ADA membership and advocacy

What better way to underscore the value of tripartite membership than help member dentists navigate the Red Flags Rule?

The new Red Flags Rule requires all covered entities鈥攊ncluding dental offices, according to the Federal Trade Commission鈥攖o put in place a program to detect and respond to instances of potential identity theft. The ADA now has a compliance guide designed to help members address the Red Flags Rule, and Association staff members stepped up the printing process in order to distribute the guide to the 145 volunteer leaders and dental society staff attending the 2009 ADA Annual Conference on Membership Recruitment and Retention April 3-4 at ADA Headquarters.

“This is an opportunity to demonstrate to members and nonmembers alike the aggressive advocacy of the ADA on their behalf and the resources that we provide to members that more than cover the cost of their annual dues,” said Dr. John S. Findley, ADA president.

With a focus on the importance of networking, building relationships and communicating value to expand ADA membership, the ADA Annual Conference on Membership Recruitment and Retention provides an opportunity for volunteer leaders and staff to improve their effectiveness, gain fresh ideas and expand their peer network.

“Membership is important in everything that we do,” Dr. Findley told the crowd in opening remarks.

Now more than ever, he said, there are increased opportunities to pursue membership growth across all sectors.

“This year we have special challenges communicating value because everyone is stretching their dollars and no one wants to spend unwisely, but that is good for us,” Dr. Findley said. He highlighted key ADA advocacy initiatives and member benefits, including the new ADA Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry Web site, publications and the ADA Seal Program, and said: “We have an outstanding offer for dentists. There is strong value available at the ADA.”

There is a “time-tested recipe for success in membership,” added Dr. Susan Becker Doroshow, chair of the ADA Council on Membership, who hosted the conference.

“Too often we try to make a conversion before we connect with a member,” said Dr. Doroshow. “The focus of today is to make connections.” Speakers included Susan RoAne, author of the bestselling book “How to Work a Room,” who shared insights into connecting with people through conversation.

Many constituent and component societies have developed innovative programs that have been effective in reaching out to members and potential members, and those societies were featured in the conference’s Tripartite Membership Exchange. The ADA is developing a Tripartite Best Practices Manual, and society staff were encouraged to share information on programs such as the Montgomery Bucks Dental Society of Pennsylvania’s annual spring cleaning shredding event.

Two times a year, the society secures a shredding truck at an affordable rate and invites its members to take the opportunity to destroy outdated paper documents, tax returns and charts older than 10 years. It’s a unique service that members enjoy for free, and those who have not renewed their membership are invited to do so on-site.

“This is something that’s difficult for members to do on their own so they’re starting to look forward to this event,” said Dr. Susan Rosenthal, a Montgomery Bucks Dental Society past president and current member of the ADA Council on Membership. “There is a membership connection already established, so during the event you can let people know if they haven’t renewed their dues yet. Most of them decide to renew right there.”