I recently presented to the National Association of Realtors and they like other associations and other member organizations such as golf clubs are hurting to acquire and retain members. The issue a lack of focus on their greatest asset – clients. Stop focusing on what you think they want and provide better opportunities to listen and deliver based on trends. Here are the laws to follow for your continued success:
1) Use current members as marketing avatars to create new members. Those that already love you are best to offer the credibility and testimonials necessary to create allure.
2) End the rote member meetings and create interactive sessions that offer an immediate return on investment to members. First get members to engage with each other rather than through lecture and PowerPoint. Second, each meeting should be part of a process not an event. Think in terms of themes that can be carried from meeting to meeting.
3) Use staff, as ambassadors not figure heads. They must engage with members not each other during meetings.
4) Create communities of mentors and coaches so that members learn and network with others. End the cliques and get members to engage to learn from existing and successful members.
5) Discover the Primary investment Motive (PIM) for the member and have them serve on a similar committee.
6) Conduct peer-to-peer personal focus groups. Stop surveys and other forms of social and electronic media that do not engage members personally. Members want to be the voice for change not the reason for it.
7) Associations must be service oriented. Return calls, respond to emails, ensure processes and procedures are not cumbersome. Ensure the website and electronic communication are user friendly. Everyone from maintenance to management must be service oriented.
8) Keep the differential of cost and value and return this to members not staff. Do not use the money for salaries when they can be used for member benefit. For example the American Red Cross keeps 85% of a donation for administrative costs.
9) Build real communities with real discussion and with real people without the fodder of unsolicited feedback. Think of the value of facebook or linkedin.
10) Promote an audio logo consistent with the mission, vision, value and passion of the organization. Have all members know it and repeat it.
11) Create marketing avatars. Think in terms of Google and Apple retail stores.
12) When it comes to member recruitment logic makes people think but emotion ensures that members take action. Think outward and focus on results and return on investment not facts and figures.
13) Services provided must be aligned with the overall association strategy. Leaders must ensure that the strategy does not sit on a shelf.
14) There must be a commitment to communication, analysis and feedback. Organizations must be data driven based on results and dialogue with members with the executive director as a broker of not only communication but… change!
15) In a service based economy associations must be adaptable to change. Executives must constantly think about uncontrollable environmental factors that affect the business.
16) Associations are in the marketing business, which denotes that they must be aware of M2M – Member to Member, Influences. They must think in terms of differentiation – all associations look similar. Service is the key differentiator along with consistent, relentless communication.
