by Jan Spence and Leslie Ford –
It was the morning of September 17, and the McKinney Ministry Center of United Methodist Church, was alive with buzzing conversations. Smiles and greetings, along with some hugs, were in abundance as members reconnected. Gradually, everyone found a place at tables beautifully decorated with centerpieces made by the citizens of BiG, Brookwood in Georgetown.
Christine Hightower initiated the proceedings by welcoming all the Seeds of Strength members, Community Partners, and guests. She reminded us that SoS started in 2008 with 55 members and has grown to a current membership of 201. Now that is impressive growth! Next, Linda McCalla offered the invocation before we all enjoyed the tasty meal prepared by Mona Anderson of Tastefully Yours. And of course, there was more good conversation.
About the time we reached dessert (oh, that delicious cake!), we were treated to Dr. Abigail Pfeister’s energetic presentation on “The Power of Interpersonal Persuasion.” Dr. Pfeister provided tips for persuasion and suggested that they might be useful when talking with friends about joining Seeds of Strength. For example:
Contrast or Compare – Comparing the cost of a couple barista-made coffee drinks each week to the cost of joining SoS might provide a helpful perspective to a potential member.
Authority – Research has shown that using the word “because” increases persuasiveness. When you give a person a reason, it improves the chance that they will agree. So you may want to share one of the many good reasons for joining SoS.
Personalization – We all love personalization. It can be a personal note or just a post-it, e.g., on the great article and photos that were featured in the Sun on September 30.
Social Proof – It helps to tell prospective members about women in SoS that are like them. And of course, we are all like-minded in that we are all committed to philanthropy in our community.
Following Dr. Pfeister’s presentation, Karen Cole, Immediate Past Chair and Chair of the Nominating Committee, introduced the officers for 2016. We offer deep gratitude to ALL of our Guiding Circle officers and members for their commitment to SoS.
Sandra Nichols Liveris and Linda Foster-Smith, Membership Co-Chairs, introduced our guests and encouraged all of us to reach out to women we know who may be interested in SoS. Using the information Dr. Pfeister imparted, you might say, “Please consider joining us because women coming together really does make a difference!”