Don’t waste your chance to create a member for life – offer benefits that will give the people who join your association what they need. Colin Perry from Optimum Contact has put together this article for The Association Report. Read the full newsletter here
Studies indicate that individuals join associations because of the perceived benefits they offer. Factors such as professional development, unique resources and the credibility of being associated with a certain community are the key drivers that motivate people to sign up. Belonging to an association also opens doors and puts people in touch with like-minded colleagues. While this sounds good on paper, many member-based organisations are falling victim to a common pitfall. This trap occurs when associations are heavily reliant on tired and outdated models to retain their members. It’s common practice to only contact people after their membership has lapsed. But this approach is in stark contrast with the demand for more personalised relationships between people and their chosen professional community. The majority of association members might feel there’s value in their membership and are happy to renew, a significant percentage can be left feeling indifferent. This is only heightened when the members-only contact with the association is in the form of an invoice at renewal time. This sort of interaction can leave members asking themselves, “What’s in it for me to be a member of this association?”
Pay up
Many professional associations are only engaging with their members when they’re looking for payment, or after membership has expired. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that by the time this has occurred, the member already has a bad taste in their mouth and feels reluctant to renew, despite the benefits. It’s a never-ending cycle of acquiring and retaining members, and then losing them. The harsh reality is, if you don’t provide the right support, you may find yourself emptyhanded. Without members, associations cease to exist. Balancing the demand of advocating, driving positive change, creating safe work environments, offering professional development and being flexible in delivery, all while maintaining tight budgets, is a juggling act. While electronic communication is cost-effective and efficient, nothing cuts through the noise of busy lives and offers the hand of friendship better than a phone call.
Be a friend
So, what’s the solution to prevent churn and retain the existing members who you worked hard to acquire? Put yourself in their shoes and ask, “What have we done for you lately?” Multiple touchpoints throughout the year allows you to engage members and address this crucial question. The concept of building relationships between organisations and members for mutual benefit is not new. Strengthening these relationships means paying attention to all their actions and interactions with you – what do your members really want from being associated with your organisation and how you are responding to that? Ask yourself if your association is doing enough to maximise your membership participation and awareness, taking into account how your members feel about your association. Don’t be afraid to ask them what they really think.
Be proactive, not reactive
Being proactive means employing frequent mid-cycle touchpoints during the associative relationship. This allows your members to feel connected and gives them the ability to raise issues or make positive recommendations, which can prove to be a valuable free resource for the association. Actively collecting and updating your members’ information is important to understand the depth of their relationship. Don’t wait until their membership has lapsed, when they feel reluctant to pay their invoice or when their opinion of your services has lost momentum – pick up the phone today.
A case study in customer care
A peak body for the recruitment and staffing industry in Australia and New Zealand was worried that stretched internal resources meant they were unable to reach their members in a timely or consistent manner. Using casual and temporary staff to conduct their follow-up calls didn’t deliver the positive service experience that they wanted for their members either. Realising that change was necessary, the association reached out to Optimum Contact after hearing of their success working with other organisations. Optimum Contact carefully tailored their message to the organisation and implemented a communication strategy focusing on reaching and reminding members of the value and benefits of their membership. The general manager of operation and member services for the association states, “Optimum Contact have real conversations with our members, and they know how to reinforce why they should continue to belong to our association.” This service has been invaluable, as they not only received 500 percent return on their initial investment, but they were presented with valuable information on their members for future use.
Before it’s too late
Member retention initiatives need to focus much further upstream. Firstly, start to shift your efforts towards retaining your members from the very first time they engage with your association. When a potential member gets in touch, consider a pre-emptive call to establish whether your association is actually suitable for what they want to achieve. Additionally, reaching out and calling a new member in their first two months of membership will increase their connection with your association. Help new members navigate your available resources, make the appropriate introductions and invite them to upcoming events that will get them moving in the right direction. You may only get one chance to make a lasting impression, so take time to make sure every stage of your communication is enjoyable. Secondly, the ability to predict your member’s needs before they know them based on the information you have collected will further strengthen your relationships. You can track their pain points and address them accordingly, or avoid them all together. Delving deeper into your database and learning more about your members can also help you predict what direction a relationship will take. Chances are, if one member is asking a question, so will others. Characteristics segmentation is an effective tool to gain a comprehensive understanding of your members. Identifying certain characteristics allows for a more personalised approach to each individual. Key attributes such as – what stage a member is at in their career life cycle, what their specialisation or area of interest is, and even their salary – can provide valuable information to build a comprehensive member profile. This data can determine what level of support will be offered, any pain points and how they can be addressed, and any upcoming events that may be suitable for their needs. Offering this level of personal support will deepen the relationship between member and association. Relationships are like battlefields; if you don’t have a clear strategy in place, you will lose your territory. So, what can you do today to improve your member retention? All you have to do is talk to your members.
Expand your support
If anything, focusing your resources on building lasting relationships with your members and providing them with genuine value as a reward for your time, money and energy will see a big reduction in churn. Like many membership associations, the quality of your support systems has a significant impact on your ability to retain members. A lack of internal support or fear of stretching staff too thin may prevent associations from delivering the level of consistent service they should be offering. This is a double-edged sword as it can further confirm the association’s reputation for only contacting members when chasing a payment. Consider outsourcing this service to a team of experts who are trained to engage with association members. If any of these issues resonate with you, consider employing an organisation such as Optimum Contact to support your member engagement team so you can deliver on your strategic plan. A 100 percent Australian owned and operated organisation, Optimum Contact offers a team of highly trained professionals who can tailor their communication style to your association.
