Managing member expectations in 2010
Posted on : 14-04-2010 | By : Shannon Otto | In : general leadership, member relations, membership retention, resources
Tags: association management, internet, member expectations, MemberClicks, progress, technology
0
That’s the way we’ve always done it.
It’s just not done that way.
Do you frequently find yourself hearing (or saying) these sentences?
It’s 2010. If your association is still operating the same way it has since 1970 (or even 1990!), I bet there are a few changes that could be made.
Think how far technology has come in just 15 years. In 1995, the Internet wasn’t quite mainstream yet. Now, any teenager with a smartphone can update his or her Facebook status wherever they are.
Most people graduating college probably don’t know how to operate a fax machine. They simply haven’t had to send a fax before.
As we continue to get the ability to receive more and more information at our fingertips, on smaller and smaller devices (including tablet devices like the iPad), people’s expectations start to change.
Suddenly, they want to be able to pay their dues or renew their membership with a click of the button. They want to have access to conference sessions after the conference ends. They want to be able to connect with other members on the social networking sites they’re already using.
But changes don’t even have to be about technology. They could be small changes in your office environment, recognition program or the way your meetings are run.
How is your association keeping up with the times?
There’s no secret formula for adapting to technology. But if your organization still functions the same way it did decades ago, ask yourself why. Is it because that’s simply the way you’ve always done it?
Little changes here and there can add up to something big – a tipping point, if you will. (I definitely recommend Malcolm Gladwell’s book if you haven’t read it yet!)
What’s stopping your organization from adapting and molding to meet new expectations?
