Association Membership Not Growing? With senior management teams developing next year’s budgets, it’s good a time to conduct a survey and assess your associations impact. The results and a competitive market assessment will be helpful in constructing a membership growth strategy. Associations who have not experienced membership growth will find this approach helpful. It will reveal strengths, opportunities, and weaknesses, all of which can be leveraged into actionable growth strategies.
Laser Market Focus
Individuals and corporations make membership decisions based on their Association’s ability to impact priorities that matter most to them. Whether it be legislative, regulatory, training, or certification related, they are all evaluated. Associations that convert actionable data into tangible solutions will improve their retention and growth opportunities.
Relevance
Companies conduct internal assessments before they join or renew Association memberships. Members “stay or leave” and prospects “join or go somewhere else” based upon their perception of an organization’s impact. They measure “relevance” as an Association’s capacity to help companies or individuals achieve their business, professional, or personal objectives.
Quantify and Qualify
Impact surveys should become part of an Association’s DNA. Why? Organizations that consistently benchmark products and services based on their marketplace are better positioned that those who don’t.
The impact survey is all about member/prospect “up at night” issues. Answer these key questions:
- What is the financial impact on professional and or corporate business objectives?
- How do current programs, services, and the advocacy agenda address the financial impact of “up at night” issues?
- Do proposed program changes or new initiatives help members and prospects achieve success?
- From the member and prospect vantage point, what else can the Association do?
Association Membership Not Growing?
Associations who want to grow should be seen as strategic partners. Once your Association is viewed as a strategic partner, membership growth and higher retention follow. Keep in mind that several Associations already using this approach have seen double digit growth. Why not give it a try? A growth formula you can use immediately:
Member Impact Survey & Competitive Assessment + Actionable Growth Strategies = Membership Growth.
For a free copy of the “Accelerating Strategic Member Engagement” eBook, request your copy at www.potomaccore.com.
