Transcript Identify Your Value Proposition & Use it to Grow Membership

The Value Proposition:
Attracting and Keeping Members
Indian Society of Association Executives
July 16, 2009
Gregory J. Fine, CAE
Slide 1
Why Join An Association?
Slide 2
We Are About “ASSOCIATING”
• Shared interest, cause
or need
• Influence, access and
prestige
• Knowledge/targeted
information
• Tangible services
provider
Slide 3
Individual Motivations
• Collegial Members: being part of a fellowship or a cause
• Checkbook Members: economic gain
•
Referral and business contact opportunities
• Power Members: personal or professional influence
•
Most volunteer leaders come from this group
• Resume Members: image, credibility, retaining
certification/designation
• Service Members: specific, tangible needs
•
•
•
•
Education
Publications
Research, statistics & specialized information
Other services and discounts
Slide 4
Question:
Identify the TOP 3 reasons why your
members join your organization.
Slide 5
• Survey of 16,944
individuals who are,
were, or could be but
never chose to become
members of an
association
• 18 diverse organizations
ASAE & The Center for Association
Leadership - 2007
Presentation Information
Slide 6
FINDING:
All respondent groups think the
benefits for the good of the order
are just slightly more important
than personal benefits.
Slide 7
A person’s decision to join is not a costbenefit analysis. It goes beyond that.
• Personal benefits make a compelling case
for return on investment (ROI) reasons
that an individual may use to justify
membership
• The good-of-the-order benefits to the field
raise the tides under everyone
Slide 8
Affiliation and Volunteerism
FINDINGS:
• Governance-level members rank benefits differently than
rank-and-file members
• Probability of being a “promoter” of the association
increases with level of involvement
• Advocacy, networking and leadership opportunities
become more important as level of involvement increases
Slide 9
Discussion Questions:
• Do your leaders have a different perspective on challenges
facing the industry than rank-and-file members?
• Do your volunteer leaders seek regular feedback from the
overall membership?
• Is there a difference in what the ED, Chapter Leadership
and Member see as the primary reason to join?
Slide 10
The Big Question:
Are your top three reasons still the
same?
Slide 11
The Value Proposition
Slide 12
FEATURES vs. BENEFITS
Features: Give a description of what your
organization does. Unfortunately, most don’t
care. “So what?”
Benefits: Provide an account of “how” and
“what” the product or service will do for the
individual.
Slide 13
Identifying Value
Activity
Feature(s)
Annual
Convention
President’s
Reception
Benefit(s)
Networking
Value
Business
Contacts
Increase Revenue
Slide 14
Discussion Questions:
1. List all of your Features
2. Then…identify the Benefit
3. Then…state the Value
Slide 15
Recruitment
and
Retention
Slide 16
Generationalization
• SILENT GENERATION (1926 – 1945)
• Stable, joiners, doers, retiring
• BOOMERS (1946 – 1964)
• Change the world, “us,” second career, generational guilt
• GENERATION X (1965 – 1975)
• Cynical, deliberate connections, “me,” change the neighborhood
• MILLENNIALS (1975 – 1985/1990) – Largest Generation
• Connected, “we”, informal, scheduled, strong parental connections
• GAMERS (1985/1990 - )
• Uber-connected, technological social interaction, children of Gen X
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
VALUES DIFFER BY CAREER
LEVEL (GENERATION)
• Networking and connecting
• Professional training
ASAE & The Center for Association
Leadership - 2007
Slide 19
What do you think are the most
important functions of an association?
Networking with Peers
Pre-War (60 or over)
Boomers (43-59)
Gen X (30-42)
Millenials (under 30)
0.0%
Are you
saying the
same thing
to both
audiences?
31.1%
35.3%
37.7%
41.0%
5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0% 40.0% 45.0%
Slide 20
What do you think are the most important functions
of an association?
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Millenials (under 30)
Gen X (30-42)
Boomers (43-59)
Pre-War (60 or over)
What do you think are the most important functions
of an association?
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Millenials (under 30)
Gen X (30-42)
Boomers (43-59)
Pre-War (60 or over)
What is your
message
gap?
• If there is a meaningful difference
between Gen X professionals and
Baby Boomers, it is not in the
propensity to join associations.
• Association is about community;
Gen X may achieve this community
using different means than
Boomers.
• The associations that understand
the value sought by younger
professionals – and deliver it – will
prosper.
Arthur C. Brooks, PhD - 2006
Slide 23
Associations = Winners
Association Members:
- Earn More
- Are Happier
- Are Leaders
- Are Winners
Arthur C. Brooks, PhD – 2008
Slide 24
Recruiting New Members
Slide 25
Segment and Target
• One Size Doesn’t Fit All
• Tap into the unique reason for the individual to join
• Target and Deploy Resources Deliberately
• Choose your prospects: ROI + Ability to Serve
• Not everyone can and should be a member
Slide 26
Identifying The IDEAL Prospect
STEP 1 - Market Attractiveness: Does the
prospect have the:
1. NEED?
2. DESIRE?
3. ABILITY?
STEP 2 - Ability to Deliver: can you meet
the expectation?
Slide 27
Strategic Position Analysis
• Prospect
• Prospect
• Prospect
High
• Prospect
• Prospect
• Prospect
700
• Prospect
• Prospect
•Prospect
Medium
• Prospect
• Prospect
• Prospect
• Prospect
• Prospect
400
• Prospect
Low
Segment or Market Attractiveness - Step 1
1000
• Prospect
• Prospect
100
100
Low
400
Medium
Ability to Deliver - Step 2
700
High
1000
Recruitment
• Motto: Think like a prospect
• Personalize: Prospects and members want to be treated
as an individual
• Customize: Offers must be feel unique
• Empathize: Prospects and members must believe that
your organization can help them do their jobs more
effectively
• Be Honest: If your organization can’t deliver, don’t say
you can! Say what you do and do what you say!
Slide 29
The Message
• Create a Story to Describe the Value Proposition
• KISS
• Keep It Short & Single
• Target –
•
Don’t send a Wingtip message to a Flip Flop
prospect
• Value Message Overload
• Say it once, then again, once more and then one
more time!
• Use MANY channels
• Social Media – Facebook and LinkedIn
• Traditional Direct Mail
• Member Get-a-Member
Slide 30
Purchasing decisions
are often NOT
rational!
Slide 31
TECHNIQUES FOR RECRUITING
Membership Committee - referrals, phone-a-thons
Personal Selling - visit prospects
Member-Get-A-Member Campaign – Word of Mouth works, tap
into the loyalty and passion your members have for you
Membership Campaign/Drive - usually at a specific time of the
year, incentives to join, incentives for recruiters, provide
volunteer training and good recruitment materials
Slide 32
Discussion Question:
What recruitment techniques are
working for you?
Slide 33
Retention
Slide 34
Membership Lifecycle
1) Orientation
2) Participation /
Utilization
4) Leadership
3) Influence
Slide 35
The Strategic Retention Of A Member
Begins The Day The Recruitment Process
Begins
New Member Orientation
•
Make them feel part of the club
Get Members Involved Early
•
Committee involvement, leadership positions, task forces, writers,
speakers, sponsors or hosts, attendees, purchasers, callers
Recognize Those Who Get Involved
•
Thank members for attending, renewing, speaking, etc.
Slide 36
Remember that
Decision to Join Finding…
Slide 37
Affiliation and Volunteerism
FINDINGS:
•
Governance-level members rank benefits differently than rank-and-file
members
• Probability of being a
“promoter” of the association
increases with level of
involvement
•
Advocacy, networking and leadership opportunities become more
important as level of involvement increases
Slide 38
Word of Mouth…
Get people PROMOTING!
Slide 39
There is only one thing
worse than being talked about,
and that is not being talked about.
- Oscar Wilde
Slide 40
WORD OF MOUTH MARKETING
• Definition:
• Giving people a reason to talk about you
• Making it easier for that conversation to take place
• Never stealth or deception
• BE REMARKABLE!
• Preferably good, although remarkably bad can work
• Winners want to be with other Winners
Slide 41
Start Simple…Find Your Evangelists
Our Membership Council is made up of cool,
hip, passionate, fire breathing advocates of
our profession and our organization.
Members that are so jazzed about what we
are doing, that people expect to see their
picture next to the definition in the dictionary.
Members who want to see their organization
grow and prosper.
Slide 42
THANK YOU!
Slide 43
Gregory J. Fine, CAE
Director of Communications & Marketing
Executive Editor, FORUM Magazine
312.924.7030
[email protected]
Twitter: @gfinecae
Slide 44