmobilers.org
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ACROSS THE COUNTRY
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, JANUARY 2008
Posted: 1/29/2008
As unbelievable as it seems, the end of the snowmobile season is closing in on us. What have you done to promote snowmobiling this year?
Has your club or state association invited new people to participate? That means more than simply inviting them – that means including them when they walk through the door. Remember – they are new and may not know other people, they may not how your club/association works, etc. Make them feel included.
When you have new members do you invited them to participate on committees and in upcoming activities? People like to feel ownership – and inclusion and involvement help them feel like members making a difference.
Remember – Everyone has competition for their free time. That means people have to choose between their son’s soccer game and the snowmobile meeting or simply spending free time with their family. Make their time spent with you meaningful.
Are you doing anything to attract families? Are you including the kids in your plans?
Do you know that kids are 6 times more likely to do something electronically than to go outdoors?
Kids are future – we need to start to focus on getting them involved. Conventional wisdom also says we need to focus on the grandparents – who are more likely to take their grandchildren outdoors than their parents.
Do you know that today’s kids are forecast to have a shorter lifespan because of their inactivity?
Do you know that kids love the snow and ice – it’s their parents that are most often reluctant to spend winter time outdoors with them?
The U.S. Forest Service, as well as many of the other agencies realize the challenge we have before us. The Forest Service has made $500,000 in grant money available to non-profit groups in their program More Kids in the Woods. Do you have any programs/events that might be eligible?
Have you taken a friend snowmobiling? Or a family?
Have you invited a local election official snowmobiling?
Do you know that the most influential people in recreation decisions are county commissioners? Invite one of your county commissioners to go riding with you. It may help them in future decisions they have to make on motorized recreation issues.
It’s not too late – make plans now. It will be a rewarding experience. I just talked with a gentleman who took a couple out snowmobiling – they had so much fun they went on to buy snowmobiles. It was something they had always considered, but had never done and had never been invited to do.
Yes, it’s February – but there’s still several weeks to enjoy snowmobiling. Make it a family experience. Take your kids. Take your grandkids. If you don’t have kids and grandkids – take your nieces, nephews, or neighbor kids. It’s up to us to get them outdoors.
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, NOVEMBER 2007
Posted: 11/15/2007
Are you making your list………checking it twice, trying to find out who’s --- no not that list --- your snowmobile list?? It’s December – it’s time to get serious about planning your snowmobile trips!
It’s time to get your calendars out and start making the list of places You Have to Go and the list of places You Would Love to go. We all do it – gather the hotel information and the trail information, and the all important list of who to go on what trip.
Don’t forget to make some plans for your non-snowmobile friends. Now that’s it December, it’s time to do more than casually mention your upcoming snowmobile trips. It’s time to invite – ask them if they would like to join you this winter for a weekend of snowmobiling.
We all have different groups of friends, our old friends, our newer friends, our summer/boating/camping /motorcycle friends, our neighbors, our up-north friends, our city/downstate friends and families, both immediate and extended. Many of our friends and family don’t snowmobile – but statistics show that they would if they were invited.
Non-snowmobile friends are hesitant to ask to be included, after all they don’t own a snowmobile, trailer, all of the gear, and have no idea where to go or how to get started.
Our non-snowmobile friends hear us talk about snowmobiling and our excursions, but many of them don’t really understand. They wonder about our trips, try to picture the trails, some of them try to picture lakes frozen so you can drive on them, but they don’t understand because they have never experienced winters like we have.
We know there are a number of rental facilities where we could hook our friends up with the equipment and gear they need, then take them riding. We know that – but our friends don’t know that and are afraid to ask. Friends don’t like to impose. Friends like to be included. Friends like to hang out and try new things, so long as they are with people they know and trust.
Remember your first time snowmobiling? Most of us didn’t go out and buy a snowmobile, trailer and gear before we had ever ridden a snowmobile, right? Someone took us for a ride somewhere. It didn’t have to be a long ride – snowmobiling isn’t a bug that takes a long time to catch!
It’s important to take a friend snowmobiling where they will feel comfortable. They don’t need to ride hundreds of miles the first day, they don’t need to highmark the first mountain they see. They simply need to be exposed to what we love.
Believe me, I know it’s easier to plan your upcoming trips with your snowmobile buddies, but I can tell you it is so fun to see the expressions of non-snowmobilers after their fist ride. The smiles do not get bigger and the stories cannot get much better. They are timid when they pull out of the parking lot, it may take them awhile to get over 10 miles per hour, but once they get out there and see what we see and feel what we feel, they will be bitten.
They may not turn into an instant snowmobiler, they may not have the time, the money, the desire, etc. But they will turn into a friend of snowmobiling. They will no longer wonder when you start talking about heading north. They will no longer wonder what it’s all about. They will no longer question your sanity when you’re thrilled with the weather forecast of snow and lots of it! They will understand your obsession with snowmobiling. They will know because they will have experienced it first hand.
I know I’ve got some dates marked on the calendar to take some non-snowmobilers out and I hope you’ll try to do the same. Just one weekend. If we all took someone out, just one time, we would double our support. How easy is that??!!
Join me – take one of your non-snowmobile friends out this winter. It will be fun for you – and your friends.
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, OCTOBER 2007
Posted: 10/19/2007
Fall is upon us – snow shows are an every day occurrence across the country. That means snow can’t be far away…..
However, before snow falls, meetings are scheduled back to back to back. That doesn’t have to be bad – we just need to make changes. We need to be sure our meetings move along and are interesting. Making changes aren’t easy, but they are necessary.
Too many organizations are still doing business the way they have done it for years. Sure, almost everyone now uses the internet and email. But more changes need to occur.
· Leaders need to use more marketing savvy in everything they do.
· Meetings need to become experiences not to be missed – at every level.
In today’s world, relationships are critical in every aspect of our lives. We have to use the relationships we currently have to recruit new members and retain the current members.
In attracting new members, especially the younger generations, they need to know “What’s In It For Me”. They need our help in justifying why involvement in our club/association is more important than all of the other options and commitments they have, ranging from work to social to family.
The younger members have been schooled differently from the older members. They have been taught to question why you do the things you do, the way you do the things you do, etc. They are not being disrespectful – it’s the way they were taught. They need to understand.
These new members need to be needed. They need to be involved. Put them on committees. Ask them for their input. Get them involved in issues, and the planning of upcoming projects and events. They need to be needed – and we need them -- we need new blood, new ideas and new ways to operate.
They also need fun. Fun is one of their core values. They don’t want to come to meetings and be bored – they want to be part of the learning experience. They need to interact.
There’s an exciting future ahead in recruiting new members. We just need to embrace change, even though it is not comfortable.
As we all know, the most frequently used excuse is “I don’t have time”. Many members use this when turning down opportunities to volunteer. Many potential members use this line when approached about becoming a member.
This fall is a good time to evaluate the way your club/association operates. Many leaders across the business world are saying it is disaster waiting to happen to continue operating the way it has for the last 5 years, 10 years, 20 years or more. Organizations that run the way they have always run are destined to fail.
We have to learn to market our club/association to the younger generation so they see the value. Remember, every time they say yes to us, they are saying no to someone else (family/friends) or no to something else (work or social).
We need to look at the way we do business. We have to make joining, showing up for meetings, volunteering and becoming leaders more attractive. Changes like this will not happen immediately, changes will not necessarily be eagerly embraced. Making changes can be very frustrating. And once changes are made, the results may not be immediate, they make time. People may need to be convinced that the changes are for real.
ACSA started to institute changes in learning a couple of years ago. The Annual Land Summit is one of those changes. The 2007 Land Summit will be held December 1st and is open to everyone. The focus of the Summit this year will be recruiting and retaining new members, applying successfully for grants, working with other groups and other topics designed to help snowmobile clubs and associations across the country. For additional information, check out our website, www.snowmobilers.org.
Another change that we are embracing is using the internet to buy and sell snowmobiles. We have just started a new project that individuals and dealers can use to buy and sell snowmobiles and related equipment. Again, check our website for additional information, www.snowmobilers.org.
Change may not always be easy, but it can be fun! There is an exciting future before us – we just need to make some adjustments.
Hopefully Mother Nature is ready and willing to make adjustments……from fall to winter, from 50 and 60 degree sunny days to 20 and 30 degree snowy days. Changing seasons may not be easy for everyone – but it is certainly easy for us when its fall to winter!! Think Snow!
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