In just a few short weeks the National Speakers Association annual convention kicks off right here in San Diego. I can't wait to welcome all my friends to my hometown. One of the most important elements of the event is chapter leadership. It's like spring training for all of the incoming leaders. Growing local membership is at the top of their agenda, because it's always seems to be a challenge. I discovered a possible solution to growing your membership last week. It was hatched from a very unlikely source — a tech start-up incubator. San Diego's own CyberHive has been quite successful launching high-tech start-ups, not quickly, but by going slow. If you've ever been asked to join an organization while attending your first meeting as a guest this makes perfect sense. The pitch is often, "You need to join our organization." It should be about why the organization needs you. If your goal is to grow your membership, consider trying something new.

Member Incubation

Treat each prospect like a start up. Align your organization's goals with their goals. Here's some tips to get you started.

• Create an incubator environment where prospects feel warm and invited.
• Send a reminder just before your event to ensure they don't forget or get cold feet.
• Respect where they are starting from. Don't assume they know where you meet, when you start, or what all those silly acronyms mean.
• Guide them carefully during the incubation process. Follow closely, answer all their questions.
• Invite them back, more than once. Keep doing so until they are ready to join your ranks and grow your organization.