The #1 Mistake Associations Make With Their Office Space
Hint: Timing can be your greatest asset – or biggest liability. After representing trade associations in the Washington, DC market, for the past 13 years, we can say with 100% certainty: The biggest mistake association executives make is waiting too long to engage in...
Site Visits for Sales Success
About a month ago, our sales team discussed the potential benefit of making site visits to some of our client’s members to get a better perspective on their daily work. As a result, I will be visiting a company nearby to learn about what exactly goes on inside their...
Thinking Through Your Organization’s ROI
The Big Red “M” has spent the last few of weeks thinking through our return on investment (ROI). Our goal has been to create a snapshot representative of the value of our services that our association partners and prospective clients will understand. I recommend the...
A Win-Win: How Associations Can Transform Sponsors into Thought Leaders, with Bob Buday
Every association CEO’s #1 job is helping members be successful, whether they are companies banding together in a trade group or individuals convening in a professional society. As such, many association leaders are often asked to guard the sanctity of their members...
Summer Break
June 21st marked the first day of summer. The kids are out of school, vacations have started, half-day Friday schedules have begun for some organizations, Congress shuts down in August, etc. So how does your association deal with summertime? Do you let your foot...
What’s the Inside Scoop on the Big Sponsors?
The “big sponsors” can seem elusive. But, if you’re driven to score a few for your upcoming event, prepare to tailor your offerings to meet their expectations. Here’s the inside scoop: 1) The big sponsors want one-on-one meetings with your members. 2) They...
Trouble Getting Replies from Prospects?
If you have ever worked in sales, you know one of the biggest frustrations of the job is never getting a reply. You call first thing in the morning, you email after dinner time, you leave a voicemail followed immediately by an email and no response. After a dozen...
Five Tips on How to Approach a Potential Sponsor the Right Way
Getting the Conversation Started You are face to face with a potential first-time sponsor – what are you going to say? How about nothing? The temptation is to talk about your organization, but ask yourself, what’s the best way to show the sponsor the benefit to their...
Where Should Associations Put Their Money?
Currently, many organizations are embracing technology by attempting to implement an association management system (AMS) and new marketing platforms – and feeling the pressure to do so. Unfortunately, I've worked with several associations who’ve said, "Our AMS...
Restructuring Your Membership Business Model? How to Get it Right.
We’ve been in discussions with a good many organizations and one of the reoccurring questions we hear is, “We're restructuring our membership model – what benefits need to be added?” A few recommendations: Begin by taking a hard look at member activity within your...
