A trio of tips: Part 1 Planning

1. To help you plan events
2. How tos for event promos
3. Day of checklists

Look for convenient and attractive locations to hold your events.

Obviously, your event benefits from donated space whenever you can get it.

You want to be sure that you hold your meetings in a place that is accessible to your constituents.

Set a time that will good for your attendees, but here are some things you may want to try:

Morning meetngs should be short and to the point. You want to arm your members and guests with inspiration for the day ahead. Try lunch break meetings. Again, they should be quick and to the point. Anything worth learning can be abbreviated and summarized. Leave 'em wanting more and plan a follow-up for successful discussions at an evening session.

Evening events are a good time for more extensive programming. You wll probably find them to have a larger draw and more flexibility. Plan for panel discussions which need the expanded format. Remember, it's after work for your attendees, so give them time to unwind and network first.

If you have the luxury of all-day or multi-day events, you know you also have more moving parts to deal with. Plan each part of your event as if it were a stand alone; this will simplify your program plans.

See tip 2 here. Find tip 3 here.

Reinventing the wheel?

Does each successive board reinvent the wheel?

Every director no doubt has a vision of leadership that is unique and personal. On the other hand, the association has a time-honored heritage that it has followed over the years. How to reconcile the two?

One way is with overlapping boards, so that new directors serve consecutively with older ones. This will help forestall a "change for change's sake" mentality.

Passing the baton from one chief to the next, while still having long-standing directors represented, assures your association that the board will honor what works while also working to improve what does not work so well, or could just plain use an "update."

Paid administrators or executive directors are there to keep the continuity so that the changes brought in do not interfere with operations. Hired administration, whether on staff or contracted (as we are), are the organization's history channel.

A change in command does not have to mean a complete change in the way things are done. If the organization has been running smoothly, its day-to-days should be left to the administrators.  

Succession planning is essential for any board. It assures that the association's legacy is preserved. New processes can be added, old ones replaced, as long as the mission survives. Planning for the future growth of the association needs to go beyond the transitions at the top.

Consider the MEMBERS ONLY event

Programs catering to your members ONLY are a boon for any club. Their benefit for your organization are two-fold:
1. It rewards the membership, 2. It attracts prospects to join.

Free? For a price? That's up to you, but we suggest you mix it up.

Unlike a free membership, a free event for your members (only) is a nice gift.

Sponsor for free events that are also restricted to your members so that they feel appreciated.

Then hold some to pay events that are also for members only. These events will also encourage some fence-sitters to sign up as members and pay for an event. Maybe you can give these new members a "com bo" price for membership and the program.

Just remember when making offers to new members not to alienate those who have been loyal to your club over the years. Watch out for those who join only to attend one members only event. They are unlikely to renew and their interest in the group is probably tangential or limited.

Membership in many of the clubs we've managed are event-driven. At least in part, folks join to take advantage of lower-priced member rates to attend events. The discounted cost for events often can pay for the full cost of membership for the frequent fliers who come often. Make everyone aware of any other benefits, besides discounts for programs, that they get by belonging, but give them the bottom-line on savings when they do attend your events.

People join organizations for a variety of reasons; what they get out of belonging may be sentimental, career-driven or any number of other personal advantages. Your group, undoubtedly, offers tangible benefits, like retail discounts or access to specialized information.  If your benefits are unique enough to your group, they will also convert prospects to membership.

The complimentary membership, yay or nay?

It seems like a great idea to give away a free trial so that prospective members can enjoy belonging to the organization before signing up and paying for their membership.

Is it wise? Is it necessary? Will it lead to increases in membership numbers?

Remember what your therapist said: You wouldn't value the service if you didn't have to pay such exorbitant fees for it. 

Memberships are valued by their cost. Members tend to take a trial and then not renew. They aren't really members until their first check (or these days, credit card payment) hits the association's bank.

Bottom line: free memberships are unlikely add value to your organization.

If you must offer free memberships, make them truly a trial.
"Three months free while you decide if this group is for you."
Or, "Come to these great events in January as a member. Then please join to continue enjoyin g the benefits."

Practicing for the best: some small rules for membership organizations

The most pressing issues for most associations revolve around member retention and "customer" loyalty.

At this Best Practices blog, we offer you some important TO DOs.

• What do you do to keep members happy and renewing? 
• How do you insure that they know when their membership has expired?
• What incentive to members have to come back?
• Is it benefits or programming that drive member retentions?
• What benefits do members appreciate? 
• What benefits are appropriate for your organization?
• How do you serve your "market," ie the members?
• Do you make your members feel like special "customers?"
• What keeps the connection between your group and its members?

Why aren't they renewing?

Your renewal schedule, even if it's as straightforward as Jan 1 or year-to-date, is not topmost in your members' minds.

They may simplty not realize that their membership is up. This is particularly likely if they continue to get meeting announcements from you. BTW, and just between us, they should definitely stay on your mailing list even after their membership has expired.

Keeping members involved and engaged is the prinicipal goal of a membership association. You want them to renew and participate. You send announcements of events. You also email them personalized renewal notices.

You do everything you can to offer good programs, excellent benefits, a vibrant and caring organizaiton.
Yet membership attrition is a fact of life for most associations. Why?

What's one of the main reasons they don't renew at the due date? I believe it is unawareness. Your members simply aren't paying attention to when it's time for them to renew. Or more importantly when their membership will and has expired.

Can it be that many of your members are ignoring your emails? They probably saw the first one that said they had another thirty days of membership left. They put that aside, and then forgot. They got some more notices, but in the course of their normal business they found these easy to dismiiss.

Once enough time passed between the past due renewal notices and daily life, your lapsed member looked upon himself as a member of the organization's community. He was seeing weekly flyers about upcoming programs; he was still on the list.

Time for you to do one of two things: threaten to cut off all communication if s/he did not renew in 10 days?
A bit harsh. Send a survey request to explain why s/he did not renew their membership.

Include the question that requests action: [  ] I did not know my membership lapsed. I'll go renew right now. Link that second sentence to your renewal pages, of course.

Members are your special customers

What's the difference between "members" and "customers?"

The members of an affinity group-- trade association, alumni club, professional association-- are far more vested in the company they keep than the patrons of drugstore or clothier, for instance.

Hence, the "rewards" cards and other membership-like incentives that retailers create in order to turn shoppers into "members."

Customer service for your members is based on a more personal relationship. Find ways to keep it that way:

• Answer all their questions;
• Address all their concerns;
• Acknowledge that belonging creates a special bond

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