Setting and implementing a member-driven strategy is one thing, but it’s only half the battle...The other and often overlooked other piece of the puzzle has to do with communication.
If you'll recall, this is where we left off in yesterday's post on communicating your achievements to your members.
So many associations don’t do enough to toot their own horn. In my mind those that are successful at keeping their members in the loop so that they are crystal clear about the results the association is getting on their behalf is one of the most critical factors that separate the good from the awesome in the association world.
With this in mind, I've put together a few important rules of thumb to consider when you're wrapping your head around how best to educate your members about all of the great things your association is accomplishing.
1. Show members that you are listening and that you actually care about what they have to say.
Show members that they aren't providing feedback into a void. Let them know that you've heard them and plan on taking action based on their needs:
Example: “The membership survey told us that you think we’re doing a great job providing relevant professional development programming but that we’re falling short in providing you with enough opportunities to network with your peers. We’re listening and are working on a plan to raise the bar in this critical area.”
2. Demonstrate how you are taking action.
Don't just let members know that you are going to act on their feedback: Tell them exactly how their input is going to be used to turn their vision of the association into a reality:
Example: "Based on your input, we’ve updated our education program to include oportunities that are more relevant to your needs. These will be launched this coming January and will include X, Y, Z."
3. Show members the measurable results you have achieved.
Keep your members up-to-date with your progress related to the goals you have set. Celebrate your accomplishments when you reach your targets.
Example: "It has now been six months since we asked you to speak your mind in our member satisfaction survey. Since that time we set several ambitious goals designed to address your key concerns. Here’s an update on what we’ve achieved so far.
1. Government Relations Goal: Get a seat on X regulatory board by 2012.
Status: Achieved
2. Media Relations Goal: Members and/or representatives of the organization to be called on for expert advice at the national media level 12 times per year.
Status: Ahead of schedule for 2011 with the association and its members appearing in national media 8 times in the first quarter.
3. Education Goal: Develop and fill six new workshops on the impact of the economy on our profession.
Status: First three workshops have been completed and were a great success. All were sold out. The remaining three sessions for this year are already 75% full."
4. Do your homework.
Make sure you understand what balance of communication works with your members. In other words, not only do you need to know what channels your members want used (email, snail mail, fax etc.), but how often they want to be touched by your association (once a month, weekly, daily). You also need to understand what type of messaging is most effective for the different segments of your membership.
5. Tell them, tell them often and tell them again.
Communication to your members about what is happening in your association cannot be something done once or twice yearly. Depending on what you learned from #4, communication needs to be sent on a regular basis using different channels and with variety in the messaging to make sure the message ‘sticks’ to your various member groups.
The Association Resource Centre is a full-service consulting firm specializing in all areas of research and strategic planning for nonprofits. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have a question you need help answering or are interested in learning more about how ARC can help your organization achieve its full potential.
Friday, April 8, 2011 at 3:38PM 
