In an increasingly competitive and low profit margin world companies only invest time, money, and staff resources where they can drive business outcomes. With fewer dollars to spend, today’s executives look past yesterday’s Association model and instead seek out strategic partners.
Author: Dan Varroney
3 decades of experience working with multiple Industries and understanding different Association challenges by helping build strategies that add long term value.
Comprehensive understanding of Associations, as Senior Vice President for the National Association of Manufacturers’ National Membership & Grass Roots operation, as President of the American Solutions Advocacy organization, & as President and CEO of the Association for Corporate Growth.
Considerable background on impact of legislative and regulatory policy on Industries, has provided analysis on economic performance and M&A trends in outlets that include CNBC, CNBC Europe, Fox News, Fox Business, Dow Jones Marketwatch, Bloomberg, and the BBC.
Strategic perspectives are frequently sought out by CEO Update, a leading source for Association news and information. Authored over 145 blog articles on Strategic Planning & Member Engagement.
Facilitates knowledge sharing among forty -five Association CEO’s at the Growth Strategies & Member Engagement Forum.
Served as a member of the Prince William County, Virginia Strategic Business Planning Team.
District Three Councilman in the Village of Palatine, Cook County, Illinois, twenty one years.
B.A. in American History from the Catholic University of America, Washington D.C. and earned a Certificate from the Yale School of Management, New Haven, Connecticut in Leadership and Team Effectiveness.
Member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).
Association Alignment Can Drive Growth
Engaging boards in strategy development is powerful; the strategic member engagement survey (see results http://bit.ly/1g8g1J2) reports that those Associations who have this capability more often report upward 3 Year business trends. However, when actionable member data (through impact surveys) is discussed with boards, it helps Association’s create great conversations on how to align with their…
Association Outcomes Trump Outputs
Association Outcomes Trump Outputs. Emerging from the great recession and experiencing an almost 50% drop in conference attendance, the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing moved to realign its focus on member business outcomes. Like many Associations today, members are under pressure to produce results for their companies and their focus is about “outcomes” for themselves,…
Predicting Engagement Potential
Strategic member engagement means data driven decisions. By segmenting your audience you can begin to understand each group’s priorities. What are the outcomes they seek? How do they participate with your association today? What can you learn about them via the social media they embrace? Audience segmentation will vary from association to association. Common examples…
Engagement and Moving to We
Engagement and Moving to We. Moving to “we” is about inclusiveness and being open to the possibilities that might surface. This requires an integrated blend of “push” and “pull” offerings, with the explicit expectation that together “we” make great things happen for members. “We/You” Fallacy There is a fundamental flaw in the approach of many…
Members Feel Connected?
Members Feel Connected? With year end approaching, member retention may loom large for any Association. Understanding why members leave gets to the heart of issues like retention and member connectedness. Connectedness is the critical organizational outcome that drives long term success, and unlike “loyalty,” it can be measured in behavioral terms. The 3 C’s capture how…
Keeping Members Engaged
People only contribute time, knowledge, and ideas when they perceive an opportunity to impact the outcomes they seek. Keeping and winning higher engagement levels happens when Associations create ongoing opportunities for their constituencies to contribute knowledge and collaborate with other members. Assess your Association’s constituency segments within the following 4 level framework. For example: Disconnected…
Member Value Drivers?
Member Value Drivers? Too often an association’s internal discussions are about tweaking “outputs” and not creatively driving the “outcomes” that members really care about. This only fuels the “we/you” culture that exists in so many associations. Associations can get into trouble when internal discussions infer “we know what’s best for our members”. If members don’t…
Knowledge Based Solutions
Knowledge Based Solutions. In today’s knowledge economy, an association’s competitive positioning requires a differentiating “experience” that treats each member as having a piece of the knowledge puzzle. Members are seeking knowledge based solutions which require both “push” and “pull” approaches. “Push” and “Pull” Approaches Most association executives recognize that the challenges their members face today…
Stimulating Connectedness
Stimulating Connectedness. Many association executives still yearn for member “loyalty” and have traditionally sought to measure it by retention rates. What does membership loyalty mean? There are very few examples of one-stop shopping. In a knowledge economy, members proactively seek information from many sources. People most value the things in which they personally participate. They…