Why it’s important to give your members what your competition provides—and more. Plus: what your cursive writing says about you.

In the battlefield of a competitive market, you have to prove to members why you stand above your competition. If you do it right, you might find yourself on top.

More thoughts in today’s Social Media Roundup:

Shark in the Water

How You Are Losing Members to Competitors http://t.co/kovEKOMpZs via @SmoothThePath #AssnChat #ASAE #CSAE #Association

— Amanda Lea Kaiser (@AmandaLeaKaiser) December 10, 2013

Stellar service: You’re not alone in the market, and as a result, you need to  constantly win over your members. Writing on her blog, Kaiser Insights’ Amanda Kaiser suggests how to rise above the competition. Start by assessing what members want and how your association can cater. Then reach out to fresh and longtime connections, delivering your “why this matters” message rather than your “what we do” mantra. “If your association was once successful but now you are losing members to competitors, it’s time to pick some new paths,” Kaiser writes. Now is no time to get stuck in a rut. How do you show your strengths compared to the competition? (ht @SmoothThePath)

Scribbled Wisdom

Handwriting, Creativity & Associations. http://t.co/hl5hPRZJWD #asae

— Steve Drake (@SteveDrake) December 9, 2013

Bad handwriting—it’s not only for doctors: Steve Drake admits it: His finest quality is not his cursive handwriting. But when the SCD Group founder stumbled across research linking cursive writing with brain development—well, Drake took a few steps back to consider what it says about his own subconscious mind. “[C]ursive handwriting reflects self,” he writes, “the swift connectedness of the letters a portal to the subconscious mind. Unlike the starts and stops of print, the conscious mind has less opportunity to control the pen because cursive flows.” Bottom line: “Your signature is your self-portrait.” And while there’s not much point in obsessing over your handwriting, it is important to occasionally reflect on what influences your decisions—and how you can adjust your thinking to fuel your organization’s success. (ht @SteveDrake)

Do you think your handwriting says something about you? Tell us in the comments.

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