Vindication at Last!

In my post on way back on November 7th, I took ASAE and the book Decision to Join (DTJ) to task for what I thought was a misreading of the DTJ survey data.

Here is what DTJ said: “the decision to join an association reflects an expanded understanding of what constitutes a benefit. It goes beyond the self-oriented assessment of the value received by the individual making the decision to incorporate a more other-oriented assessment of value generated for the community of interest.”

On the other hand, I claimed, “Clearly, we all are influenced in decisions for joining or buying any product in part because what the decision will mean for society. But I believe value, price, and usefulness are influencers that impact our buying decision more than joining for the good of others.”

If you visit the post, you will see it generated a pretty good debate.

However, I have to say that I now feel vindicated as I read the following in the latest membership book from ASAE and the Center, Membership Essentials.

It says: “For most members, it is no longer acceptable for the association to simply advance a cause or defeat forces that negatively affect its constituents. Today’s members expect a quantifiable return on their investment of dues dollars in addition to the association’s delivering on the mission. For every dollar they spend in dues, they demand at least a dollar’s worth of value in return. Membership dues have become a type of investment for today’s consumers, and the investments that yield lower returns are scrutinized or withdrawn entirely.” [1]

Which side do you take in this great debate?

[1] Membership Essentials: Recruitment, Retention, Roles, Responsibilities and Resources, chapter two, Jay L. Karen, CAE, and Ben Martin, page 10.

One Thing I Do Not Like about DTJ

As I mentioned in my last post, there is some great insights in ASAE and the Center’s Decision to Join (DTJ).

As you may recall, DTJ is book taken from a survey that included 18 individual membership associations and 16,944 survey respondents. The survey went to the associations’ current members, lapsed members, and prospective members.

However, one finding that I do not agree with is DTJ’s contention that prospects “more important” reason for joining an association is to support the “community of interest”. I think that this conclusion can lead membership marketers in the wrong direction when it comes to asking new members to make a decision to join.

Here is what DTJ says: “the decision to join an association reflects an expanded understanding of what constitutes a benefit. It goes beyond the self-oriented assessment of the value received by the individual making the decision to incorporate a more other-oriented assessment of value generated for the community of interest.” Based on a comparison of two separate questions where personal benefits of joining received a mean score of 3.4 and benefits to the field received a mean score of 3.6, the study concludes “that the benefits for the good of the order are more important than personal benefits” (page 6).

Clearly, we all are influenced in decisions for joining or buying any product in part because what the decision will mean for society. But I believe value, price, and usefulness are influencers that impact our buying decision more than joining for the good of others.

I’ve come to this conclusion based on what the decision to join research actually reported and on the results of membership marketing efforts for many associations over the years.

Here are statistics from DTJ that would support this value based joining contention.

• Of those who responded to the survey and had dropped a membership, the primary reason reported by 56.1 percent of the responders said that they dropped membership because they “did not receive the expected value to justify the cost of the dues” (page 81). If members do not join for value, they sure leave for lack of value.


• When asked how important various personal benefits to joining were, “access to the most up to date information” received a 4.22 rating and “professional development” received a 3.91 rating. This compares to a 3.85 rating for “”promoting standards” as the highest rated item for joining for the benefit of the profession (page 82 and 83). So information and professional development were the top rated reasons for why members joined.


• One could argue that the highest rated “benefits to the field” as defined by DTJ are really personal benefits. To do their job, members need someone to provide “standards and guidelines” and the “gathering analyzing, and publishing data on trends in the field”.

In addition to what DTJ reported, my experience in testing messages in new member solicitations also supports the value based membership appeal. Regularly – typically at a board’s direction – we create messaging around joining an association for the good of the profession. And regularly this message loses in head to head tests to a benefits oriented theme focused on “here is how membership can benefit you in your career.”

Let me conclude with a couple of caveats to my point. First, I always include an altruistic message in membership solicitations. Joining for the good of the field is an extra benefit that warrants mention and can serve as an additional motivator to joining. Secondly, I believe that the longer a member remains with the association and the more involved the member becomes, the more likely he or she becomes to staying with the association for the good of the community. However, in DTJ, we are not asking why an involved member stays, but what the basis of the decision to join is.

I believe the bottom line is that we sell membership on value. Do you agree with me?

Six Things I Like about DTJ!

Over the past couple of months, I have had the opportunity to look at ASAE and the Center’s Decision to Join with colleagues and clients.

There are a number of continuing questions that come up in discussions about association membership that this book helps to clarify. Here is my list of the issues where DTJ provides some help and confirmation to what I have also seen in the marketplace.

1. DTJ says that those who are involved as volunteers in an association are much more enthusiastic about the value provided than are those who are not involved. “Those who are not involved lie perilously close to former members in their overarching assessments of the value they derive from associations. If former members are thought of as being dead, the uninvolved are close to comatose.” (Page 4) As you will note in my post yesterday (Growth through Membership Retention), this finding rings true with other data that I have seen and is an encouragement to get members involved as volunteers and customers with an association.
2. DTJ says the “approximately half of them [lapsing members] indicate their reasons had more to do with career and other life changes than with the performance of the association. This means that those who worry about their retention rates get a 50 percent discount on their current distress levels.” (Page 3) In other words, no one will ever renew everyone and a plan is needed to add new members -- The Cost of the Wrong Membership Marketing Strategy.
3. DTJ says not to worry about younger members. “A considerable body of evidence indicates that entry-level people have always been slow to appreciate the value that associations off until their career pursuits settle in as they reach their late 20s.” (Page 4) See my post and the debate related to this titled: The Ageless Question.
4. DTJ says that in rank order the magazine or journal, conference or meetings, e-newsletter, or association web site is where current, former, or never members “prefer to receive information about your profession or field.” (Page 23) Members still want paper.
5. DTJ says that the single biggest reason for dropping membership is that the member “did not receive the expected value to justify the cost of dues.” (Page 24) This finding emphasizes the need to provide excellent member benefits in order to keep members with the association -- Tangible Benefits Matter.
6. DTJ says that the three most important personal benefits in your decision to join are: “a. Access to the most up to date information available in your field, b. Professional development or education program offerings, c. Opportunities for you to network with other professionals in your field.” (Page 82). This sounds like the classic information, professional development, and networking that we all include in our membership solicitations.
   
   What did you find helpful in DTJ?

Tangible Benefits Matter

We just completed a survey evaluating the effectiveness of a recently launched printed, membership periodical. The good news is that the members very much like the new benefit.

But what was most impressive about the survey results was how the publication increased member loyalty. For those who received and read the new publication, we found that they were:

• 33.9% more likely to say, “I would recommend this association to colleagues and friends.”


• 15.4 % more likely to say,” I plan to continue my membership.”

Admittedly, we may have a bit of a chicken and egg situation here. More committed members may be more likely to read association publications.

But this data is corroborated by ASAE & The Center’s Decision to Join survey returns.

When asked the question “How do you prefer to receive information about your profession or field?” the option of receiving “magazines and journals” was the choice surpassing conferences and meetings, E-newsletters, and an association web site.

The data from these two surveys serves as a reminder that part of member’s decision to join may be altruistic, but providing tangible product in return for dollars spent is still a key ingredient to getting and keeping members.

What do you think?

The Decision to Join

This is an exciting time for those involved in managing and marketing membership.

Perhaps as never before, associations are looking for and using data to make important decisions. As we learned from ASAE and the Center’s book, 7 Measures of Success, there is a clear correlation between successful associations and those that build the organization around the collection and use of data.

Now practical assistance in data driven decisions for membership professionals is available with the release by ASAE and The Center for Association Leadership of The Decision to Join: How individuals determine value and why they choose to belong.

The Decision to Join study included 18 individual membership associations.

• American Chemical Society


• American College of Healthcare Executives


• American Geophysical Union


• American Health Information Management Association


• American Society for Quality


• American Society of Civil Engineers


• American Society of Mechanical Engineers


• The College of American Pathologists


• Credit Union Executives Society


• Emergency Nurses Association


• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers


• Institute of Food Technologists


• National Association of Secondary School Principals


• National Athletic Trainers Association


• National Court Reporters Association


• National Society of Accountants


• Project Management Institute


• School Nutrition Association

A total of 16,944 responses to the survey were received from not only current members of these associations, but also to former members and those who have never been members. This means the data is statistically very reliable.

The book explores the impact of issues on membership like: the image of associations, reasons members drop, generations and career level, gender, and employment setting.

The top personal benefits for deciding to join an association highlighted by respondents are networking with other professionals in the field and gaining access to up to date information.

However, the study also supports the concept that a member’s decision to be a part of an association is also tied to much more than a classic procurement decision. Respondents highlighted that “promoting a greater appreciation of the role and values” of the association motivated the decision to join.

Over the next few weeks, I will do some posts on the specific findings from the book.

Have you read it yet? What do you think?