Association Insight International & European | Page 37
Expert Briefing | Association Insights
2. Quantity over quality
In a time limit of roughly 10 minutes, try to find as many
ideas as possible. This means the more obvious solutions
are captured quickly, and gives time for more creative
solutions. The more ideas there are, the more likely
there’ll be some good ones. Don’t worry if some are really
ridiculous (see below).
3. Wild ideas are encouraged
Crazy, silly ideas are great, because they often lead to really
creative breakthroughs. What might not be immediately
possible, might suggest a really interesting idea that could
be done.
Below are some the solutions identified by workshop
participants in a very short period of time. They might not
necessarily be the best solutions or the most creative, but
there are some real solid ideas here that can be tried by any
association.
With more time some of these solutions can be refined
further to make sure they have the best chance of working.
4. Combine or build on ideas
Look at the list of ideas as they are captured; see if any
could be combined together to create something new.
Could you build on someone else’s idea to improve it?
How might we improve the renewal cycle
process?
Before moving onto the next stage it’s a good idea to refine
the ideas to improve them, or combine several ideas to
make a better one. This is also a good time to look at any
really wild ideas and see if they can suggest anything more
realistic.
Auto renewals unless
opted-out - continuous
payment
How might we have more conversations with
members?
Identify communications
preferences
Adapt renewal cycle – don’t
be fixed on set dates
Personalised messages
based on member profile
Go outside of traditional
renewal pack
Survey as part of win-back
Forums
Webinars
Chat room
Views
12 months for the price of
10 etc.
Create opportunities
Mentoring opinions
Try every channel
Events
Share
Incentives
Culture barriers
Option to downgrade –
stay in but pay less
Workshops
Dynamic content
Stalking online
Mail merge
Website visits
Engage with competitors
Finding like-minded user s
Talking
Asking questions
Appeal
Blog posts
Peer reviews
Editorials
Buzz words
Speaking native language
Interactive
Photos/images/Videos
Tailoring
Offering a more personal
service
Referrals
Experiences
Social media
Peer groups
Surveys
Common interests
Keeping up to date with
technology
Give a year to change your
mind – prove value
Rewarding long term
members
Not let rigid processes get
in way – be flexible
Telemarketing before and
after for likely to leave/
lapse
Recognising length of
membership
Acknowledge of use/
engagement
Lifetime membership for
higher fee
Segmenting
“make me an offer”
This group’s favourite ideas were:
• Chat room
• Stalking online
• Insights into online use
• Photos/images/videos
Note ‘stalking online’ is a bit of a wild idea but would
suggest all sorts of strategies that might be employed
to find out how members interact online and then tap
into that knowledge.
www.associationsnetwork.org
Early bird offers
Engagement with nonmembers
Demographics
Make sure talking all year
round – not just renewal
time
Flexibility on ways to pay
Quantify financial benefit of
membership – total value
statement
Face to face
Incentivise – gift at renewal
– recommend a friend
and get discount combine
renewal and joining
Different rates for selfpaying v. company paying
Tie renewals in with
another campaign and
something else they really
want
Multiple methods for
renewal
Satisfaction survey prerenewal
Use database to remind –
automated
Make sure all online
Pop up reminders that
renewal is soon due
Points for engagement
changes renewal price
This group’s favourite ideas were:
•Q
uantify financial benefit of membership – total value
statement
• Lifetime membership for higher fee
• Try every channel
• Points for engagement - changes renewal price
• Incentivise renewal – gift/recommend a friend
Actually the wilder ideas here include things like
enabling members to renew whilst downgrading their
membership, to give a year free in which to prove the
value of the membership, or to ask members to pay
what they think membership is worth. These slightly
unusual solutions might also be worth a try.
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