After you id the nine types of YTheyJoin™ members (each type was described in previous blog articles as well as the methodology to id each member), you can design targeted services and communications. For example, instead of writing the same renewal letter to everyone, design different letters for the nine types and use resonant statements for each group. Here are examples of Resonant Statements:

(Mailboxers) We know that your time is extremely valuable and that your primary involvement with our assn is through the mail or Web. You want info that is concise, relevant, and up-to-date.

(Relevant Participants) We know that when possible you like to attend our assn meetings to obtain relevant information or meet others in the field, or to buy/sell at the Expo.

(Shapers) We know that you do, or want to, actively participate in our assn by helping to shape policy, serve on a committee, or lead a chapter.

(Cognoscenti) We know that you look to our assn for info that is not available elsewhere or for opportunities to write or speak.

(Boosters) We know that you look to our assn to be a leader in the field or to help you advance in the profession by providing certification.

(Altruistics) We know that you believe in the values and mission of our assn. to ensure the safety of the public and provide a voice in Washington.

Look for a sample renewal letter in the next blog article. To learn more please visit www.YTheyJoin.com or call 703-772-5263 or e-mail AllegianceResearch@gmail.com

YTheyJoin identifies nine types of association members based on their motivations for joining and this article discusses two of them: Doubters™; and Non-Relevants™. (The other seven types were discussed in previous blog articles.)

Doubters are members who question membership for a variety of reasons. In an economic downturn, the problem could be dues. Other people are Doubters because they had a negative experience – perhaps they asked to be on a committee or to write an article and were ignored, or they had a problem with customer service. Some Doubters may be long-time members but they have a personality that always sees the glass as half empty rather than half full, and they carefully evaluate the information they receive from the association when deciding to renew. If you really want to understand Doubters, ask them to specify their concerns. Consider giving newly-unemployed members an extension on their membership and they may like a job bank.

Non-Relevants are members who have changed status and the association is no longer relevant. This could include changing jobs or professions, retirement, etc. If it is important to you to keep these members, consider a special category with reduced price such as “Retirees.” It is important to watch the percent of Non-Relevants from year to year since it may start increasing due to demographic changes that are looming such as Baby Boomers starting to retire. If they form a large part of your membership, you will need to find new, younger members. There may be other reasons that this category grows, such as major changes in your industry, and it is up to your organization to determine the reasons.

At renewal time consider sending Non-Relevants a postcard asking if they intend to renew and, if not, why. This serves two purposes: it provides valuable feedback as to why people do not renew; and it saves the cost of sending multiple renewal notices to people who do not want them.

To learn more about YTheyJoin, the original member-segmentation and target-marketing program, please visit www.YTheyJoin.com You can also call directly 703-772-5263 or e-mail AllegianceResearch@gmail.com

YTheyJoin identifies nine types of association members based on their motivations for joining and this article discusses one of them: CompShoppers™.

CompShoppers are members who compare your association to other sources of information, discounts, or benefits. Other sources may include competing organizations, the Internet, books or directories, etc. For example, some members join your association because they want discounts for attending meetings, or they want health insurance or insurance related to your profession.

CompShoppers are shopping around and may also be looking for an organization with lower dues or more local in nature. This group represents a warning to the association and they should be targeted in a special way. You can do this by knowing who or what the competition is, and by showing members that they get value for their money which can be done with a simple pie chart that shows how the money is spent and who benefits.

Your association should have a presence on the Internet and consider using Facebook or YouTube to establish a more personal relationship. For example, the Director of Meetings can put up a short video where they talk to speakers about their presentations at an upcoming conference. More and more members will want to communicate by Web via hand-held devices and some associations now twitter with these people – i.e. short, real-time messages.

The bottom line is you need every tool possible to target and keep members.

To learn more about YTheyJoin, the original member-segmentation and target-marketing program, please visit www.YTheyJoin.com You can also call directly 703-772-5263 or e-mail AllegianceResearch@gmail.com

YTheyJoin identifies nine types of association members based on their motivations for joining and this article discusses one of them, Relevant Participants™. Why do they join? What makes them tick? How should you communicate with them effectively?

Relevant Participants are the members who like face-to-face interaction with your organization and they tend to go to meetings for education or networking purposes. These can include your national conference, other seminars, or chapter meetings. If you have an Expo, motivations also include the opportunity for buying or selling.

Letters or appeals to Relevant Participants should include a recognition that they judge your association by the quality of meetings that they attend. Send all Relevant Participants an annual calendar of meetings. The home page of your Web site should have a prominent place that clearly shows when and where the next annual meeting is, and a place to click for other upcoming meetings.

Use target marketing when planning annual meetings. This means that you send one or two meeting announcements to everyone, then multiple meeting announcements just to Relevant Participants and Shapers. Some organizations send a postcard to everyone that directs them to the Web site for info, and then send the expensive color brochures just to the categories most likely to attend.

Relevant Participants have the potential for developing close ties to your association by the very nature of personal interaction. Target this potential in Relevant Participants by asking them to specify topics of interest and preferred formats for meetings. Ask if they can help out at a national or local meeting. Consider a coupon that offers a discount on the price of a meeting and include this with their member renewal letter.

To learn more about YTheyJoin, the original member-segmentation and target-marketing program, please visit www.YTheyJoin.com You can also call directly 703-772-5263 or e-mail AllegianceResearch@gmail.com