Spring 2009 - National Association of Professional Pet Sitters

Membership
Every NAPPS member in good standing is a
member of the 2009 Membership Committee.
Membership is the cornerstone to any organization.
It is the life blood and will pave the
future successes we will all share. And it is the
individual, not the group or the committee, that
makes a difference.
Every Member Get A Member! That’s the
2009 Membership Committee theme and we
are strongly encouraging each NAPPS member
to take an active role and promote the only
national nonprofit pet sitting organization. Since
NAPPS is a nonprofit organization, each member’s
dues go directly into supporting the
organization. This equates to more member
benefits for you.
If each NAPPS member would conduct just one
event in their local area that promotes NAPPS
and its mission what would happen?
• New members would join NAPPS
• The individual would gain valuable networking
resources
• There will be increased public awareness
of who we are and what we do
• Potential new clients for your business
The NAPPS Campaign Contact is an established
program that should be utilized by every member.
This program affords the individual the
opportunity to promote NAPPS at the local level
and often in a small-group setting. You can find
the official event request application, event
review and reimbursement voucher, and event
attendance information on our Web site. Simply
go to the Member Center section, click on
“Networking” and then “Hold an Event.” Plan
ahead because you will need to allow time for
approval.
How many local or regional pet sitting organizations
or networks do you belong to? Offer to
be the guest speaker during one of the meetings
and promote NAPPS by telling your own
success story and explaining the benefits of
becoming a member. If you attended the conference
on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA,
now is the time to reach out to local groups
and let them know what they missed.
The Membership Committee is charged with
the responsibility of:
• attracting new members
• retaining existing members
• welcoming and contacting new members
For a small committee of seven these responsibilities
seem overwhelming. But, for a group of
individuals these responsibilities are well in
hand. Every Member Get A Member!
For more info contact Sherry L. Suhosky at
skispeak@gmail.com ■
Tips of the Trade
How Using Your Business Telephone Will Help You Get the Most Out of Your Advertising Efforts
By John D’Ariano
Whenever possible have a live person answer your business phone.
When someone is searching the Internet or the phone book and they
get an answering machine they will, more often than not, move on to
the next listing, and the next, until they get a live person.
Always answer your business phone in a professional manner, i.e.
ABC Pet Sitting Company! In many cases the initial phone contact is
what forms the first impression of your business—use this opportunity
wisely.
If possible, have a phone number dedicated solely to your business.
This can be as simple as paying a small fee for a distinctive ring
added to your current home phone. That way you can be consistent
in how your business phone is answered and during what hours.
If you have no choice but to use a voicemail system, do check your
messages often and return calls to perspective clients as soon as
possible. The first company that connects a human being to a
prospective client will have the best chance at getting the meet and
greet and booking the job. Have you ever heard, “Thanks for calling
back but I have already contacted another provider?” That is a direct
result of not picking up or returning a call fast enough. Ever wonder
for each client that tells you this, how many there actually are that
went to your competitor and just didn’t let you know?
If you or your staff can’t be in the office to pick up the phone every
time it rings, then forward your calls to a cell phone where a human
can answer the call. If you must use a voicemail message, never say
something like, “Thank you for calling the Smith residence.” Use a
business format. For example: “Thank you for calling ABC Pet Sitting
Company.” Also incorporate a short message that will point out why
your service is better than the competition. Give the caller a reason to
wait for you to return their call.
Think of receiving telephone calls as having someone say “I want to
buy what you have to sell, now go ahead and give me your best sales
pitch while you have my full attention!” Have an outline of the points
you want to make to prospective clients handy and stick as close to
the script as possible. Take control of the conversation.
Do you have some favorite things you do in the field that could make
pet sitting easier and safer for your colleagues? Send tips to
jdriscoll@ahint.com ■
The NAPPS Network • 3