Fighting for Relevance

Being relevant to members in a constantly changing world

Cathi Hight, The Retention Specialist

• President of Hight Performance Group

• The nation’s member retention specialist

• Developer of the Member Retention Kit

• National instructor for the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Organization Management

• Previously was Vice President of Operations for the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii

• Serves on the Member Relations Council for the Austin Chamber

• Past-President of the Boulder Area Human Resources Association (BAHRA)

• Is a member of the:– American Chamber of Commerce Executives

(ACCE)– American Society of Association Executives

(ASAE)– Austin Chamber of Commerce

© 2013 Hight Performance Group

© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. 2Fighting for Relevance

Change is All Around Us

© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. 3Fighting for Relevance

Driving Forces Create Challenges• The Recession and the Recovery

o Housing meltdowno Wall Street tumbleso Massive layoffs

• Demographicso Aging Boomers exit the workforce o Millennials dominate the workforce o Different generations, different values

• Technologyo Social media revolutiono Cloud computingo Mobile society

• Time Povertyo People are busier than evero ROI expectations for time investedo Board size, volunteers and attendance

4© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

How This Relates to Fundraisers and Donors

© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. 3Fighting for Relevance

GENERATION DIFFERENCES (Generations and the Future of Association Participation report)

1946 - 1964 1965 - 1980 1981 - 2000

Baby Boomers Generation X, Gen X, Xers Generation Y, Gen Y, Millennial, Echo Boomers

Characteristics • Hard work leads to success• Loyal to brands• Confident• Competitive• Rebellious to status quo icons

• Anti-authority• Self-reliant and autonomous• Family-focused• Cautious• Limited loyalty

• Digital Society• Feel entitled to a “seat at the table”• Lateral, collective problem solving• Globally and diversity inclusive• Immediate ROI and feedback

Their Experiences Grew up in time of affluence. Reared to pursue the American Dream.

Children of workaholics and divorce, cable TV. Reared to be self-sufficient (latch key kids).

Micro-managed by parents, born with technology, always rewarded for participation. Reared to be high achievers.

Communication Style • Prefer detailed face-to-face dialog or via phone

• Appreciate in-person meetings• Believe no news is good news

• Prefer concise communication without over-explaining

• Clichés or corporate jargon• Prefer e-mails

• Prefer frequent feedback and problem solving via technology instead of phone calls or meetings

• Collaborative

Problems They Are Facing Right Now

• Dwindling retirement funds• Job dislocation• Rising health care costs or inadequate

health care coverage

• Debt• Caring for young children and aging

parent• Balancing life and career• Stuck in middle management

• Debt• Unemployment• Difficulty transitioning from college to

career• Negative stereotypes• Being taken seriously

Why They Join • Opportunities to lead and leave a legacy• Support social causes

• Opportunities to further careers and upper leadership positions

• Opportunities to learn from others• Support social causes

Volunteer Styles • Want to lead and manage others• Serve on committees and teams• Like to hold regular meetings and

discuss strategies

• Want autonomy• Opportunity for key leadership role• Hate being micromanaged or

meeting just to meet and waste time

• Work on teams for outcomes• Lack of hierarchy• Recognition of teammates• Collaborative content, decisions

Flaws • “Been there done that” attitude• Not always open to new ideas

• Difficulty committing• Tend to have a “wait and see”

approach

• Short attention spans• Expect immediate responses• Asks “what’s in it for me?”

Turn-offs • Constant change• Lack of respect for past loyalty

• Chaos, distrust, loyalty that goes unrewarded

• Dismissing new ideas because of their lack of experience

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Different Generations, Different Values

© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

Are the Millennials Joiners?

“Younger people seek and demand a return for membership, including tangible member services, high levels of accountability, identifiable career advantages, a sense of professional community, and opportunities to serve within associations.”

Generations and the Future of Association Participation

published by the William E. Smith Institute for Association Research

7© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

Common Member Interests and Needs

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Community/Industry Investors•Mission funders

•Long-term vision, strategic direction

•Business-friendly environment

•Support sustainability for all

•Do the right thing (civic-minded)

Community/Industry Builders•Sustainable, thriving economy

•Business-friendly environment

•Seen as a leader, strong brand

•Execute on corporate initiatives

•Workforce development

Business Investors•Lower operational costs, regulations

•Advertising and marketing to drive traffic and sales w/out involvement

•Attract and retain skilled staff

•Access to experts, best practices

Business Builder•Just-in-time needs (leads=sales)

•Immediate ROI w/ limited investment

•Exposure, connections

•Personal visibility

•I am the brand

Member/Donor Profile MatrixGet Something Done Through You

Get Something for Their Business

I N V

E S

T E

D I N

V O

L V E D

9© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

Top Membership Model Trendsand what fundraisers can learn too

• Customized– Members custom-build their membership

packages to suite their interests and needs (base membership + add-ons)

– Pros: Members choose what they want, which leads to higher engagement

– Cons: Members may not value benefits

• Electronic (virtual)– Membership restricted to web-based

resources and programming

– Pros: New streams of revenue are added with incurring expenses (e.g., printing)

– Cons: Memberships provide limited access so they generate less revenue

• International– Membership is accessible worldwide– Pros: Membership expands into new markets – Cons: Benefits may need to be developed and

engagement be more difficult

• Multitier– Menu of membership options based on

interests, professional designation, budget

– Pros: Members like being able to choose which options best suit their needs

– Cons: Requires the ability to manage multiple benefits for multiple audiences

• Open (freemium)– Membership does not require the payment

of dues– Pros: Leads to substantial membership

growth (more people in the playground)

– Cons: People perceive there’s no value because there’s no cost to join

10© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

TransformationOld New

Programs: Strategic, multi-media, solution/cause-oriented

Boards: Small, Experts, Diverse

Financial Model: Multi-Revenue Sources

Motto: Get involved, get results

Programs: Add++, in-person, variety

Boards: Large, CEOs, Boomers

Financial Model: Fair share dues & events

Members: Local businesses Members: Local & global businesses

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Motto: Access, Resources, Solutions

© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

Offer What Matters to Members and Donors

Know What KeepsPeople Up at Night

3 Strategies to Consider

Identify Your Roles

12© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

• Find out about member/donor challengeso Surveys

o Interviews

o Quick Polls

o Phone Calls

o Focus Group

13© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

Strategy #2 Identify Your Roles

Global Competency

CommunityDevelopment

InternationalDevelopment

MissionSustainability

Advocacy/PoliticalAction

WorkforceDevelopment

?Leadership

&Development

14© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

• Ask members if they value what you offero Surveys

o Interviews

o Quick Polls

o Phone Calls

o Focus Groups

15© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

Benefit Areas Solutions

• Access for the specific needs of the type of member/prospect

• Resources that are available through people, partners, publications, and virtually

• Solutions that matter to the member/prospect

– Strengthening the local economy– Building corporate brand– Education/skills development– Mentoring, counseling, experts– Information (FYI, Just in Time)– Visibility (marketing, exposure)– Connections to the right audience

• Tiered benefits model that align with interests, needs, budgets

• Unique opportunities through your relationships and expertise

• Web sites with self-serve opportunities (portals to members-only sections)

• Social networking (Special Interest Groups with exclusive access, collective content development)

• Virtual events (e.g., webinars, webcasts, podcasts, conferences, forums, expos)

• Partnerships that deliver resources & value for specific business needs

– Online, virtual education– Buy/sell portals (for RFPs, quotes, barters)– GIS services– Talent portals, assessments, internships– Commercial property listings

Align Your Benefits for Access, Resources & Solutions

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Provide Virtual Education

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Offer Peer-to-Peer Collaboration

SIGS

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Strategically Connect Members AboutOurwork.com

© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. 18Fighting for Relevance

It’s Time to Think Strategically

FROM TO

SINGLE ENTITY

GLOBAL ACCESS

TRANSFORMATIONALTRANSACTIONAL

LOCALIZED

COLLABORATIVE

SOLUTION-FOCUSEDEVENT-FOCUSED

20© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

Are You Ready for the New?

Future of Being Relevant

Future of

Business

Future of Associations

and Charities

21© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance

• Trends are changing the landscape for our members and communities

• Know the concerns of constituents and realize that different types of members/donors have different values and interests

• Consider your role and how to serve the community and members/donors

• Associations and charities need to adapt what they offer and how they engage to meet the changing needs of their target markets or they’ll become non-essential

Summary

22© 2014 Hight Performance Group, Inc. Fighting for Relevance