AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

Meets the First Tuesday of every Month from 12:00 PM- 1:00 PM

Ambassadors are members or representatives of members in good standing who have the opportunity to meet both the newest business members in Hayward and to uniquely interact with members of the entire chamber of commerce. The individuals either volunteer or are recruited to fulfill a variety of duties and tasks that assist the Chamber in accomplishing its mission.

Ambassadors implement part of the chamber's membership relations efforts in several ways:

• Participate in Ribbon Cuttings, to have an opportunity to know what’s going on in the community
• Come face to face with business owners, community leaders and key decision makers
• Attend new member meetings and able to put business information in front of new members
• Are recognized as leaders in the community
• Looked upon to have expertise in your particular business
• Open only to Chamber members. Contact and meet with other Chamber members in a warm call environment
• Complete a Questionnaire/ Survey about the Chamber membership
• Network with other Chamber Ambassadors to facilitate referrals, leadership, and sales skills. Open only to Chamber members to participate.

An important part of the Ambassadors’ tasks is communication. The team supplements HCC’s Staff’s promotion of events and activities when they meet and talk to members. As a fellow member, an Ambassador can ask members how the Chamber is responding to their needs and expectations. This “scorecard” is part of the visit report completed by an Ambassador and is given to Staff. As a fellow member of HCC, Ambassadors share their own successful experiences with the Chamber to demonstrate HCC’s value proposition.

The Ambassador tracking system shows about 25% of members are visited each year. A larger number is desirable to carry the message to more members, but Ambassadors sometimes find it difficult to get members to provide 15-20 minutes of their time. However, when the Ambassador speaks with members and an appointment is not obtained, the live contact has value in that it shows that the Chamber cared enough to reach out to the member.

The Ambassador Committee has a recognition program based upon the performance of the activities of supporting Chamber events, visiting members, referrals, etc. Awards are presented monthly, quarterly and annually to recognize those who have done the most in a specific period. Ambassador of the Year reflects a year-long performance record and a plaque is given to that Ambassador at HCC’s Annual Meeting.

The Ambassadors enjoy their activities as they are able to expand their own networks and assist the Chamber at the same time.