3 tips to gain board approval for a new membership management software

You’ve done your research. You’ve read white-papers, investigated pricing and discussed with peers, you know that membership management software will help grow your organization. This will be one of the most important decisions your organization makes as it will impact members, staff, and the bottom line.

An investment of a new (or first) membership management system will need to gain board approval. Your presentation to the board will move the project forward or put the brakes on it. Follow these tips to get your board on board (pun intended) with a new AMS.

Paint a picture.

This is your time to be Van Gogh. Paint the picture of what life is like with your current system and what it could be like with a new system. Utilize story-telling and real-life examples to paint your picture. Walk the board through a process from a member’s perspective. You are not presenting to a judge, but to colleagues so don’t just paint with your words, use your other paint brushes – body language and tone. With a positive engaging story, your board will be able to clearly see the benefits of a new membership management system.

Not sure what talking points to touch-on in your presentation? Include these four talking points to justify membership management software.

Make it personal.

You painted the picture of how it will impact members, staff and the future of your organization. Next, is the other important stakeholders – the board member. How will the new system make your board’s job easier? Make it personal and discuss how this new technology can assist them in making data-driven decisions to strategically move the organization forward. Don’t forget to mention how your new system will assist in board succession and retention (they will love this!).

Get to the point.

Your board members are there because they have a connection to your mission and want to see your organization succeed, but they also have other responsibilities. Most likely, your presentation will not be the only item on the agenda that day so keep it to the amount of time you were allotted. This is not the time to wing it or ditch your notes. You know what it feels like to sit through a long, scattered presentation. Don’t do that to your board.

Convincing your board for new technology can seem like a daunting project but with the right tools you’ll be implementing new membership management software. These three tips can help you gain board approval and excitement for your new technology.

Need a little help making your pitch to the board? Our membership management presentation outlines how you can paint the picture of your current challenges and the return on investment of a new membership management software.

Blog Subscribe

Bottom of page subscribe button




This will close in 0 seconds