Thursday, November 12, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Membership has it's privileges?
Membership has its privileges, at least according to the many different reward programs I am a member of. Membership allows for exclusives deals, savings and the opportunity to gain access to things the normal public would not be able to get. Membership in Construction Associations should also provide this as well, right?
As we begin to wind down the 2009 year invoices for renewal are starting to come in from the different associations that I am a member of and instead of blindly renewing like in years in the past I have set down to review the cost and return for each. Two reasons for this is to be financially responsible as we come out of the economic slow down (I still hate to say recession) and also to gage if membership really has it privileges.
Some associations I am a member of are too big. The initial idea or concepts behind them was to allow for networking opportunities and ability to connect with potential customers and clients. Problem is with upwards of almost 3000 people in a room for some of the networking events you might as well be walking through Air Canada handing out your business card in an effort to find a new business partner. Quantity vs. Quality has to be measured.
Being in the world of publishing I am finding the big associations may not be the right market for me to be a member of. The formula and numbers I will be testing for 2010 is as follows:
- How easily can I connect with the Board of Directors to offer coverage of the association and events?
- How large are their networking events? 200 contacts vs. 3000
- Do I or can I offer value to the association?
- How involved can I get with the different committees and events?
I think a good association will do business with it’s members first or at the very least allows all members affiliated with a business opportunity the chance to bid. The worst thing an association can do is go outside of the membership and give business to a non-member. A good association will engage its members with regular surveys, questionnaires or actually call them to get their feedback. These are some of the other traits I will be weighing as I submit the invoices for payment.
What do you think are the qualities of a good association?
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