Is Association Member Engagement About Selling Stuff?

May 28, 2014

Is Association Member Engagement About Selling Stuff? Imagine the discussion that took place when an association’s founders first convened. Did they say: “Let’s go hire some staff and ask them to sell us stuff.” Likely not at all. Why? Intuitively, founders understood that people seek out others who have a common interest, and become most engaged with those who express appreciation for their contributions. Ultimately, Association founders recognized they could achieve more powerful outcomes collectively than individually.

Defining Strategic Member Engagement

selling stuffIn the eBook (http://bit.ly/Q9SUI4 ), Strategic Member Engagement is defined as “Creating unparalleled and sustainable value by bringing people together in ways that they find meaningful and practical, because they perceive an ability to impact something they desire, individually and collectively.”

Mission

Christopher E. Laxton, CAE, Executive Director, AMDA, www.amda.com,The Society for Post Acute and Long Term Care Medicine applies principles of Strategic Member Engagement to keep his organization focused on the mission and future positioning. Leveraging a strategic board and focusing on the needs of the average member, Laxton encourages his Board to keep their eyes focused on the mission:

Is Association Member Engagement About Selling Stuff?

At the majority of associations, member engagement takes a back seat to fighting fires and meeting budget expectations. Few association executives describe it as a “differentiating strategy”, a “growth accelerator”, or “game changer”.

There are early indicators including AMDA, and NIRI (National Investor Relations Institute), www.niri.org (http://bit.ly/1jUQESa) of new ways to think about member engagement. Executives Like Laxton, and NIRI President and CEO Jeff Morgan are demonstrating the direct linkages between their efforts, member outcomes, and their association’s business model.

The free eBook “Accelerating Strategic Member Engagement” is available for all Association Executives upon request at www.potomaccore.com, www.icimo.com, and www.verticalleapconsulting.com.

Is Your Association Positioned for the Long Term?

May 13, 2014

positioned

How to engage members has evolved over time, driven by numerous factors as associations and their members navigate the rapids of economic, technological, and political turbulence. Associations experience wide swings between the good times and trying desperately to identify new sources of short term revenues and to be seen as relevant.

Today’s Members

Corporate and individual members view their participation with associations through a very different viewing lens than when they had relatively fewer go to sources for information and knowledge sharing. In a knowledge economy, it’s about having just in time sources that help members drive business and professional outcomes. And to really value the information, members must be actively engaged. This is the new norm.

Long Term Impact: Strategic Member Engagement

With today’s new norm, how does your Association differentiate itself from all of the alternative sources to which your members have access? How do you have the information tonight for the question they need to answer tomorrow morning? How do you create a differentiating “experience” that makes members think of you first before they conduct a Google or Bing search for other sources? And critically, how do you build a connected community that positions both your organization and your constituencies for long term success? These questions are at the core of today’s confusion about “member engagement”.

Is Your Association Positioned for the Long Term?

positionedStrategic Member Engagement is really about long term, sustainable strategies to enhance your organization’s long term health. It is not about short term band aids. Strategic member engagement has huge implications for your competitive positioning and business model. In fact, for some associations, it can be a game-changing accelerator to your growth strategy.

The free eBook “Accelerating Strategic Member Engagement” is available for all Association Executives upon request at www.potomaccore.com

eBook: How Associations Magnify Impact & Drive Long Term Value

May 6, 2014

long term value This eBook highlights key research findings highlighting how Strategic Member Engagement drives operating results. Vertical Leap Consulting, icimo, LLC, and Potomac Core Consulting provide a definitive framework to assist Associations drive impact and long term value with an eBook, “Accelerating Strategic Member Engagement.”

The newly released eBook provides Association Executives with core concepts and 9 key principles driving strategic member engagement. These capabilities and alignment with member “up-at-night” issues are key elements of the eBook.

Growth Accelerator

“Accelerating Strategic Member Engagement” reinforces that strategic member engagement is not about touchy-feely member interface, short term sales strategies, or administering tracking reports. Instead, says Vertical Leap Consulting’s President & Founder Steve Lane, www.verticalleapconsutling.com, “It is a game-changing accelerator of Professional Society and Trade Association growth and positioning strategies.”

Power of Member Segmentation

Technology and data analytics also play a powerful role in the Strategic Member Engagement Process. According to Bryce Gartner, Founder and CEO of icimo, LLC,www.icimo.com, “the power of segmentation provides limitless opportunities for Associations in how they engage members to drive value, and to understand the impact of each segment on their organization’s business model.”

Return on Member Engagement

“Accelerating Strategic Member Engagement” provides a path to “member connectedness.” Organizations determined to increase their relevance in a hyper competitive Association environment will see “go to market capabilities” throughout notes Potomac Core President, www.potomaccore.com,  Dan Varroney.  

eBook: How Associations Magnify Impact & Drive Long Term Value

This e-book incorporates results of The Strategic Member Engagement Survey conducted in October & November 2013 . The survey, which polled 307 executives of national/international trade associations and professional societies, is packed with valuable information.

“Accelerating Strategic Member Engagement” is now available for all Association Executives upon request at www.potomaccore.com, www.icimo.com, and www.verticalleapconsulting.com.

Association Members Care About Outcomes

April 30, 2014

What happens when members don’t feel that they can impact something that they care about? They form their own coalitions, new Associations, and their own on-line communities. Since members care about “outcomes” for themselves, their organizations, their constituencies, and customers, the conversation will need to be changed. Strategic member engagement begins when Associations redirect the discussion from “outputs” to member “outcomes”.

outcomesThe process of moving from Association “outputs” to member “outcomes” begins with a highly engaged and strategically focused Board. It sets a considerably different context for strategic dialogue between the senior staff and board. This approach requires that Associations have sufficient insights into the external and operational challenges and opportunities of members; segment by segment.

Focus Volunteer Leaders on Member Success

High level boards that approach member outcomes as a convergence point accelerate an Association’s impact. At NIRI, , the National Investor Relations Institute, the board is all about strategy and outcomes, says Jeff Morgan, FASAE, CAE, President & CEO.

Board focus on the needs of the average member. Partnership with staff and conversations related to where the Investor Relations Profession connects NIRI to “member outcomes.”

“Outcomes” Trump “Outputs.” Providing a certification program at a crucial time in the Investor Relations profession makes NIRI that much more relevant to its global membership.

Association Members Care About Outcomes

outcomesOther CEO’s employ a similar approach. Christopher E. Laxton, CAE, Executive Director, AMDA, www.amda.com,The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, believes time focused on cultivating strategic boards is well spent. From his perspective, every minute that Association CEO’s invests in the Board can help deliver increased engagement and revenue growth.

Highly engaged & strategically focused Boards have a high correlation to Association operating results as noted in February 2014.

Additional information on Strategic Member Engagement and our eBook are available at no cost at www.potomaccore.com.

3 Reasons Why Association CEO’s Must See These Results

February 20, 2014

association3 Reasons Why Association CEO’s Must See These Results.Vertical Leap Consulting, icimo, and Potomac Core Consulting are poised to release results from a groundbreaking Strategic Member Engagement Survey on Wednesday, February 26, 2014. The Survey was conducted between October and November,  2013, with numerous national/international trade associations and professional societies participating. This survey focused on Strategic Member Engagement as an accelerant to growth and positioning strategies.

Call to Action: 3 Reasons Why Association CEO’s Must See These Survey Results

Executives from trade associations and professional societies will be interested in how their peers are experimenting with new approaches and demonstrating how these are driving their long term impact and organizational health.

According to the survey’s collaborators, there are 3 factors why these results are a must read:

  • Bryce Gartner, CEO of icimo. “Successful associations are leveraging their data to make better decisions for membership, growth, revenue and ultimately to better engage their members. “
  • Dan Varroney, President & CEO, Potomac Core Consulting. “We’ll be sharing key linkages between member engagement practices and an association’s business model.”
  • Steve Lane, Vertical Leap President. “Leading associations pay attention to member outcomes in addition to association outputs.”

Define Future Member Engagement Levels

Survey results will be shared by Potomac Core Consulting, Vertical Leap Consulting, and icimo  at the following locations:

3 Reasons Why Association CEO’s Must See These Survey Results

“The number of Trade Association CEO’s who participated in the survey is impressive. We look forward to a robust conversation on strategic member engagement with the association community,” says Bryce Gartner of icimo, Steve Lane of Vertical Leap Consulting, and Dan Varroney of Potomac Core Consulting.

For a free copy of the “Accelerating Strategic Member Engagement” eBook, request your copy at www.potomaccore.com.

association

Does Your Association Outdistance For Profit Competition?

February 5, 2014

for profit competitionDoes Your Association Outdistance For Profit Competition? At a time when for profit competitors pursue convention & conference space once owned by Associations, CEOs determined to thrive are reinvesting & sharpening their organizational competitive edge. In one case, PMMI www.pmmi.org, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, an organization whose principal source of funding comes from trade shows, takes nothing for granted. According to Chuck Yuska, President & CEO, the board & staff team always compete to maintain their “Convening Authority” mantle.

Strategic Partnership Emphasis

Securing market alignment is key for PMMI. Members & staff collaborate on annual goals, objectives, and measurements for the upcoming year.

Yuska emphasizes “we want to help our members be more competitive, give them the tools & information to grow their business, minimize their risks and obtain new business practices that help them become better companies and be more profitable.”

Address Member Pain Points   

Successful Associations like PMMI remain connected with member pain points, & provide business tangible solutions to:

1. Help members succeed. Support member global market needs, produce trade shows & conferences that studiously link buyers & sellers, members, & their customers.

2.  Use Customer Feedback Loop. Utilize exhibitor, member, & customer analytics & feedback to continuously improve takeaway value for all members & show participants.

3. Maintain High Relevance Factor. Accelerate organizational visibility through traditional & social media, direct mail, and industry channels.

4. Reinvest. Deliver the next “new thing,” and expand opportunities for members & customers.

Does Your Association Outdistance For Profit Competition?

for profit competitionDespite $2 million net operating performance in 2012 & 2013, and 7% operating growth and 95% retention in 2013, PMMI looks to consistently enhance its competitive position.

What’s next for PMMI? Expansion into regional trade shows with Pack Expo East www.packexpoeast.com. 

For a free copy of the “Accelerating Strategic Member Engagement” eBook, request your copy at www.potomaccore.com.

for profit competition

3 Strategies Help Association Overcome Shrinking Market

January 29, 2014

Market consolidation is a reality for many Associations, however, can this powerful global market trend be overcome? NPES, an Association representing over 400 global suppliers of printing, publishing, & converting technologies equipment thinks so.

Listen, Visit & Engage

shrinking market

 

Through relentless ROI focus & human connections, Ralph Nappi, President & CEO, along with his team build member relationships, identify needs, & deliver real time business solutions. Spending 100+ days in face to face meetings, Nappi actively reinforces NPES’s connection with  board members & members.

 

3 Strategies Help Association Overcome Shrinking Market

NPES operating profit performance is driven through 3 key strategies:

  1. Low barrier of entry. Affordable dues encouraging maximum participation from a larger cross section of companies.
  2. Visible ROI. Assist members grow markets; Industry statistics, issue advocacy & trade shows connecting members with client opportunities.
  3. Global market mover. “BRIC country”  presence; offices in Brazil, Russia, India, & China helping members expand markets.

Added Resources Reinforce Organization’s Strategies  

Through its 4 other organizations, NPES adds market support, industry brand visibility, & advocacy of an important industry standard:

3 Strategies That Help NPES Overcome Shrinking Market

shrinking marketRunning counter to global market forces demands close member interaction & flexible  strategies in order to achieve positive results. In NPES’s case, they report 94% member retention, & from 2009 through 2011 over $1.5 million in net operating performance.

 

 

For a free copy of the “Accelerating Strategic Member Engagement” eBook, request your copy at www.potomaccore.com.

shrinking market

Association Develops $1.1 Million Non Dues Revenue Stream

January 22, 2014

non dues revenueAssociation Develops $1.1 Million Non Dues Revenue Stream. Data and effective research can help keep organizations on track to provide high impact non dues products & services which advance member business interests. Just ask Victor Parra, President & CEO, United Motorcoach Association who launched www.busrates.com, a lead generation platform that makes their 900 plus members more competitive.

Data Driven Research

non dues revenueThanks to the utilization of environmental scans and industry assessments, UMA  board leaders & members identified opportunities for their firms to increase value to their customer base. The addition of www.busrates.com makes it easier for buyers to find charter buses that best suit their needs. Today, both domestic & Canadian DOT registered bus companies utilize the platform.

In this instance, UMA’s data driven approach highlights the importance making these connections before the Association’s dollars are invested.

Results matter:

  • The web based platform drives a daily average of “150 requests for quotes.”
  • More than “130,000 group planners outside the U.S. visiting the site.”
  • 100,000 plus travel planners visit each month to identify and secure tour bus operators.

Wanting to extend its member reach globally, UMA also partnered with the National Travel Association.

ROI or Distraction

Member insights and marketplace intelligence can lead to the establishment of “core connections.” For instance, the platform measured against the core connection definition is a valuable member resource because it’s linked to established UMA business member priorities.

The fact that this offering provides $1.1 million in non dues revenues for UMA confirms ROI and, reinforces the strength of the core connection to member business interests.

Association Develops $1.1 Million Non Dues Revenue Stream

With boards insisting upon new revenue growth, a comprehensive data driven & core focused approach could uncover the right opportunity for an organization.

For a free copy of the “Accelerating Strategic Member Engagement” eBook, request your copy at www.potomaccore.com.

non dues revenue

2 Strategies Help One Association Deliver 367% Revenue Growth

January 15, 2014

2 Strategies Help One Association Deliver 367% Revenue Growth. What is clear is that the United Motorcoach Association www.uma.org defines its success to the degree by which they provide products & services which help members enhance their market competitiveness. Over the last sixteen years, UMA’s reputation for helping the industry it represents reflects in its impressive financial performance. Record revenue growth and 92% retention reinforces the organization’s role supporting members who are predominantly U.S. based small business owners.

revenue growthMove Industry Forward

Victor Parra, the organization’s President & CEO, emphasizes that “Our job is to move this entire industry forward.” He utilizes a detailed environmental scan to define the global and domestic issues impacting his members and then engages UMA’s members in an industry assessment survey. This information helps to create a focused strategic plan to advance the industry to higher levels of competitiveness & profitability.

Active Member Engagement

UMA’s board and association members actively participate in the planning process from the environmental scan all the way to an industry assessment survey.

 2 Strategies Matter Most

 Two distinct strategies drive both member value & financial performance:

  1.  Intensive research to align association resources. The website, advocacy agenda, online training programs, committee focus & the annual expo are billboards helping members compete effectively. Members readily connect their participation with their own company ROI. UMA’s results reinforce the connection.
  2.  Planning, execution & metrics. Considerable weight is given to execution. Reviewing its internal processes ahead of time and then measuring member feedback & financial performance assess organizational effectiveness.

2 Strategies Help One Association Deliver 367% Revenue Growth

The UMA’s way forward is consistently defined through market research & member feedback. For Parra & the association though, it is “the journey that is the lesson.”

For a free copy of the “Accelerating Strategic Member Engagement” eBook, request your copy at www.potomaccore.com.

revenue growth

1 Industry Association’s Approach to Non Dues Revenue Strategy

December 10, 2013

1 Industry Association’s Approach to Non Dues Revenue Strategy.  Although Boards look for non dues revenue, they in some cases encourage staff to seek industry collaboration as a part of the effort. SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association plasticsindustry.org , developed an approach that  accomplishes both of these objectives.

Collaboration, Industry Advocacy and Revenue Growth

non dues revenueLooking to increase sector collaboration and increase revenues, William R. Carteaux, SPI President & CEO, established a B2B collaborative called resinGear resingear.com. Through this effort, SPI and other plastics related organizations sell their industry’s private line of corporate, industrial, and promotional apparel. This strategic initiative is helping the plastics industry organizations:

  • Achieve industry collaboration and cooperation which had previously been  ineffective
  • Elevates the segment’s brand among clients and the general public
  • Demonstrate their commitment to a “zero waste” threshold in domestic landfills
  • All dollars generated help the industry associations advocate a pro North American Plastics Jobs agenda at all levels of government

Building Upon Core Strength with “Adjacency Expansion”

Organizations like SPI reinforce core & profitable strength by moving into “related segments or businesses,” in order to grow additional revenues. Authors Chris Zook and Jim Allen articulate a similar approach in “Profit From the Core, Growth Strategy in an Era of Turbulence” copyright 2010 Bain and Company. Applying this methodology, Associations and Societies now have the ability to leverage existing customer relationships while they build upon their competitive advantage in a new market area.

1 Industry Association’s Approach to Non Dues Revenue Strategy

Some of the organizations participating include: the Plastics Pipe Institute plasticpipe.org, the Western Plastics Association westernplastics.org, the Vinyl Institute vinylinfo.org & the American Composite Manufacturers Association acmanet.org.

All nineteen plastics Associations are eligible to participate, and Carteaux indicates that he already sees improved industry collaboration.

For a free copy of the “Accelerating Strategic Member Engagement” eBook, request your copy at www.potomaccore.com.

non dues revenue