One of my great passions is mentoring professional chapters (19 to be exact) as a national volunteer with the American Marketing Association. I enjoy helping leading marketers throughout the Midwest and Atlantic regions enhance their leadership skills in growing such organizations and thereby growing their personal brands. This economy creates a challenge for doing that. However, I've found that using a three-step process which can be summarized by the acronym WIN can help overcome that challenge.
W-hy? Begin by asking yourself the question, why would anyone want to invest their time and money in our professional organization? What value do they derive from it? My experience tells me that one thing professionals want from an industry group is the ability to network. Not providing that asset is one sure way to make their affiliation with such a group a short one. Other obvious benefits needed are education, the creation of business development opportunities and for some, it's simply the chance to give of their time and give back. By bringing a large number of influencers in the industry into your association, you also make it more valuable to potential sponsors, which can increase the bottom line, which can be pumped back into programs that serve members even better.
I-nitiate: There is a saying that once you get someone to join an organization (as an employee or simply a group member) the recruitment process doesn't end--it's just beginning. In the case of an association group, chances are a member may not renew a year later when it's time to re-up if they haven't been initiated into the organization and put to work as a volunteer. The bond created through shared experiences with other members is very powerful and can overcome other weaknesses (mediocre programming, lack of business building opportunities). Educated professionals recognize that getting return on investment is an interactive process where they get to know the wants and needs of their fellow members and can help fill those needs while fulfilling personal business goals.
N-urture: Many associations do an excellent job of compiling how long each of their members have belonged. Think of it like the sales cycle. From the time, an account executive begins calling on a company for new business it can take months, even years to create the first sale. The mating dance may begin with a cold call or one where the business developer had a referral into the lead. Maybe the potential client had no need for the particular service at the time or perhaps their existing vendor was doing a great job servicing the account for many years. After a time, maybe the characters changed and the vendor fell out of favor. If the rep seeking to be the new vendor stayed vigilant in politely following up regularly with the lead, perhaps one day he is rewarded. Association membership can often use a similar model. A new member may get involved in the organization the first year, perhaps volunteer to join a committee. Or maybe they just go to four or five of the monthly meetings. The next year, their involvement might become more intentional. The third year, they may be asked to chair a committee and join the board of directors. After a time, they can become "sold completely." When that happens you will have that person as a member for life or for a long time. In many associations, they feel that if you keep a member for five years, there is a very good chance that person will stay 10, 15, even 20 years. They become so fond of the organization, they may not be in the same career or profession, yet couldn't imagine leaving all the lifelong friends they've made.
The evolution of attracting, engaging, nurturing and retaining members in a trade association can seem like an endless task and can be complicated by our tough financial times. But in the end, it is a process that can be rewarding for such organizations and life- and career-changing for members who need to be connected to their industry, to topics affecting their future and to colleagues who can make a difference in their lives in many ways.
About this Author
Pat Frew is a respected and connected strategic communicator who enjoys working in the membership-based association market. He can be reached at http://www.linkedin.com/in/patfrew
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