The past ten years have been full of ups and downs, unexpected developments, and demands for the most creative and resourceful leadership. Associations that anticipate the future needs and demographics of their members are in a much better position to succeed than associations who prefer to work in the dark.

Some associations are actually afraid to hear from their members! Others value this feedback and use it to do strategic planning, to set budget priorities, and to give members what they want.

My company, Allegiance Research Group, has done membership surveys for over 100 national associations and this has been our specialty for twenty years. This data will prepare you for the years ahead and here are some types of questions we like to ask on a member survey.

Q Do you think you will be a member of this association in five years?

Q What words come to mind when you hear the name of this association?

Q Do you expect to find articles of interest in every issue of the association magazine? Topics you would like?

Q How do you like to receive communications from this association?

Q Do you plan to attend the next Annual Conference? Topics you would like?

Q What issues do you consider most important when we represent you before Congress?

Q Do you plan to take part in this association’s certification program?

Q Do you have ideas for books or articles by this association?

Q Tell us about yourself: age group; gender; region; years as member; etc.

Q What is your biggest professional need?

In twenty years we have never missed a deadline and we take care of all the steps involved in doing a survey such as: selecting scientific samples; designing the questionnaire; computer programming; and final report with narrative, charts and graphs, and crosstab tables. Most of our surveys are by mail or Internet. For more info call 703-772-5263 or e-mail AllegianceResearch@gmail.com

There is an interesting Web site called www.EzineArticles.com that has hundreds of articles on a wide range of topics. Dr. Dale Paulson, President of Allegiance Research Group, writes occasional articles for Ezine and you can find them by looking under “Business” and then the sub-topics of Marketing, Non-Profits, Management, and H.R.

His newest article, just published, is “Nine Member Types – the Future of Your Association May Depend on it.” In this article he discusses the member segmentation program that he developed and that is now called YTheyJoin™. He identifies nine types of members based on their professional needs and motivations rather than traditional demographics and they include: Mailboxer; Relevant Participant; Shaper; CompShopper; Cognoscenti; Booster; Altruistic; Doubter; and Non-Relevant.

Then sit back for a few minutes and enjoy a humorous article that he recently wrote called “Ten Ways to Be Mediocre and Keep Your Association Marketing Job.”

His other articles at Ezine:

“Context is the Key to Understanding Consumer Behavior”

“Job Interviews: Do Ask, Don’t Tell”

“Is it Easier to Hire Good Workers During a Recession?”

“How to Hire a Really Bad Employee”

For more information contact us by sending an e-mail to AllegianceResearch@gmail.com or visit our Web site at www.AllegianceResearch.com

The following Fact Sheets are free for the asking. Dr. Paulson wrote these for our clients and others interested in survey research. Call 703-772-5263 or e-mail AllegianceResearch@gmail.com and tell us which you would like.

Determining Confidence Level from Sample Size Using Your Calculator

Developing Effective Survey Questions

Achieving High Response Rates with Mail Surveys

Comparing In-Person, Phone, and Mail Surveys

The Pros and Cons of Surveys on the Web

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Focus Groups

What to Consider When Writing an RFP

Thirty Questions to Consider When Doing Strategic Planning

Creating Tag Lines for a Powerful Message

Prioritizing Board Objectives by Using Fixed-Sum Preference Scales

YTheyJoin™: the member segmentation program based on needs

Workplace Attitudes Test™: screen for nine attitudes of job candidates

Cartoon Sequence Research™: a method without asking leading questions

Recently a blog reader asked for ways to increase membership at sports clubs. Here are some ideas.

1. A survey by Internet or regular mail where you ask questions about member needs and priorities and also ask about demographics such as age group, gender, location etc. Then you can crosstab and see what different groups want. You can also ask an open-ended question about new activities they might like. For example, boxing has proven popular among both men and women as a new activity at sports clubs.

2. Member-get-a-member campaign where you reward current members for finding a new member. Rewards could include money, extension on their membership, or a coupon for a free class.

3. Appeal to community spirit in an ad campaign and talk about how the sports clubs help save lives. This could include swimming lessons, classes in CPR or First Aid, donations (maybe $1 of each membership) to local charities.

4. The YMCA that I belong to has an activity center for young children which keeps them safe and occupied while their parents use the sports club. This may be something that your sports clubs want to implement.

5. Do your sports clubs have discount programs for seniors? For a couple or family?

6. Issue a challenge – maybe to the city hall where each sports club is located. Let their employees use the club for three months and if they lose a total of ______ pounds, the club will offer (enter idea here).

For more info about increasing member loyalty contact us at 703-772-5263 or e-mail AllegianceResearch@gmail.com