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We had a great team meeting last week about a business strategy I believe is a real opportunity for associations. At this time of year, associations are drafting their “2017 List of Accomplishments” communication piece. It is often a report card of sorts to members and prospects. At times, these reports are a vague laundry list of activities.
What about a series of “case studies” to reinvigorate your accomplishments story?
Consulting firms regularly develop case studies to document a particular accomplishment on behalf of a client and the steps that led to that success. Now is a fantastic opportunity to evaluate and get more specific about how you assisted a member.
Although, it’s important to offer general insight into legislative and regulatory efforts, it far more interesting and powerful to describe how you helped a member navigate new rules. Tell the story about how you helped a company draw thousands of visitors to their web site; generated hundreds of leads for another company through your exhibit program; trained a number of members of a company staff on a particular issue; and how you distributed weekly news briefings to more than 2 dozen members of that company. See what I’m getting at here? Tangible. Specific. Relatable.
These types of detailed examples or case studies on how you helped members might be a bit more beneficial than the vague and generic “weather report” on advocacy, education, and networking. Hope this is helpful. Let me know if I can help you discover this new approach.
For more content on membership, check out Are Associate Members Your Associations Biggest Missed Opportunity?