Invigorate Revenue

If you are launching into this article unsure about what Design Thinking is, you can make your way to part one. This second part covers my association’s plunge into the deepend, and what happens when empathy becomes your starting point. There is no roadmap for implementing Design Thinking into your strategic plan. Indeed, given that to employ […]

What is your association’s reason for being? What is its mandate? Why do you continue to work, and what drives your decision-making? In the face of administrative, organizational and financial challenges, it is important to recall the answer to these questions. Especially when confronted with the persistent challenge of generating non-dues revenue, we must always […]

What’s your treatment paradigm? Some associations treat their supplier members like lepers, while others consider their associate members to be potential strategic partners. Where does your association sit in this dichotomy? The paradigm for some associations is that of continually figuring out how to squeeze the last possible dime out of their suppliers, while others […]

For most associations, doing business as usual is no longer an option, and the world is becoming much more competitive. Generating revenue from non-traditional sources has become integral to an association’s success, and we must use advanced and innovative tech solutions to meet these needs. Despite being in an era that demands novelty and greater […]

Far too often, associations associate non-dues revenues with cash grabs. These attempts, such as affinity programs, used to be a lot more profitable – especially before the internet made it too easy for members to shop and find deals on their own. I view non-dues revenue as a way of thinking through what your members need […]

It might seem like your organization is treading a tightrope between the two poles that hold it aloft. On one side is membership engagement and retention, and keeping the rope taught from the other side is the opposing pull of non-dues revenue efforts. Providing and demonstrating value to your members is, of course, a fundamental task […]

Ask engaged members when they realized the value of the association and many could tell you the exact moment. They can quickly recall a single event or moment when it was clear to them they made the right decision in joining. The moment new members understand the value of the association is the Association’s Value […]

Does your prospectus follow the same old format? I’ve seen a few lately, and I can tell you from my experience, chances are your prospectus needs a fresh approach. It’s time to shake things up and create something that will catch the prospect’s attention. I have a few tips for you: USE DATA Prospective sponsors […]

For a number of years, I’ve heard conversations about “changing membership models.” This is a difficult discussion to have across individual membership societies and trade associations because who joins (individual v. company) in each model dictates the types of membership categories and/or access provided. We all know the “reason for being” for a professional society v. […]

A company that provides business education recently fell under my radar, as one of its primary lessons is on building an engaged audience. That is why it is a fascinating exercise to consider how this organization built its own audience. After all, it really should be their best case study, right? So how did I become […]