SMC Success: Lexington SMC – The Nationals Award Winner
A proven SMC success, the Lexington SMC won a Gold Award for their accomplishments through focused planning and volunteer involvement.

The Sales and Marketing Council of Lexington, Ky., was awarded a Gold Award for Best SMC under 250 members at the 2005 The Nationals gala at the International Builders’ Show. What is surprising is not that they won, but what they have accomplished since their inception in March of 2003.

After chartering their SMC, Lexington volunteers divided into committees and appointed chairs. Their next step was to outline their mission statement and goals. “We determined from the onset that we would not undertake any project that could not be accomplished without the utmost integrity and professionalism,” said Judy Craft, chair of the Lexington SMC. The SMC realized that, “anything we did would be a direct reflection on our Homebuilders’ Association.”
 
With everyone focused on the same objectives, the SMC began holding courses and educational seminars, started an awards banquet, and launched an aggressive community service campaign. These programs, along with their focus on membership recruitment and retention, helped them grow their SMC and win recognition for their efforts at the local and national level.

First, they decided to focus on education. They brought in nationally recognized speakers and held sessions, such as “Writing Effective Ads” and “New Construction Financing” that garnered large audiences. Many of the programs were standing room only!

Next they organized the first ever Sales and Marketing awards — the SAM Awards. Deborah Back, Chair of the SAM Awards, said the SAM Awards were, “the premier event that would give the new SMC an identity.” The committee developed a call for entries criteria and judging criteria, raised sponsorship dollars, promoted the event, and executed the logistics. “Simply put our team was dedicated and we had a vision that this can and will become a signature event for the home building industry because we weren’t going to settle for anything less,” said Deborah.

Another key component in growing their SMC and increasing its visibility within the HBA and the community was to develop a charity events program. The committee voted to focus on children and developed the slogan “Building a Better Future for the Children of the Bluegrass.” The SMC partnered with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and sponsored six teams for the “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” event. They built a playhouse for the Shriner’s Hospital and SMC members participated in a landscape project at the Metro Group Homes.

A final component of the success of the Lexington SMC is their focus on member recruitment. They realized that their event planning and education were important to gaining new members and retaining current members, but they also focused on building membership through an aggressive “Membership Blitz,” which was a member-get-a-member campaign coordinated by volunteer Peggy Brassfield. They timed this in parallel to the NAHB National Membership Day and won the top NSMC prize for their SMC group size. Finally, they initiated a member recruitment award program — the “Sammy” — similar to the NAHB Spike Program.

The results are outstanding, and reflect upon the detailed planning and execution in the formation of their SMC. “The Sales and Marketing Council [of Lexington] has truly been a breath of fresh air in Central Kentucky for the New Home Construction Industry,” said L. Todd Johnson, executive vice president of the Lexington HBA. With a dedicated staff and volunteers executing a successful awards program, educational seminars, community events, and a membership campaign, the Lexington SMC is a true success and deserving of the Nationals Gold Award. Congratulations to Lexington, their staff and volunteers, and their members! [ return to top ]