volumeIIIissueIII

The Association Manager
A Quarterly Newsletter for Organization Leaders
Published Courtesy of Wisconsin Association Management
Volume III , Issue III

Inside This Issue:

ASK WAM: Leader's Forum

If you have a question for the next newsletter, please e-mail it to info@wamllc.net.

Dear WAM: What ideas do you have for on-line networking? Purchasing folks spend much of their time trying to find qualified sources for particular services and products. Wouldn't it be great to ask for help from fellow members? Do any of your other organizations operate some kind of list serve, or dedicate a section of their website to networking?

Answer: We would recommend your List serve idea. One of our associations has the following list serves: technical questions, board of directors, bylaws committee, daily news. It is a free service through Yahoo whereby you can set up a "list serve" and people can be invited or subscribe to them. You must belong to the list serve to send and receive frequent group e-mails. The one drawback is the e-mail burden it could place on an employer's e-mail server. On the other hand, it has proven to be a tremendous tool, particularly for specialized committees who have the need for ongoing communications.

Dear WAM: Can you recommend some protocol and guidelines for the distribution of e-mails to your associations?

Answer: WAM has several in-house guidelines that we use when using broadcast e-mails. Some of these guidelines are simple etiquette; some protect the privacy of our members while some employ a professional approach to the appearance of each communication.

ETIQUETTE. Try not to send out files greater than 1 MB. If you need to send out files greater than 1 MB, use the CLICK HERE concept. You can do this by posting a file on your server using FTP Explorer. After doing so, type "Click Here" or some other expression. Create a link from this expression to the file's location on the server (internet URL).

REPRESENTATION. Change your contact information to reflect your association, particularly for official association business. It is okay to say your name and company, but it is important that your members can associate themselves with your Association (branding).

APPEARANCE. Insert the association's logo at the top of the e-mail. Just like an important project for work, be sure to spell check and use identical font type and size.

SPAM COMPLIANCE. To stay in compliance with spam regulations, be sure to include your association's contact information and an "opt-out" clause at the bottom of your e-mail. If your e-mail is a solicitation, the subject line must clearly identify the purpose of the e-mail.

PRIVACY. Always put the e-mail addresses in BCC: (blind carbon copy), NOT To: or Cc: (carbon copy). This prevents e-mail recipients from stealing your e-mail list and using it for other purposes! It also keeps the e-mail headers shorter since the recipient won't be able to see who else received the e-mail.

MARKET REACH. Keep in mind that Mondays and Fridays are the worst days to send out mass e-mails. These are the days that people receive the most e-mails, so try not to compete with other senders. We recommend sending out your organization's e-mail on Wednesday!

WAM Provides Its Associations the Following Comprehensive Services:

For more information about the comprehensive set of administrative services we provide to our associations, please visit us on the web at http://www.wamllc.net.

WAM Hi-Tech Educational Facility Now Open

WAM recently opened its new facility, conveniently located at I-45 & Silver Spring. The facility includes two immaculate seminar rooms divided by a retractable soundproof dividing wall. Undoubtedly, WAM's state-of-the-art facility provides value-added technology that will enhance the educational experience of your members. Ranging from DVD reproduction capabilities to broadcasting seminars over the internet, WAM's technology will expand the services your association can offer to its members.

All of WAM's clients receive a very special room rate at the AmeriSuites hotel across the street ($65 per night) - ideal for association members coming to our events from out-of-town. To schedule a private showing, call Jennie Macaluso-Ruditys at (414) 271-9456.

WAM Welcomes Jennie Macaluso-Ruditys

WAM welcomes Jennie Macaluso-Ruditys to our growing family! Chris and Jennie recently held a beautiful destination wedding in South Carolina at the Litchfield Plantation. Surrounded by friends and family and utilizing their seasoned event planning skills, Chris and Jennie graciously hosted over 50 guests!

Jennie serves as the Director of Business Operations for Robbins & Lloyd, a career training institute managed by WAM, and is approved by the State of Wisconsin to teach real estate pre-licensing and continuing education. Jennie is a proven leader and will work hard to implement strategies to grow your association, reduce expenses and increase revenue. Her high degree of professionalism, strong work ethic and creativity add a whole new dimension to the services that WAM can offer its clients.

Jennie has a wealth of real estate experience starting in 1988 with Trammell Crow's Milwaukee Commercial Division. Most recently, she served as President of Mandel Property Services, Inc., the property and asset management arm of Mandel Group, Inc. Mandel Group, Inc. is the prior Trammell Crow Milwaukee Residential Division. Her degree is a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and she is a Wisconsin Licensed Real Estate Broker. She respectfully served as the 2004 Co-chair of the WCREW Programming Committee and was Vice President and an organizing member of the Wisconsin Chapter of Community Associations Institute (CAI). She currently serves as Executive Director for the Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin (AASEW).

Leadership Quote

"The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and the self restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it."

Testimonials

A HUGE THANK-YOU to all the staff at WAM. I believe that the workshop was a success! Everything went well and I am so happy to have the support and expertise of WAM. You have shined in every aspect from planning to execution to make this event a pleasure. I look forward to the up coming years knowing that if NAPM MILWAUKEE has a need for anything that we can count on WAM to do an exceptional job as you have proven last night. Thanks again and keep up the fantastic job you are all doing.

I wanted to take a minute to thank you for all your hard work on our first annual golf event. All the attendees I talked to said they had a great time and that itself makes it a successful event! We could not have done it without you and your organization and planning definitely paid off. Thanks again!

Overall, I believe we, thanks to WAM, have outdone ourselves. The Trade Show was well received by vendors and attendees alike. I spent about 5 hours there, mostly seeking input from anyone I talked with. In that time I didn't hear a single complaint. Not one.

The Power of a Good Filing System

The key to a more productive work environment relies heavily on an organized system that you implement daily. Many different techniques can help you add to a higher level of efficiency throughout your day. Although your office may seem extremely hectic and it may seem difficult, it is vital to find time to file your documents right away. This will help prevent an important document from being lost or misplaced, it will keep your papers secure and confidential, and, most importantly, it will allow you to keep your desk neat and clean.

Not only will filing do all of this, but it will also help make your job easier by giving you more time to work on important tasks as opposed to searching for documents you may have misplaced. Also, keep in mind that you should properly label each file so that you can easily find it. This will greatly enhance your organizational structure which in turn will raise your productivity.

Keystone Condo for Friends of WAM

As a service to our members, all friends of WAM (including you!) have rental access at a reduced rate to our two bedroom two bath condominium in Keystone, CO. You can view the condo amenities and check availability at http://www.vrbo.com/28288. The condo is cozy inside and convenient to just about everything else outside. It is truly a ski in, ski out facility. Call Jennie at (414) 755-3356 if you have any questions or if you would like additional information. Thank you!

WAM Welcomes Three New Clients

The AASEW provides rental property owners with the business, educational, and legislative support necessary to prosper in today's rental housing market. Originally named the Income Property Owners Association when it was founded in 1972, AASEW has grown from three small property owners to more than 1,400 rental property owners today. Wisconsin Association Management administers its tenant verification and credit reporting service, Accurate Tenant Screening. We are honored to represent this wonderful group.

The Wisconsin Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID Wisconsin)

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is the oldest and largest professional organization for interior designers. With more than 38,000 members nation-wide, ASID establishes a common identity for professionals and businesses in the field of interior design. The Wisconsin State chapter membership consists of approximately 380 members of which 300 are practicing interior designers. These designers represent varied fields of design specialties such as health care, office, retail, hospitality, historical restoration, commercial, government/institutional, and residential. Heather Westgor is excited to serve as this group's Account Executive. We are confident that she will truly bring this group to the next level!

The Wisconsin Public Health Association is a statewide organization dedicated to promoting sound public health policy and providing public health education for its members and the people of Wisconsin . Formed in 1948, it is the largest organization of public health professionals in the state. WPHA is an affiliate of the American Public Health Association. We have enjoyed the short time we've had with the association to-date and look forward to a strong continued partnership in the future.