Membership retention starts way before renewal letters
Without getting long winded on this issue, membership retention communications starts with truly understanding their opinion on a regular basis rather than when renewals go out. I may be biased toward the survey model, but I have seen this as very effective if resources are dedicated to watching for those answering neutral or negative on questions relating to future action such as rejoining, recommending, or overall value of the association. This can be done on your typical annual assessment, but it isn’t timely. Short, 5 question surveys delivered after transactions, events, or any experience can uncover their feeling about the association at that moment. Why not address a membership need 6 months before renewal or right after a horrible experience so you can make it right immediately? Response time on issues is what helps retention, plus understanding what the expectations are and delivering on them.
Associations that understand membership needs and then hone their offerings to fit like a glove have the highest retention rates. Not rocket science, but just throwing stuff out there without assessing the value is a mistake.
I am probably stating the obvious, but hopefully it helps someone. Back to the coffee. Take care,
Tags: Add new tag, Association, CustomerPulse, membership loyalty, membership satisfaction