The Power of Tiers – Maximizing Growth and Member Engagement

The following post is based on a recent webinar moderated by Cathi Hight, Hight Performance Group, on tiered dues models. 

Are you thinking about moving to tiers?

 

Many chambers have made the switch from FTE’s to tiered dues to determine what members pay each year.  Moving to tiers sets a clear choice for your members, not a case of back and forth under an old FTE model.

 

It was stated that about 60% of chambers are on the tiered dues model.  Tiers allows you set different benefits at each level.  Think ribbon cuttings being attached to a higher tier than you entry level tier.  It also allows your members to pay one dues point for the year instead of you going back for advertising or sponsorship money, etc.

 

A common theme from all 5 executives is that there was a set of core benefits that every member got at the entry level dues point/tier.  Then within each tier they had a list of additional benefits they would receive, in addition to the core benefit.

 

They mentioned it is important to communicate with your members of the new tiered dues model in advance and that it can take up to 18 months or two years to make the full transition.  All had very positive outcomes in making the move to a tiered dues system.

 

It was also mentioned to involve your members in a task force, prior to transitioning to a tiered dues system, to decide what should be in each level at your chamber.  And have a board member as a champion in supporting this transition.

 

The following are my bulleted notes from the 5 executives telling their story/journey/model.

 

Missy Evans – Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce (AL)

 

• No dues increase in 20 years
• They needed to answer the question “So what do I get with my membership?”
• Tiers allowed us to give our members the choice to join at the level that is right for them.
• They created three tiers focused on prosperity, everyone got the core benefits – and then could choose between three tiers; Business Growth (different add on bundles) and Community Growth (different add on bundles), Trackman Investor (full access).
• Moving to tiers allowed us to partner with members in their desired outcomes.

 

Dawn Mushill – Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce (IL)

 

• We used to offer 70 membership benefits
• Our members had different needs
• We created a menu of services of the different benefits that the member could sign-up for, the entry level or minimum dues amount was $300.
• They then created 7 additional tiered dues levels ranging from $600 - $15K

 

Rich Millard – Royal Gorge Chamber Alliance (CO)

 

• We did a rebrand and went to tiered dues at the same time
• We moved to tiers to give our members increased value and allowing them to choose which tier works best for them
• They created 6 tiers under the tag line of investor benefits – designed by our members for members (they asked what their members wanted before they officially moved to tiers – as mentioned above)

 

Margie Donnell – Lancaster/Fairfield Chamber of Commerce (OH)

 

• We moved to tiers because the old model was too confusing for members and staff to negotiate (i.e., we had company types, FTE’s, banks paid based on deposits, etc.)
• They created a think tank to get feedback on what members wanted.  They used that data to create their tiers
• They created 6 tiers with a check list of what members would receive at each tier
• The tiers made it very easy for them to sell memberships

 

Barbara Riviera-Holmes – Albany Area Chamber of Commerce

 

• They went from a membership model based on business sectors to tiers
• This allowed their businesses to choose what tier worked best for them on where they are in their company growth
• Again, this chamber created the tiers designed by members for members tagline
• Tiered dues allows members to customize their partnership with the chamber – they have the power to choose what works best for them
• They have 6 tiers with different benefits for each level

 

From my perspective, you need to decide what model works best for you and the number of tiers you want to create.  What is very important is that you have a major hook at each tier so you/they can justify going to the next level.

 

Another interesting fact when moving to tiers, a number of your members will want to be at the top tier.  Use that to your advantage.  Are you recognizing your members at that top level of membership?  People like to be recognized and this is a passive way to market that top tier to members.

 

For more information on Cathi Hight, Hight Performance Group, on her work with tiered dues models go HERE.

Governance and You

I listened to a great podcast the other day sponsored by Institute for Organization Management on governance.

The following is the Q&A discussion I wanted to share.  Thanks to Kate Conroy for asking the questions and Claire Louder, Louder NonProfit Strategies, LLC for her responses on this important issue.

What Are Your Red flags of Governance?
 

• Board meeting without the executive.

• Not reviewing the financials.

• Board doesn’t show up for your board meetings.

• Lack of term limits.

• Board interfering with staff – the board should hire the CEO and the CEO should hire and manage the rest of the team.

 
They went on to have a brief discussion on the fiduciary responsibility of boards, the Duty of Care, Duty of Loyalty and Duty of Obedience.  As a reminder, that responsibility can be described as:
 

• Duty of Care - as a board member it is imperative that you do your homework on the board materials prior to the meeting so you can fully participate in the discussion and make informed decisions.
• Duty of Loyalty - as a board member you must take your business hat off and put the hat of the organization on and do what’s best for the organization, not your business.
• Duty of Obedience - as a board member you must stay true to the mission of the organization and not get involved in things that are not part of your articles of incorporation or bylaws.

 
What Are Your Green Flags of Governance?
 

• Collaboration of board and the executive.

• Leading vs managing.

• Participation in an annual strategic plan and make sure you set aside the appropriate amount of time to be effective.

• Board members showing up on time, engaged on the big issues going on in our community (workforce development, economic development, etc.).

• Board understands their role (board commitment form).

 
Advice Someone Told You?
 

• Life work balance is crucial.

• You’ve got to manage expectations and take care of yourself.

• Keep something in the tank for those who love you!

• A great quote by Claire that stuck, “you can’t warm other people by setting yourself on fire.”

• Set limits and stick to them.

• Prioritize is also a key element in staying focused and a way to manage your time. (7 things book).

 
How Do You Prioritize?
 

• List of things that need to get done on a weekly basis.

• I also budget time to write blogs, etc.  You’ve got to get it all down on paper or on your digital calendar.

 
What Questions Should the Board be Asking?
 

• How are the chambers financials and actually review those financial statements.

• Ask about any red flags staff may see coming in the future.

• Mike Gellman has a great dashboard that can be found HERE and used to inform your board on financial questions.

 
How Do You Disconnect to Stay Fresh?
 

• Visit a local microbrew establishment with people I know and recognize me and they serve sparkling water too!

• Happy hours in the neighborhood.

• Zoom calls with folks to stay connected and talk about things outside of your current workload.

 
They finished with a list of great resources you should have bookmarked to help you answer any governance questions or issues that arise in your workday.
 

• Association Law Handbook

• Bob Harris’ Website

• Frank Kenny’s Facebook Page for the Chamber Professional Community

• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce IOM Resource Page

Your Members Are Mobile - Are You?

The following post is based on a webinar that Results Direct sponsored recently to the association community.  My takeaways are below.

Delivering the right mobile experience.

 

Gen Z is a mobile social & video first generation.  Go where they are to engage.  Their top three platforms, stated by Insider Intelligence, include Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram.  The other platforms include Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Reddit.

 

Why mobile?  5 hours a day people are on their mobile devices.  You need to access your members through that device.

 

Your competition is Siri, RSS feeds, etc.  Think about that!

 

What types of mobile apps are there:

 

Native app – uses the device to convert information and are very interactive.

 

Web app – responsive websites converted to a mobile app.  Scale to fit.  Design doesn’t change.

 

Hybrid app – combination of both the native and web app.

 

Action Plan:  Focusing Your Goals

 

• Connecting members more closely with your organization
• Providing personal and relevant experiences
• Providing timely information
• Connecting members with one another
• Optimizing event experiences
• Providing actionable tools
• Enabling direct communication with your members
• Generating revenue/reducing costs

 

What does success look like?

 

• Attracting new members
• Engaging members more regularly
• Retaining more members
• Providing new value
• Saving costs on printed materials
• Operating more sustainably/green
• Selling more products
• Attracting new sponsors/exhibitors

 

Leverage your existing systems.  Don't go out an create a new wheel. For a resource on going mobile go HERE.

Generative AI for Associations – How to use ChatGPT

Sidecar recently sponsored a webinar based on the title of this post.

The following comments are my notes. This is going to get interesting when the mainstream starts playing with ChatGPT on a regular basis.

What is AI – things that computers didn’t do, traditionally it requires humans to do.  Machine learning.
 
Generative AI – creates content, conversations, think from auto pilot to co-pilot.  It can be a partner for you.
 
9 ways to use ChatGPT
 
Translate – expanding your reach.  Language translation made easy and very accessible.  It’s a way to share your content in multiple languages.  This may not relate to all but it will be for many.
 
Summarize – just ask!  Describe what you want (topics, length, etc.) and AI will give you text based on your request.  This is a great way for you to create copy for events or publications.  Obviously, you’ll want to tweak as needed (customize).  Try it, you will be fascinated by what you get.  Some will say you’ll get 85% of what you wanted from ChatGPT.
 
Transform – accessibility.  Create text from audio, a transcript of a webinar.  Or audio from text.
 
Understand – using ChatGPT to break down large blocks of content (a conversation) to a meaningful short and concise document.  It’s a summary!
 
Interact – making your content conversational for your audience.  Think a blog you create and your members can interact with that content.  A chat bot can be put on your website where they can interact with you and get information in real time.
 
Market – think about email automation and creating individual marketing pieces for your audience based on their profile with your organization.  Your newsletter could be specific to what your members want based on how they have interacted with you in the past.
 
Brainstorm – use this technology to create ideas on new things your members might want.  You could ask for some ideas based on a recent survey you have conducted.  This goes back to the ask.  Describe what you want and
 
Create – let ChatGPT create drafts for messages you want to send to your members.  Think about membership messages for your next campaign.
 
Refine – use ChatGPT to create some flair for your content (images).  These images can be helpful in telling your story moving forward.
 
Yes, this is a mind-blowing new technology that we need to stay on top of it.  Even if you don’t use it right away, be mindful of what is going on in this sector.
 
Think about how you can use this new technology to add value for your members.  Embrace it!  It’s been said that your members are going to demand it from you.
 
For more information on ChatGPT from Sidecar go HERE.

Onboarding New Members

The following post is based on a recent webinar I attended sponsored by NXUnite.

The session focused on sharing ideas for your new member onboarding process, based on seven questions they asked.

There are lots of great ideas listed below that you could implement into your onboarding process, in addition to what you're already doing.

1.  How have onboarding best practices changed over the past 5 years?
 

• More individual interactions.

• Elevating engagement – get feedback and be more intentional on finding out why the member joined.

• The process has been digitalized – hybrid, accommodate to meet your members where they are.

• Members have a voice in the organization and let them know that.

• Use the platforms your members are on to connect.

 
2.  What advice do you have for building an onboarding strategy?
 

• Membership and marketing departments should be part of the conversation on the new member experience.

• Be consistent with your messaging.

• Think about the user experience – make it easy for them to interact with you.  Again, make it easy!

• What are your value propositions?  Deliver that message with your communications plan.

• Don’t overload with too many messages/emails.  Maybe a 5 for 5 strategy?  5 emails with 5 messages in 5 weeks or months.

• Be consistent with your messaging from all parts of the organization.

• Don’t make assumptions, use data to find out what your members want and need.

 
3.  What to do when you want to update your strategy?
 

• Ask your colleagues what they are doing, you don’t have to have all the answers.

• Have you thought about having an onboarding committee?

• Ask your most active members how they became active.

• Think about the first experience your member has with your organization.

• One size does not fit all.

• Are you doing quarterly webinars for onboarding your new members?  Have some of your most active members be your speakers.

 
4.  What onboarding mistakes are people making?
 

• Not having a formal onboarding process.

• Not asking for feedback from your onboarding process.

• Don’t just talk to them but have a two-way conversation to engage your new members.

• Overloading your new members with too much information too fast.  And, not doing enough.  You need to find the right balance.

• Not having your board, staff and members make calls.

 
5.  What small changes can you do to make a big change in your onboarding process?
 

• Create an email series campaign that officially welcomes your new members.

• Ask the new members questions that you can use later for engagement.

• Describe the onboarding process to your new members and then deliver on that promise.

• Acknowledgements, let them know you appreciate them.

 
6.  People are busy, how to onboard successfully without taking up too much of their time?
 

• Make your onboarding process self-service.  Use different platforms that they can access with your messaging.

• Are you texting with your new members as a welcoming touch point?

• Be creative!

 
7.  What is the future of onboarding?
 

• Automation of the onboarding process and AI.

• Using online communities to engage with your new members.

• Make sure you are continuing to invest in resources to make the onboarding process productive – think retention!

 
Final thought - don’t be afraid to review your onboarding process.  There is no need to blow up your current processes, but you can add or delete new ideas and track how your new members are responding, on a regular basis, to get better results.
 
For more resources on onboarding go HERE.

Strategies for Driving Member & Event Engagement

The following are my notes that I thought were worth sharing from a great session on the title of this blog post I attended presented by Results Direct and their team.

First, they started out with suggesting you need to create an engagement strategy.

Understanding the needs of your members and meet them where they are is a great place to start.

Here are their 10 strategies:

Engagement Strategy 1

Multi-channel communications – email has been the main way your members have gotten information from you.  Now it’s time to think of multi platforms (think social media) where you can connect with your members or prospective members.  A large number are engaging on mobile.

Engagement Strategy 2

Personalization – get to know your members and communicate with them directly where they are (think the different generations) and how they want to receive your organizations information.  

Engagement Strategy 3

Year-round networking and community – staying connected is key in keeping your members engaged and will help your retention.  Mobile communications is a great way to keep them engaged.  Create forums where they communicate with each other (think listservs).

Engagement Strategy 4

The medium is the message – meet the member where they are.  Manage your message and how you are distributing that information.

Engagement Strategy 5

Deliver content in the format members want – is it written, video, audio?  Do you use different digital formats to reach your members and prospects?

Engagement Strategy 6

Create experiences – shared experiences with your members.  Your role is to facilitate this process.  When in person, this is where you need to take full advantage of creating an experience your members will tell their peers (think memories).

Engagement Strategy 7

Incentivize engagement – reward behavior you want your members to do on a regular basis.  You have to decide what reward you want to give out (free meeting registration, gift card, etc).

Engagement Strategy 8

Engage members before, during and after events – think about continuing to push relevant content to your members through a mobile channel.  That is the easiest way to stay connected to your member throughout the year.  Have you thought about creating an app for your meeting

Engagement Strategy 9

Capture moments of time – use technology to get you content to your members.  People’s attention spans has shrunk.  So, think about less is more in your communications.  Another way to think of it, how can your members consume your information on the go!

Engagement Strategy 10

Create an integrated engagement strategy – create a dashboard on where you are creating your content and events and make sure they are integrated.  Decide what is successful for you. Some people may call it the member journey and you’re creating the road map for them to engage.

They ended with the comment that the goal of all these strategies is to engage your members which translates into higher retention numbers.

For more information from Results Direct go HERE.

Membership Marketing Plans

What is the goal of your membership marketing plan?

As we all know, our organizations provide benefits and services to our members, such as networking, advocacy, education, and promotion.

Your goal with your membership marketing plan should be to increase your membership base and retention rate by implementing effective marketing strategies that address the needs and interests of your target audience.

Our target audience consists of small and medium-sized businesses in various industries and sectors, as well as professionals and entrepreneurs who seek to grow their businesses and careers.

Your primary products are your membership packages, which offer different levels of benefits and access to the Chamber’s resources and events.

As you’re creating your annual marketing plan, are you focusing on the market trends and opportunities in your community?  You may want to consider the following in serving your members and prospective members:

• The demand for business support and guidance in the post-pandemic economy.

• The increased use of digital and social media platforms for business communication and promotion.

• The need for local and regional collaboration and advocacy among businesses and stakeholders.

• The desire for personal and professional development and learning opportunities.

In addition, does your membership marketing plan include the following objectives:

• To increase the awareness and visibility of the Chamber and its benefits among potential and existing members, using various marketing venues, such as the Chamber’s website, social media, community events, and print advertising.

• To create and deliver value-added content and programs that showcase the Chamber’s expertise and thought leadership, such as webinars, podcasts, newsletters, blogs, and workshops.

• To engage and nurture relationships with potential and existing members, using personalized and segmented communication and outreach, such as email marketing, surveys, testimonials, and referrals.

• To incentivize and reward membership acquisition and retention, using discounts, promotions, loyalty programs, and recognition awards.

And make sure to measure your membership marketing plan goals:

• To increase the membership base by X percent in the next year, resulting in an additional revenue stream of $X.

• To increase the membership retention rate by X% in the next year, resulting in a reduced attrition rate of X%.

• To increase member satisfaction and value rate by X%.

Your membership marketing plan should be a comprehensive and strategic approach to achieving your membership goals and enhancing your reputation (think Your Brand – for two previous blog post on branding go HERE and HERE) and value proposition in the market.

Your plan should also be aligned with your mission, vision, and values, and reflects your commitment to serving your members and the community.
 
For a great resource on membership marketing visit Marketing General HERE