GMC 2006 Summer Conference
in St. Simon’s Island, GA Was Hot!!!
June 1st - 2nd

The Georgia Marketing Council enjoyed the attendance of 40+ credit union marketers and business development professionals at our latest meeting on St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, Friday June 2, 2006.

For a true taste of the Island, we kicked off our summer conference on Thursday evening with dinner and networking at Halyards. Halyards is undoubtedly the Island's unrivaled see-and-be-seen dinner spot, for locals who know and for coast visitors who've heard. The atmosphere is casually elegant, the welcome warm (and usually by name), the service crisp and attentive, the wine cellar vast (as evidenced by the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence) and the comfortable bar hip and hopping. The menu is the brilliant handiwork of Executive Chef/Owner Dave Snyder and Chef de Cuisine, Jayson Ridinger. All who attended left with very satisfied bellies!

On Friday morning, Georgia Marketing Council President, Sharon Cook, opened the meeting by welcoming all attendees and introducing the GMC Board of Directors. GMC Vice President, Fonda Semerjian and GMC Communications Coordinator, Kimberly Ford then led attendees in a game of "Family Bonding" to “break the ice” and foster cooperation among guests. The game began with each attendee receiving a card with a famous TV family’s name on it. The group then broke out into families to rehearse either the TV sitcom’s theme song or three famous lines/sayings from the show. We enjoyed songs from such famous families as the Cosbys, the Bradys, the Bankses (Fresh Prince of Bel Air), the Addams Family, the Jeffersons, the Simpsons and the Flintstones. After a hard decision, our judge (and conference speaker) chose the Bankses as the clear winner for best theme song rendition!

Following the ice-breaker activity, our speaker, Becky McCrary, took the floor to deliver her presentation, “A Tournament of Marketers.” Becky offered a full day’s lesson on how to be taken more seriously in the workplace by employing such skill sets as: improved listening skills; better communication strategies; coping with differing personalities in the credit union; and fostering positivism. We learned that on average, we speak 125-250 words per minute, yet we process between 1,000 and 3,000 words per minute!

Becky also offered the group her true “Meaning of a Professional!”

P – proactive; has a positive attitude
R – has respect for self and others
O – open to change
F – fun to be around
E – enthusiastic, energetic, efficient
S – demonstrated high skill levels
S – has a spirit of sincerity
I – informed, demonstrated initiative
O – looks for opportunities
N – is neat in appearance
A – is adaptable
L – believes in life-long learning

Becky also taught us the importance of word choice, tone of voice and body language when trying to get your message across. The statistics she offered were astounding:

Becky wrapped up her session by offering several tips on how to properly earn respect within the workplace. She mentioned the importance of creating the right chemistry, being visible and available, being flexible and adaptable, being a great delegator and making a commitment to self-mastery. I think all who attended would agree that Becky was both entertaining and knowledgeable!

Becky McCrary is a leading motivational keynote speaker, trainer, and facilitator. Becky has energy, enthusiasm and excitement and she’s devoted to helping identify and engage your unique abilities to handle each encounter with professional ease!

Following Becky’s presentation, the group moved into the “Idea Share” portion of the meeting, a favorite among many. We enjoyed learning about what successful strategies other credit union marketing and business development professionals have implemented in their organizations, including marketing campaign pieces and community related activities. We thank all those who participated in Idea Share and the discussion which included CDC Federal Credit Union, Southeastern Federal Credit Union, Delta Community Credit Union, United 1st Federal Credit Union and Sea Island Credit Union.

The GMC Board believed this meeting to be an especially thought-provoking one, and after reviewing all of our attendees’ evaluations, we see that you agree! We hope you’ll stay tuned to our Web site and communication pieces for more information on our upcoming fall conference.

The Georgia Marketing Council was established to assist credit union marketing professionals by offering the latest insight into the industry’s business development, marketing, and technological advancements. Meetings are held twice a year. If you would like to become a Marketing Council member or to receive additional information, please contact Leatrice Dooley GMC Treasurer/Secretary, at 404-658-6544, leatriced@cuatlanta.org.