6 critical-mistakes-association-managers-make

• 1. 6 Critical Mistakes Association Managers MakeWith Their Non-Dues Revenue Programs Now ThatStaff Has Been Slashed andResources Have Evaporated and ...How You Can Avoid ThemMistake #1: Ignoring member feedback andnot understanding members needs or your associations fundamental mission According to a recent McKinley Marketing survey of 300 association executives, improving member retention is the #1 priority for associations in 2009.So, how do you overcome the pitfalls of using costly and ineffective old ways ofretaining your members and start focusing on new ways to achieve better results?Your first step is to read this white paper and take advantage of four industry experts whoshare their secrets. Stop losing members and start overcoming the challenges of engagingnew members even during our current economic meltdown.Whats Your Purpose?What are your members most pressing issues? What problems do they need you to helpthem solve?Get back to the basics and make sure you know (really know) the expectations of yourmembers and the reasons theyve chosen you. Make sure you fulfill (and understand)their needs as well as their expectations.Remind members you exist for them and are with them for the long term. Its alsoimportant to be the most credible source for information in your industry a resourcefor your members.Ask for Feedback (and never stop asking)Always be listening! It may We conduct a Friday Focus Survey and ask our membersseem obvious, but not only 1 to 3 questions on a topic thats been on our listserv, saysdo you need to ask for Karen Krzmarzick from ASOA. Weve used these surveysmember feedback, you alsofor benchmarking and have developed a publication for ourneed to respond and follow members around the results.up on questions, comments

2. and suggestions which is just as important as (if not more important than) asking forfeedback. Survey members via email and/or your website to inquire about their needsRon Precourt from NTCA Conduct surveys on a regular basissays, Our organizationdoes a survey every other Conduct focus groups virtual or in person at your year to ask members if meetings they had $100, how would Utilize feedback from event evaluations they spend it? Listen and respond to anecdotal commentsDont forget: Sharing feedback is also another great excuse for you to communicateimportant information to members.Battling the Loss of Members During these tough economic times, while youre doing more with less, you still need ways to keep members happy, engaged and looking to you for answers, solutions and help.Your first tactic in the battle of member retention is to keep infront of your members dont let them forget about you anddont make it easy to put you on the chopping block for cuttingback costs.Hear how Karen Krzmarzickfrom ASOA is battlingthe loss of membersEasy (and Quick) Tactics with Load$ of Value Offer a dues payment plan Offer a job search service Offer trial (e.g., 3 months) or complimentary membership for members in dire financial straits When its time for membership renewal, make your first offer your best offer give them the most benefits, save them the most money, etc. Dont train people to wait until the last minute to renew Provide value in your communications, e.g., tip of the week Offer a newsletter or listserv for members direct reports or bossesGo Beyond Retention to EngagementOffer a new member a mentor a long-time member who can answer their questions,provide guidance and be your associations cheerleader.Develop a system for categorizing members involvement Track their purchases, webinar and conference attendance, etc. 3. Watch their interaction with your social media tools are they participating on your blog and listservs? Are they fans and friends and followers? Create surveys to elicit even more specific information about their needsThen USE the information Customize your communications based on their interests Develop stop doing and do more of lists based on what your membersperceive to be of value Mistake #2: Not Maximizing Non-Dues RevenueOpportunities from Your Annual Conferences andMeetings Offer More Educational Opportunities Not Less Whats the main reason your members attend annual conferencesand meetings? Education. At a time when youre forced to cut costs and scale back sessions, dontlose sight of the hard-core fact that most members attend your annual conference for thesheer educational value.You can skip the free morning muffins or use public transportation instead of shuttles,but do not lose your focus on education. Its the best way to increase value to yourmembers and increase your non-dues revenue. Making Your Educational Sessions Count More Make your hard work (and hours of time) pay off with increased non-dues revenue and greater member satisfaction. Improve your educational sessions (and skimp on some other stuff members dont value as much ) Offer continuing education credits and/or credits towardcertificate programs Create a kit to assist members who need to getpermission from their bosses to attend Retain the best and most knowledgeable top-name speakersWeve developed a template formembers to take to their supervisor Get people engaged months before the eventwith information about our annual by using listservs and other media meeting that includes all the benefits including social media he or she will get out of attending, Hold your events in attractive, yet affordable says Karen Krzmarzick from ASOA. locationsWeve even included evaluations Conduct focus groups and testimonials for members to Go Virtual! Add a web conferencing personalize and take to their boss. element such as a webinar of your hottest 4. topic or top speaker to include members who arent able to travel to your face-to-face events Mistake #3: Relying exclusively on face-to-face events to generate non-dues revenue and not offering a web conferencing option for participants unable to travel due to budget cuts and time restrictions It should come as no surprise to you that many companies have imposed restrictions on employees for attending professional conferences, meetings and seminars. If youre an association that relies heavily on annual conferences asa source of non-dues revenue, youre probably searching for ways to save yourconferences and your budget!Reach Those Who Cant TravelNows the time to think outside the box to find innovative ways to be where yourmembers are and where they can afford to be.The traditional in-person conferences are no longer effective in gaining the non-duesrevenue youve hoped for and need.The reality is: travel budgets have been slashed and employees cant take time away fromthe office. Unfortunately, if youre like most association managers, youre under-utilizingweb conferencing technology.Whats the Solution? Uniting Both Worlds for Maximum ResultsThe real world and virtual world collide. Use webinars and other web conferencingsolutions to make up for non-dues revenue lost from canceled or poorly attended face-to-face events. Webinars = no travel. Offer value to those who cant travel to face to faceconferences, but dont want to miss out on all the educational sessions Repurpose recordings from face-to-face conferences and turn into saleablecontent Think hot topics + hot speakers = successful webinar. Give members who cantattend the opportunity to get great content and speakers online. Use webinars to complement members needs and learning styles Offer CE credit Offer speakers you would not be able to get at a face to face conference (industryexperts, congressional staff, well-known authors) Use streaming technology to simulcast portions of your face-to-face conferences especially the sold out and hot-topic sections. 5. For international members, offer webinars using speakers from outside the U.S. and schedule at times that are convenient for this audienceThe After-math CountsOne of the biggest marketing mistakes is forgetting to reach back to those who attended(or those who may not have been able to attend) your events after theyre over.Deirdre Hackett, Kiplinger Washington Editors,talks about the tactics sheuses to increase audio conference attendeesand revenueFact: Not Everyone Can Attend Your Live Events Promote availability of recordings when you market the live event and continue to promote after the event Remind your members of the value of creating a library of events Inspire members to share event information with colleagues Sell recordings after events and earn up to an additional 20 to 30 percent more non-dues revenue Promote recordings using email, direct mail, press releases, social media, etc. Mistake #4: Using low-bidder technology that provides substandard audio and video quality for your webinars, resulting in complaints and refund requests.The old adage, You get what you pay for certainly rings true when itcomes to choosing a web conferencing technology provider.Have you ever found yourself distracted by barking dogs, rustling papers or robotic,chopped up voices instead of listening to a speaker (because you cant hear him or heranyway) deliver content via a webinar?Eliminate lost non-dues revenue from poorly executed webinars where members wanttheir money back. Make sure your word of mouth is always positive! Ensure audienceengagement and satisfaction by choosing a reliable web conferencing technology partner.Get Your Members To Attend More Webinars(even though they have few training dollars to spend make it worth their while): Choose a reliable and flexible webconferencing provider that focuses on Attendance to our webinars fluctuates, butcustomer service and can providewith hot topics or niche topics, we get hugesupport services basically everything registration numbers with no pushback on thecost from members, says Ron Precourt,you need for a successful webinar NTCA. 6. Provide high-quality webinars need-to-know topics and the best speakers youcan get Use appropriate technology, taking into consideration: o Is the content visual, requiring PowerPoint slides? Do you require a videocomponent? o Your members comfort level with and access to technology (e.g., are theyaccustomed to attending webinars? Are there firewall or bandwidth issuesat their place of employment?) o Are you charging a fee and/or is it a high-profile event where attendeesexpectations are higher? Read this white paper: 47 Questions Every Senior Association Executive MustAsk Their Audio/Webinar/Video Conference Provider In Order To AvoidMaking Embarrassing MistakesMistake #5: Relying exclusively on blast email to increaseattendance to non-dues revenue programs and maintaincommunications with membersIts a brave new world out there. First: You have a multi-generational membership base (from Baby Boomers to Gen Ys) with vastly differing communication styles, expectations and needs. Second: Once youve figured out how your members want to receive information, you have to compete with thousands no wait, millions of other messages to actually get your members attention.And lets not forget the gigantic, life-changing, membership-altering array ofcommunication forms called Social Media.All of this together means you have to work even harder to get your members to payattention to the information you send them. And, as hard as it is to change habits, relyingon email is NOT the most effective or all-inclusive way to communicate (especially ifyou want it to be effective) and promote non-dues revenue programs.Resistance is FutileIts time to let go of your inhibitions and start responding to your members needs.The first thing to do is figure out what communication tools your members use andthen work from there. The second thing to do is remember that its important to use manytools, not just one, to appeal to the varying ages and demographics of your membership.Yes, its still important to use email, but not as a one-size fits all solution. 7. Popular Alternatives To Blast Email Listservs Website eNewsletters Magazines Opt-in email alerts based on interests Blogs Facebook Twitter RSS feedsMore Easy Tips Coordinate communications from your association by using a communicationscalendar Market and promote at face-to-face events, e.g., PowerPoint slides on screens inconference rooms between breakout sessions; flyers; sample CDs Never Stop Communicating and Make It Count Your members expect to hear from you. Dont make them guesswhat youre up to or the value you have to offer. When it comes tocommunication, more is more. The more ways you connect and offer valuable information, the moreengaged members become and the more likely they are to valueyour relationship (and not give it up easily). Personal interaction via phone call before memberships are due Personal email instead of blast email Direct and personal responses to listserv comments and emails from an executive director or manager Produce specific messages phone, email, direct mail We try to reach subscribers in as or better yet, all the above for specific constituencies many ways as possible, says within your membership (e.g., HR, finance, etc.) itDeirdre Hackett, from Kiplinger makes communication more personal and more Washington Editors. We use E- effectivezines, RSS feeds, Facebook, Twitter Social media sites to engage in conversations andand our political blog where people help members build a community and network for blog daily about hot issues in D.C. sharing information and solutions. 8. Mistake #6: Not leveraging staff and resources effectivelyDo more with less staff and fewer resources by first looking at the thingsyou can stop doing:What Isnt Adding Value For Your Members? Stop printing and mailing your magazines, member and service directories, etc. offer them electronically only Trim or cut back services your members dont find value in or arent using anymore Eliminate some of the frills at your conferences Ask them! Survey your members to learn what is most important to them and focus exclusively on those thingsFocus on What You Want To Do and Do More of That Find ways to partner with other organizations and leverage resources, e.g., join forces with a publication that is in the same space as your association Repurpose existing content in new formats turn a magazine article into a webinar turn an email into a blog posting capture nuggets from conference and webinar recordings and post them as podcasts on your website turn a members question into a poll question to your entire membershipGet more tools and resources (free, must have) to overcome mistakes and startengaging (and keeping) your members.Go to http://www.krm.com/event-management-resources.html