One Association's Journey to Creating Value

by Melynn Sight

Creating value really matters in an association’s strategic plan. Even if the words “creating value” aren’t spelled out, one of the many reason for strategic planning is to use your resources (people, time and money) to focus on key member, industry and/or market issues. To determine value, you could start with this question: “What promise do we make to solve a significant issue for our members?”

Value has many forms - it may be a tool, an emotional benefit that is safe or efficient, or the way an association communicates the key benefits of membership. While it may seem like a daunting task to embark on improving value in your association, most times just putting your head down and going to work is an ideal place to start. Yes, as they say, "Just Do It".

Seeing association leadership in action makes it very clear to me that there are three equal elements to creating value: planning, leadership involvement and implementation. Meet the Nebraska Pharmacists Association.

I take pride in the chance to take part in their path to creating more member value. Here’s what I see in a board and staff that makes the process work:

• Strategic planning narrowed down NPA's 2011 goals to three important ones. Board member names were attached to each goal, making them the lead for developing the operational plan to support the goal.
• There is a real champion for member feedback - the member services director knows that productive planning can't happen without knowing exactly what’s important to Pharmacist members current and prospective customers. A member research project was funded - two surveys: one for members, and one for non-members.
• With the final results, the staff reviewed the findings and key messages. The board received them as well. But it didn’t stop there.
• Last night at 6:30, 12 staff and board members conferenced for 90 minutes to discuss the survey together. First we reviewed the highlights of the survey process and results. Then I gave them three specific conclusions in the form of recommendations, and ideas about possible activities to support them.
• VERY SPECIAL STEP: After the presentation, every board member expressed their one biggest take-away from the report - the top priority that NPA should do to operationally support their strategic plan. Once they were finished, the ED had a list of a dozen insightful ideas about how the board and staff together can focus their efforts to make the right kind of change to chip away at meeting their goals.
• Not only did they spend 90 minutes making progress on their strategic plan, but took a stab at a process to firm up their value proposition - soon they will reconvene to work on their new elevator speech.

How do you spell V-A-L-U-E C-R-E-A-T-I-O-N? A board and staff determined to do the few, right things to grow the organization. Leaders who not only wants to make positive change, but also willing to be part of creating it.

Board and staff lead for a reason - to learn about what members value, and then make the right decisions about what belongs in a strategic - and operating plan to deliver on the promises they make. Congratulations, NPA.

One Association's Journey to Creating Value

Why Would I Brand My Association?

by Melynn Sight

Your members have options. They can 1) Use your service to get what they need, 2) Get their services somewhere else, 3) Get their tools and resources themselves, without anyone’s help, or 4) Do nothing at all. What will it take to get them to choose you?

Whether your goal is to grow membership, or improve value to the member, the better you can articulate your promise, the more members you will attract, and convert from joiners to lifetime members. Loyal members get involved, respond to calls-to-action, read your mailings, and tell their non-member colleagues about you.

Your brand is your promise.

A brand tells your member the one thing that makes your association valuable to them – bar none. The brand is your promise to them. It is a statement – a symbol that describes clearly how every staff person and board member will interact with members. The brand begins with your knowledge of your members’ biggest needs. It reflects your culture, your philosophies, what you’re good at (or what you aspire to be), and ends with promise that never ends.

There is an important, unexpected benefit to branding. When you declare your promise to your members, it’s a unified statement of your value. When a company commits to a promise that “We Try Harder” (like Avis) or “We’re In It For You” (like OKC REALTORS® Association), the staff and leadership is responsible to deliver on that promise.

 It is not only a “marketing promise”,

it is an organizational commitment delivered

in every single interaction.

• People have the obligation to reinforce the brand for their small piece of your business.
• When leadership makes decisions based on the brand, it is a demonstration of their commitment over time.
• Finally, the brand is a tangible way to measure the efforts of your organization, so that each staff member and leader is not only satisfying his/her piece of the pie, but also delivering on the association’s unified brand promise.

Branding doesn’t stop when new leadership takes office, or when a staff member is replaced. Brand building that lasts requires trust and consistency, year after year. You earn your brand by continuing to deliver it over time.

It’s not about your logo.

The definition of “brand” (noun) came from cattle-ranchers, who burn a mark – the “brand” – on the haunches of their cattle to differentiate their cattle from other ranchers. Unlike the literal definition of the brand, this is not what I mean by a brand. In marketing terms, a brand is a distinctive characteristic that sets a product, service, person, or place apart from other products services, people, or places.

The European Brands Association proposes that a “brand is a constant point of reference; a contract, a signpost, a relationship. It is a signpost because it shows consumers a way to fulfill their needs. It is a relationship because trust and loyalty are earned over time.” This may be the most misunderstood and undervalued marketing concept. Let’s explore more below.

Good customer service is not a brand.

Customer service is a basis for running a good business. However, it is difficult to call it a true point of differentiation. You will need to work harder to determine a promise your members will consider valuable and one that gets their attention.

Building your brand and then delivering can actually provide your members a return on their investment.

As Warren McKenna says, “You brand yourself through your people, your places, and your things.”

Branded People – Consider your association staff, volunteers, committee members, and board of directors as “Agents of Change”. From the mailroom to the boardroom, your constituents can be a strategic force for change.

Branded Places – Build events on a philosophy of “anticipate, experience, and remember.” Any physical place is an opportunity to build a relationship. Every place you are in front of your members, at industry conferences, training events, seminars, etc., you have the opportunity to build on your brand.

Branded Things – Develop touch points that can demonstrate value while also providing unique channels to service members: membership materials, websites, brochures, newsletters…the list goes on. The continuity of these vehicles is essential in building a two-way dialogue with your members, to build on your brand.

What’s involved in determining a brand?

• A brand will be useless if it doesn’t help you improve your members’ experience. For your brand to be relevant, you must identify what your members really want (the vital needs). Discover their top three needs through a member survey. Find out what members think is most important.
• A brand can be a way to change the skills or direction of an organization. You must evaluate your desired strengths against your current strengths in order to brand yourself realistically. A branding assessment, though not long or involved, will help you direct your efforts. It can bring your staff and board closer, can bring focus to a trait that requires development, and can position you to attract a more involved membership.
• Ultimately you want to fill in these two blanks:

1. Why would members join if they didn’t have to? In other words, what one valuable member benefit do you want to be known for?
2. If you are known for the one benefit above, how will it help you achieve your association’s goals?

Selected properly, and embraced by your leadership, your brand is an intangible yet invaluable asset. It is the basis of the way you communicate your association’s value.

For more information on branding, click here for nSight Marketing’s one-pager on the topic.

Melynn is dedicated to improving value to your members through communications and committed to the success of trade Associations. She can be reached at melynn@nsightmarketing.com or 913.220.7753.

Why Would I Brand My Association?

Finding and Growing Leaders - Plant Seeds Often and Handle Them with Care

by Melynn Sight

When was the last time you really thought your process of finding and developing potential leaders for your organization? Communication, finding them, and growing them them is vital. Not unlike gardening, the process of growing healthy leaders involves a few important steps. Done properly, you will see seedlings grow into buds, and then into vibrant blooms!

A common practice across associations is to create a once a year, e-flyer along the lines of “We Want You” to volunteer for a committee or a director’s position.

As with any other call to action, there are three rules to follow:

• Determine your target audience (first)
• Understand what they are thinking about the benefit and barriers to this activity. Address them in your pitch.
• Be specific about what you want them to do.

Find them first. Then cultivate them.

Here are ten promising practices about casting your net wider in order to foster the right kind of people for your committees and leadership:

1. Use association events to look for members who are involved in discussion, who are passionate and sound like they are open to ideas and do-ers. If they are involved in Church as a volunteer, they are a good prospect.
2. Look for those with whom you have good business experience (even those on the other side of business dealings).
3. Personally invite aspiring leaders to a board meeting.
4. Take time to make personal phone calls to prospects. If each board member and committee chair made two calls, the effort is minimal and the results can be many.
5. Document brief written or video testimonials from past presidents, board members and committee members to share with prospective leaders
6. Do some informal mentoring for a member you think has leadership potential (you will get as much out of it as they will!)
7. Give constructive feedback.
8. Set up a formal mentoring program with your past presidents and a small group of prospects
9. Develop leadership communities. An experienced group of members, business owners and past president would make a good team to nominate members for leadership.
10. Make leaders accessible (not untouchable); ask leaders to spread out, reach out and speak out about leadership opportunities. Follow the 5 “W”s:

• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why

Then add one more to the list: Welcome them.

These are some ways to fertilize the leadership ground. Good luck in your search for the best unexpected but quality seeds.

Finding and Growing Leaders - Plant Seeds Often and Handle Them with Care

From the Hearts of Many Associations for Joplin, Missouri

by Melynn Sight

I am inspired by outpouring of association and members inquiries looking for ways to help victims of the Alabama, Louisiana, Joplin tornadoes. Being closest to Joplin, only three hours away, the church, civic, corporate, government and even NFL sporting team elbow grease dedicated to helping in the area is inspiring. From stays of one-day to weeks-long doing all kinds of jobs.

Tracy Osborne, CEO of my home town’s Chamber of Commerce and former Joplin resident, is keeping us posted on the grass-roots movement of Rotary clubs, agencies, church groups, construction companies and families helping Joplin clean up their town of 50,000. There are no schools to convene this August. Tracy says 40% of the students have been displaced, since they no longer have a home in Joplin. There are no school supplies or computers or classrooms. Everything will be replaced.

I taught a leadership class recently for an association in Kissimmee, Florida. Two students approached me at different times: the first asked if I could connect her with a reliable place to donate money; her brokerage firm wanted to help. The second said her business is looking to make a collection of supplies that Joplin needs and will send anywhere it’s needed. And just last week, I sat in a board of directors meeting of a large NAR association who approved a significant contribution on behalf of the membership to Joplin relief. From very far away.

Individuals are springing to action; there are heroic efforts every day helping hearts of the homeless and helping survivors begin to put their lives back together. The story that began on the evening news is now in the hands of regular people from near and far giving of their time and treasure. The communities and families will need help for a long time. Thank you for showing the spirit of community.

From the Hearts of Many Associations for Joplin, Missouri

Do What You Can. But Do Something.

Three weeks ago, I lost a good friend to cancer. It’s the second girlfriend I have lost to cancer. I cooked meals, checked in, said prayers; but in retrospect, it’s not enough.

I remember when my dad died. Someone said to me “I just didn’t know what to do, so as a result I ended up doing nothing. I’m really sorry.” I vowed that day I would never be someone who opted for nothing - instead of doing something.

About ten years ago when Mimi was diagnosed with brain cancer, I decided that minute I would grow my hair out and donate it to Locks of Love (they create wigs from live hair for cancer victims who lose theirs). It took almost three years, and Mimi didn’t make it to know that I did it or why, but it gave me something to think about. That no bad hair day would ever be worse than living with cancer.

Three months ago I decided to grow my hair again. Coincidentally, it’s the same time Connie’s Leukemia came back. Connie lost a seven year battle in May. So here I go again. This time it’s for you, Connie. Not that you needed a wig to be beautiful, or graceful, but I want to do something for someone else who isn’t as lucky as I am.

I’m on a campaign that whether it’s a friend who is sick, or tornado relief, or your business: We’ll all be sorry if we work the same plan we always had, or haven’t changed anything about our business (or our life) year after year.

Do what you can. But do something.

Do What You Can. But Do Something.

Keep Your Eye on Your Communications Goals & Test Out Your Plan

Launch and Learn. That’s what happens when you document your plan. And experiment. 

Kudos to Leslie in Palm Beach; to Jackie in Kansas; to Sionara in Nevada and Carrie in Minnesota. For the rest of you who are working on your plan right now: What will you do differently?

Remember it all begins with your communications goals and picking a few specific target audiences. These are the two keys to making real change.

I was impressed with one AEs choice of her target audience: HIGH PRODUCING SALES AGENTS. She is not so worried about the others. Carol and Leslie want to target their communications to the tech savvy. The ones who are looking for help. Those who will see value in what their association offers.

You have to admire a plan that sets aggressive goals and takes on new ideas so you really have to make change to reach them.

I respect those of you who print out your goals and your target audiences and post them in front of your computer screen so you can see them every day. If you don't, the plan will be a good exercise but it won't create real change.

Chris Brogan asked a great question in his recent blog about launching a plan - What are you doing differently? Are you learning from it what needs to change? 

Keep working your plan. Keep iterating. Keep working on it in the "live" environment as best as you can, and keep your eye on those few measurable results that let you know whether you are succeeding or not.

Keep your eyes on your communications goals, and test out your plan.

Keep Your Eye on Your Communications Goals & Test Out Your Plan

Your Audience is on the Go

Imagine this: you are waiting in your car, standing in line at the post office or grocery store, or waiting for a meeting to begin. You are on the train, the bus, or in a taxi. Long gone are the days we sat and enjoyed the quiet time. Today we grab our mobile device to check email or social media. Let’s face it, email was made for mobile devices.

At the NAR conference the past week, I saw more members and staff multitask on their mobile devices than looking at where they were going. Did you notice the same thing?

“On mobile devices, email is far and away the No. 1 activity of how consumers spend their time", says Loren McDonald, Vice President of Industry Relations at Silverpop.

As you craft your weekly email and other marketing pieces, think about your target audience, and write for them. They want snippets of information while sitting at a soccer game, waiting for a lunch date, or even sitting in a meeting. To reach your members, design you content for any device. Don’t expect members to read a long article on the run. Write each topic for your weekly update with no more than 2-3 lines of text. Link to more if members can and want to read it. Insert links that members can touch to read further.

Think of the world as it is, not as the association sees it. It takes some effort to craft a short snippet. If you do, you will connect with more members in prime time - while they are on the go.

Your Audience is on the Go