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Museum membership seems to fall into three categories:  Club members who fully support the Museum’s mission and already belong; those in the middle who will join after learning more about the Museum; and those who need nurturing through the “art of asking.”

During the 28th Annual Michelin NCM Bash Ambassador’s Meeting, I saw a path for effectively addressing the challenges of convincing reluctant club members to join the NCM.

The keys to success are the melding of the Museum’s membership benefits, the new Ambassador Points Program, and your enthusiasm.

The following tips will help you prepare a convincing ‘art-of-asking’ presentation:

Preparation

Use a dry-erase board to:

• Present the Museum’s mission.
• Boldly enter the percentage of your club’s Museum membership. Just use numbers, not names, to avoid embarrassing anyone.
• Define “What’s in it for M.E.?” M. E. = My Enjoyment!
• Show the Museum’s membership benefits.
• Ask them in writing to please join.

Use a foam board to:

• Present the new Ambassador Points Program.
• Challenge your club to excel by achieving the Bonus level.

Utilize a presentation table:

• Use it to display your dry-erase and foam boards.
• Place Museum literature such as Membership, NCM Insurance, R8C Program, Tribute Bricks, and copies of America’s Sports Car Magazine on the table for distribution afterwards.

Presentation

• Dress for success. You are representing the Museum.  Wear your Ambassador lanyard and dress very nicely.
• Begin with the Museum’s mission and membership benefits.
• Be ready to discuss the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) partnership, which few will be familiar with. It is a tremendous value and worth much more than the cost of membership.
• Have club members who recently participated in a Museum event share their fun-filled experiences. This helped generate infectious enthusiasm during my talk.
• Mention future club rides to the Museum.
• Present the new Ambassador Points Program. This was the pièce de résistance of my presentation. The energy it created was simply amazing.
• Show the connectivity between Museum membership, the Ambassador Points Program, and your club.
• While concluding your presentation, sincerely thank those who are already Members and ask the others to please join us in supporting the Museum. Don’t be afraid to ask.

Post Presentation

My presentation resulted in two new Museum memberships.  I called the new Members the next day and thanked them.  One asked about NCM Insurance, and I was happy to share my personal experience with the huge savings and superior customer service.

Summary

Reinforce the importance of membership.  Ask them to join.  Remind them – Corvette ownership is fun, Club membership is really fun, and Museum Membership is a blast!

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Serving as an Ambassador is more than a title or occasional contact with the Museum. It is a way of Corvette life that carries over to club meetings, rides, and car shows.

Before the Show

Presenting yourself as a Museum Ambassador begins with proper dress. Consider wearing a collared shirt with nice slacks. Affixing a name tag that identifies you as an Ambassador and the wearing of your lanyard that was issued during the Ambassador Academy denotes you as someone special.

Show Time

Arrive early and introduce yourself to the show sponsors and sincerely thank them. Appreciation goes a long way to those who worked so hard planning and implementing the show. Present them with your club’s card so they remember your organization.  Let them know that you represent the Museum and although you are with a certain club, you represent all Corvette owners. Ask the sponsors if during the show you can make an announcement to introduce yourself as a Museum Ambassador. While addressing the crowd, mention NCM Insurance for all Corvettes, collectable vehicles, and other vehicles, including motorcycles, and what a savings it can be. Invite the participants to visit your club’s location.

Ask the sponsors if any other events are happening nearby during the show. At one event, I learned that a marathon concluded at the entrance to the show. Hundreds of people meandered past the cars and my location.

Displaying your club’s banner that flew at the Museum the previous year is excellent for drawing attention. Set up a table and have Museum information displayed. The Museum has many brochures that can be handed out. My experience has shown that the NCM Insurance and R8C Museum Delivery draw the most interest. Ask your club members to please donate back issues of America’s Sports Car Magazine for distribution.

Place a photo of your club’s Lifetime Membership crystal trophy on the table as testimony of your club’s dedication to the Museum. Club members who have won a Corvette, taken advantage of the R8C Museum Delivery Program or participated in events at the NCM Motorsports Park should be lassoed and corralled and ready to share their amazing experiences!

Never answer a Museum question unless you are absolutely certain that what you are stating is correct. Don’t be afraid to use your phone to look up the answer. In fact, use this as an opportunity to send the information directly to their phone.

After the Show

Send the sponsors a thank you note and include your card. A handwritten thank you is rare these days and will be remembered.

Car shows are fertile grounds for sharing all that the National Corvette Museum has to offer a and they are a golden opportunity for you to shine as one of their Ambassadors!

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A Lifetime Membership is the crown jewel of commitment to the preservation of our beloved Corvette sports cars. It takes a highly active, well-informed Ambassador to logically present how and why your club should donate limited resources to become a Lifetime Member. The listed tips below will assist you in presenting to your club, a logical appeal for achieving this cherished status.

Do Your Homework
Be well-read about all aspects of Museum Membership. For assistance, contact the Director of Membership, Andrea Bateman. She is very knowledgeable and highly responsive.

Setting the Stage
– Plan to concisely present the material once. Don’t get in a hurry to make the presentation.
– Visually present your case with the use of a 3’ x 2’ dry-erase board. Use multiple colors to highlight bullet points.
– Practice your presentation.
– Dress nicely for addressing the group. You are representing the Museum. If possible, wear a Museum lanyard that you received during the Ambassador Academy.
– Pick a club meeting that normally has the most members present.

Presentation
– Take charge of the meeting and stay on task. Seek assistance from club officers to prevent ‘side bar’ discussions during your presentation. Expect questions about where the funding will come from. Respond with, “Thank you for the question, we will get to that topic in just a moment.”
– Anticipate some negative feedback. Don’t take it personally and always be diplomatic. Remember, you are asking your club to make a significant monetary donation.

Helpful Facts for Your Presentation
– The Museum is a non-profit organization.
– Your club already displays a commitment to the Museum through the appointment of an Ambassador and obligating annual Business Membership donations.
– An annual Business Membership requires a donation of $250 per year.
– Calculate how many years your club has donated to the Museum and be prepared with the total dollar amount.
– A Lifetime Membership requires a $3,000 donation which is the equivalent of 12 years of annual donations.

Closing the Deal
Remind your club that a Lifetime Membership is a selfless deed for our younger members and future generations. Before proceeding with funding options, you need a Yes or No vote to ascertain the interest in a club Lifetime Membership. Most clubs require a vote to obligate funds. Do this transparently and in compliance with your club’s bylaws.

Where does the funding come from?
– Ask members for the funds! Immediately after the vote, circulate a notebook for them to sign their name with a funding pledge. I did this, and it really works. Don’t be shy; ask them!
– Sell trinkets or 50/50 raffle tickets.
– Seek sponsorship funding. Reward their generosity by holding show and shines at their establishment or advertise them on your website.
– If long-term funding is required, create a financial budget line to ‘earmark’ the funds. Set yearly goals and report the status during monthly meetings.

In Summary
Clubs who obtain Lifetime Membership should be very proud that they are fully committed in celebrating America’s Sports Car and preserving our “home base,” the National Corvette Museum.

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