LIAISON WITH MEMBERS
Tips for more efficient
External communication and
Handling of the members‘ requests
Study Visit Prague, 10-12 August 2011
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How to find out about
your members‘ needs?
• Sources of information on members‘ needs
• Personally: formal meetings, discussions, informal meetings
(breakfast, brunch, dinners, receptions), chamber events and other
events, business missions, etc.
• Phone calls: incoming (initiative of the member), outgoing (initiative of
the chamber – researches, surveys)
• In writing: letters, e-mails, faxes, questionnaires
• IT tools: on-line questionnaires, member websites, CRM (member
updates)
• All information must be recorded and worked with!
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How to find out about
your members‘ needs?
• Ways of recording and futher elaborating
• Simple: MS Excell files (advantage: cheap)
– Each member may have a separate file with different sheets according to
what the chamber wants to monitor (contact, profile, needs, participation
in chamber events, etc.)
• Sophisticated: CRM (advantage: more options)
– Different facts on each member can be collected and directly used for
search, mailing, questionnaires, etc.
– Enables also statistical details on member‘s activities
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How to find out about
your members‘ needs?
• Involving members into chamber activities
• Indirectly: comments on specific issues (each member is
considered an „expert“ in a particular field)
• Directly: through offering your member a membership in
chamber bodies (export board, various working groups, sectorfocused committees, chair of bilateral chambers)
• Depends on the willingness of each member and the
ability of the chamber to motivate each member for such
activities (benefits for both sides)
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How to transform members‘
needs into chamber services?
• Internal evaluation of members‘ inputs
• Different levels: network, departments, directors, top
management
• Different forms: brainstorming, internal experts‘ initiatives,
regular meetings, etc.
• Wider evaluation of members‘ inputs
• Involving existing chamber structure into discussion on the
design of new services – working groups, sector experts,
JBCs, bilateral chambers, etc.
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How to transform members‘
needs into chamber services?
• Wider evaluation of members‘ inputs – possible
innovations in planning
• Involving external entities – municipalities, universities, banks,
other financial institutions, foundations, etc.
• Forms: Informal meetings, brainstormings chaired by chamber
representatives, wider think-tanks, thematic conferences, etc.
• Involving foreign partners as advisors – various forms of
inspiration, different fields (ad hoc basis, internships, twinning,
discussions, support projects)
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EXAMPLE: Your SME members
want to go international
• What is internationalization?
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Expanding business to foreign countries
Activities on international market
Respecting international standards
International experience
Adjustment of company‘s policy to international dimension (processes, staff,
product, etc.)
• Attention to quality management/control
• Respecting CSR principles in own activites
• Observing trends, tendencies, innovations
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How can SMEs go international?
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International company‘s strategy
Comprehensive analysis of strengths & weaknesses
4Ps – product, placement, price, promotion
Processes & resources, quality control
Research & innovation approaches
Staff skills & competences  training
Financial analysis & budgeting and planning
Information sources (territorial analysis, databases, legal
conditions, best practices, etc.)
• Business contacts (D&O, business missions, trade fairs &
exhibitions, company contact events
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Going international – in detail
• 4 Ps – product, placement, price, promotion
• Product – characteristics, utility value, technical standards, production
process, quality control, recognized brand, possible innovations, postsale assistance, network of sub-contractors, client satisfaction, etc.
• Placement – territory/ies (chances & threats), competition existing in
target market, consumer behaviour, cultural differences, doubletaxation treaty, terms of delivery & payment, co-operation with local
producers, etc.
• Price – pricing policy, utility value / price ratio, competitive advantage,
exchange rate influence, etc.
• Promotion – PR strategy (media, advertisements, press releases,
sector magazines), own presentation materials, business cards,
sponsoring, etc.
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Going international – in detail
• Staff skills & competences
• Qualified staff = key requirement
• Educated staff with foreign experience
• Production (engineers, working staff), financial issues (accountants,
invoicing, payments), public relations (outsourcing), trading (skilled
business people), legal issues (lawyers), etc.
• Improving language competences (language courses, study tours,
internships, etc.)
• Various trainings (PC & communication skills, intercultural aspects of
trade, taxes & customs, international standards, etc.
• National & international networking (associations, regional bodies,
municipalities, government, international organisations, etc.)
• Motivation (bonuses, success fees, holidays, kindergarten, etc.)
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HOW CAN CHAMBERS
SUPPORT SMEs IN THEIR
INTERNATIONALIZATION
PROCESS?
Through adjustment of chamber‘s policy!
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Adjustment of chamber‘s policy
• Incorporating the international aspect in all chamber
activities  thinking international
• Comprehensive research on current needs of members in
foreign trade activities  qualified evaluation
• Changes in chamber structure
• Introducing new departments and/or project teams
• Introducing new chamber bodies (platform for enterprises discussing
foreign trade priorities, Joint Business Councils, joint Chambers of
Commerce, etc.)
• Activating own network (regional & professional), chains & clusters of
regional/local chambers
• Growing role of project management structure (horizontal, personal
involvement of staff, efficiency)
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Adjustment of chamber‘s policy
• Partnership with key players
• Municipalities, ministries and other public administration bodies
• Academic field – universities, laboratories, research institutes,
technical colleges, foreign schools
• Banks, leasing companies, insurance companies and other financial
institutions
• Foundations, other non-governmental organisations, civil society,
think tanks, etc.
• Foreing chambers of commerce, confederations of industry, trade
development boards, institutes, etc.
• International organisations (chamber associations, EU, OECD, United
Nations, etc.)
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Adjustment of chamber‘s policy
• Revised Action Plan
• Making internationalization a chamber priority
• Introducing new activities for support of internationalization –
prestigeous events & contests (Export Forum, Exporter of the Year),
participation in foreign trade fairs & exhibitons with a subsidy, creating
a status of an accredited chamber member, etc.
• Giving the Action Plan a publicity – taking over the initiative
• Training of own staff (study tours, internships, language
courses, PC & communication skills, intercultural aspects
of foreign trade, etc.
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Instruments on Regional Level
• Organization of thematic events for members
• Formal: seminars, forums, trainings with foreign experts, priority
sector focus (topics: Exporting bio products, Foreign Trade Legislation
in Practice, International Standards in Production, etc.)
• Informal: breakfast for selected enterprises (farmers, chemical
companies, travel agents, etc.), brunch with regional representatives
of commercial banks
• Regular briefings on latest developments in international trade
practice, presentation of members‘ best practices
• On-site assistance – personal visits, evaluation of
individual needs of members, mediation of expert visits
(banks, research institutes, language teachers, etc.)
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Instruments on National Level
• Organization of thematic events for members – formal/informal,
with participation of government officials, representatives of
bilateral chambers and Joint Business Councils, banks,
universities, specialized seminars & forums with national
impact, etc.
• Initiation of various advisory bodies and chairing their sessions
– National Foreign Investment Board, Export Development
Board, Standardization Board, etc.
• Organizing outgoing/incoming business missions (priority
territories)
• Access to various databases, D&O, active search of contacts
from available sources
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Instruments on International Level
• Participation in various EU support programmes
(EuropeAid, country-focused calls)
• Focused on company contact events (Asia Invest, Invest in Med, East
Invest, etc.)
• Focused on education and similar activities
• International projects (U.N., OECD, World Bank,
foundations, research institutes, universities, etc.)
• Trade fairs & company contact events with financial
support (state budget, foreign governments)
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CASE STUDY:
BUSINESS MISSION
OF SERBIAN COMPANIES
TO THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Useful tips…
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PLANNING
• Initiation – collection of various requests (based on suggestions
and interests of involved parties: members, network,
Parliament, Ministries, municipalities, foreign chambers, joint
chambers, etc.)
• Decision about further actions that may result in including the
event into the chamber‘s event list
• Nomination of a Project Manager, selection of the team
members with various responsibilities
• Proposal of the event type and draft outline of the budget
(internal & external sources)
• Discussion with Financial Department
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PLANNING – cont.
• Approval of the type and budget of the event (chamber
management)
• Elaboration of event proposal sent to the foreign partner(s)
• Comments/suggestions/recommendations made by the foreign
partner  discussions, negotiations
• Event confirmation  including it into the chamber‘s event list
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PREPARATION
• Precision of organisational details and particular budget items,
application draft (+ supporting documentation)
• Selection of suppliers of services (outsourcing) according to
previously specified needs  tender announcement
• Travel arrangement (travel agents, airlines, hotels, ground transport
agencies, etc.)
• Other suppliers (catalogues, PR agencies, etc.)
• Budget verification and check by Project Manager
• Preparation of event-related documents for recruitment of
participants, website adjustments (on-line applications,
payments, etc.)
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PREPARATION – cont.
• Promotional campaign
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Presentation within the chamber network
Press releases, press conferences, TV interviews, etc.
Presentation at trade fairs/exhibitions and similar events
Presentation during meetings with government officials, local
authorities, national committees, etc.
• Direct mailing to members / non-members (qualified search in various
databases)
• Supporting events – trainings on business negotiations, business
etiquette, language courses, etc.
• Briefings with own and foreign Embassies (Czech Embassy in Lima)
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PREPARATION – cont.
• Recruitment of participants
• Collection & administration of applications & company profiles,
sending them to the foreign partner
• Phone follow-up (based on mailing/e-mailing)
• Collection & administration of participation fee payments, invoicing,
payment for outsourced services
• Further assistance to applicants (help with formulation of company
profiles in English, specification of co-operation proposals, etc.)
• Organizational details
• Co-ordination with the foreign partner (Czech Chamber of Commerce)
and all other involved parties (MFA, Embassy, etc.) concerning
programme items
• Travel arrangement, accommodation, visa assistance, etc.
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REALIZATION OF THE BUSINESS MISSION
• Trip to the Czech Republic (jointly/separately)
• Co-ordination meeting with the participants on the first evening
upon accommodation (participation of the Czech Project
Manager)
• Welcome dinner (first networking opportunity)
• Meeting day – information part followed by individual contact
meetings between Serbian and Czech companies  joint
assistance on-site
• Separate meetings of chamber representatives (all available
levels)
• Settlement of financial matters
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BUSINESS MISSION FOLLOW-UP
• Evaluation questionnaires for participants
• Evaluation of the preparation phase
• Evaluation of the business mission as such (travel arrangements,
overall organisation, programme, etc.)
• Efficiency of the information part and individual contact meetings
(goals achieved?)
• Further needs for assistance (follow-up of meetings)
• Preferences about future (Which territories/countries? Which
concept? Which sectors? )
• Suggestions / recommendations / ideas
• Don‘t be afraid of negative reactions! They serve as an impulse for
improvement! There is always something to be improved!
• Try to involve participants in chamber activities!
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BUSINESS MISSION FOLLOW-UP – cont.
• Internal evaluation
• Evaluation of processes (all phases)
• Financial evaluation (Were the parameters formulated correctly?)
• Impact of the business mission on further co-operation with the
foreign partner (Czech Chamber of Commerce) as well as with other
involved actors
• Update of databases
• Did it work this way?  possible corrections
• Suggestions / recommendations / ideas
• Try to be sincere to yourself! Try to involve all staff into the evaluation!
Try to listen to all initiatives!
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How to network with members
and verify their needs?
• Activating chamber bodies and introducing new ones
• Chairing working groups and committees of entrepreneurs 
generating new ideas and discussion on currently developed
issues
– Thematic: Foreign Section, Training Section, Network Section,
Standardization, etc.
– Sector-focused: Agriculture, Tourism, Chemicals, Energy, etc.
• Establishment of Joint Business Councils
– Focused on foreign countries/territories
– Chaired by most successful entrepreneurs, administred by the chamber
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How to network with members
and verify their needs?
• Activating chamber bodies and introducing new ones
• Establishment of bilateral chambers of commerce
– Further institutionalization of relations established in JBC
– Support on national level, involvement of regions
– Supervision over activities of the bilateral chambers and co-operation on
activities carried out
• Essential to have prominent personalities as leaders
• publicity given to the activities
• no formal gibberish!
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How to network with members
and verify their needs?
• Informal networking with members
• Working breakfasts, working dinners organized for members
(thematicly focused and efficiently chaired)
• On-site visits in member factories and offices
• Participation in events organized by other institutions –
municipality, foreign Embassies, etc.
• Important to record any outcomes and interesting findings
that may be used for chamber purposes
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How to network with members
and verify their needs?
• Sustainable verification of members‘ needs
• Variety of channels: personal, impersonal (e-mail, phone,
questionnaires, on-line surveys, etc.)
• Processing of acquired information – updates of databases,
extensive use of CRM
• Making conclusions of processed information and transforming
them into chamber activities – changes in current services
and/or launching new services
• Wide publicity of outcomes!
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How to network with members
and verify their needs?
• Sustainable verification of members‘ needs
• Interactivity of contact with members through IT tools (on-line
surveys, on-line questionnaires)
• Make it easy for your members to interact with you!
• Reward those who interact with you well
• Contact your members regularly, but not too often!
• Formalize the processing of information given by members!
• Elaborate a manual for chamber staff concerning the contact
with members!
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CZECH CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
EXPERIENCE
Our interesting services…
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CONSULTING POINT - NEW LEGISLATION
• CCC is an obligatory point for inter-institutional consulting
• In co-operation with EUROCHAMBRES, UEAPME and other
EU-wide operating institution the CCC consults also new EU
legislation (in close interaction with Czech Business
Representation in Brussels)
• Main objective: improvement of business environment in the
Czech Republic and reduction of administrative burden for
entrepreneurs
• Process: governmental suggestion – consulting (CCC interacts
with members, network and experts) – the author incorporates
comments into the suggestion – approval by Government –
pass of new legislation in Parliament
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CONSULTING POINT - NEW LEGISLATION
• Examples of current proposals in national law:
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Trade Licencing Act Review
Labour Code
Air Protection Act
Consumer Tax Act
Income Tax Act
Employment Act
Railways Act
• Examples of current proposals in EU law:
• Services Directive, Late Payment Directive, Consumer Rigst Directive
• EU 2020 Strategy consultation
• Review of the Competition Rules
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TRADE FAIRS & EXHIBITIONS ABROAD
• Co-financed by the state budget and structural funds of the
European Union (Operational Programme Enterprise and
Innovations)
• Czech Chamber of Commerce has won a tender on
organisation and administration of the project for the years
2010-2012
• Objective: strengthening of Czech companies‘
competitivenesss on international market through participation
in renowned international trade fairs and exhibitions
• List of more than 100 supported events per year worldwide
• Both for SMEs and larger companies
• Financial support provided up to €5,000 (excl. VAT)
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TRADE FAIRS & EXHIBITIONS ABROAD
• Number of fairs & exhibitions one company participates in is not
limited, total support must not exceed €200,000 within 3 years
• Eligible expenses:
• Rent of exhibition space, inscription into the event catalogue
• Exhibition booth, equipment and related services
• Registration fee, supplies (energy, water, cleaning, etc.)
• Ineligible expenses:
• Travel, accommodation, insurance
• PR materials, shipping costs, catering
• Participation possible also in joint exhibition booth (CZ national
booth) under favourable conditions
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TRADE FAIRS & EXHIBITIONS ABROAD
• Further conditions for financial support
• Company profile complying with sector focus of the respective trade
fair / exhibition
• Seat or major activities outside the capital Prague (exceeds 75% of
average EU GDP income)
• No debts vis-a-vis the state (taxes, social & health insurance, etc.)
• Physical presence at the trade fair / exhibition
• Organizational conditions (questionnaires, original documents and
other proofs of eligibility)
• Financial support provided up to 100% of eligible expenses
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Project CzechPOINT
• CzechPOINT = Český Podací Ověřovací Informační Národní Terminál
(Czech Submitting Verification Informative National Terminal)
• Joint initiative of the CCC and the Ministry of Interior (Contracting
Authority) introduced in 2007
• At present 53 public administration contact points (CzechPOINTs)
operated by the CCC network
• Through the CCC network CzechPOINT is represented in all regions
of the Czech Republic (14 regions); map on the next slide
• Certifiers/verifiers who provide services of CzechPOINT are trained to
work with the system and have passed exams focused on services
according to the Law no. 21/2006 (vidimus and legalization)
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Project CzechPOINT
• CzechPOINT services are meant for all public and business entities
• This service facilitates public and entrepreneurs to access the system
of verified/certified documents – printouts from various registers,
submitting applications or certified documents and signatures
• It‘s also possible to obtain information and consulting concerning
business issues at these points
• Objective of the project is to reduce bureaucracy in the relation citizen
– public administration (main motto: „It is data that is circulating, not
the people“) and also to create a guaranteed service for
communication with the state administration one universal spot
• According to statistics, since its introduction the whole system
generated in total over 2 mil. Outputs
• Positively received, further extension planned
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Project CzechPOINT - services
• Printouts from Real Estate Register (entries in the real estate evidence –
contains information on parcels, buildings, registration districts, owners, etc.)
• Printouts from Trade Register (contains information on business entities – legal
persons – changes, data of establishment, etc.)
• Printouts from Crafts register (contains information on physical and legal
persons operating crafts based on trade licence certificate)
• Printouts from Criminal Record Register (contains records about individuals –
lists their criminal delicts or prove thier chastity)
• Drivers‘ Register – printout of Point Evaluation (provides current information
on number of penalty points)
• Directory of qualified suppliers (evidence of the Ministry of Regional
Development on suppliers fulfilling the qualification according to §53 and 54 of the Law
no. 137/2006 on public tenders)
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Project CzechPOINT - services
• Register of the Ministry of Environment – MAISOH (possibility of
registration for operators of car breaker‘s yards)
• Printouts from Insolvency Register (contains information on insolvency
proceedings)
• Vidimus (verification of wording concordance of copies with the presented original)
• Legalisation (certification of personal signature or certification of the applicant to
have accepted the signature on the document as his/her own)
• Conversion of Documents (full transformation on the document in paper form into
a document in data format and vice versa)
• Creating a data box (submitting of application to the Ministry of Interior through the
public administration contact point – Cze
• Submitting acc. to §72 Trade Code (application for acquiring a trade license,
notification about new or other trade license, other applications for licenses)
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Opening Business Opportunities
• Outgoing and incoming business missions to and from all territories
of the world (according to priority selection)
• Accompanying missions of businessmen at the occasion of official
visits of state officials (President, Prime Minister, Ministers, Members
of the Parliament) abroad
• Matchmaking events focused on selected branches (with EU
support, bilateral, multilateral)
• Operation of database of demands and offers, Business Contact
System
• Providing auspices to national and international trade fairs and
exhibitions
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Interesting Examples - Hungary
Széchenyi Card – SME Credit Card Programme
• Joint initiative of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce
and Industry and National Organization of Entrepreneurs
and Employers
• Credit facility on state supported preferential terms
• micro- and SMEs with minimum business history of 1 year
• Use of credit managing liquidity risks
• Eligible for any expenditures (meeting the tax and accounting
standards) – purchases, cash withdrawal, wire transfer, etc.
• Non-eligible for exports
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Széchenyi Card
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Choice of 5 commercial banks to contract with
Revolving credit limit between 2,000 and 100,000 EUR
Duration of the credit: 365 days (possible to extend)
State support: 50% of guarantee fee, 1-2 per cent interest rate
Members don‘t have to pay any registration fee
Enterprises register at offices of the Hungarian Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, all process goes on electronically
• Club of Széchenyi Card Programme associates members and creates
and additional platform for discussions on current issues, not only
concerning credit facilities
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