Smooth The Path

JUNE 19, 2016

There’s an interesting dance that happens with member research. We ask the questions we think we want to know the answers to but members see those questions and find they would rather answer some other more important questions. Qualitative member research methods do. Related: Please ask members.

Member Research 68

Member Research Survey Project Education 68

Smooth The Path

JANUARY 15, 2019

Where do you get knowledge and insights about the association industry? I conduct member research all the time, so I get direct access to the bright spots in our industry. I am lucky. Are you hungry for some knowledge?

Resources 79

Resources Newsletter Education Member Research 79

Smooth The Path

FEBRUARY 13, 2018

Well, some associations serve declining industries or professions. Focusing on the wrong key industry issues. Young professionals might not be interested in industry advocacy right now, but they might be interested in how to start off right in their first months on the job. (By Some, but not all.

Recruiting 108

Recruiting Recruitment How To Innovation 108

Smooth The Path

AUGUST 6, 2018

The results of years of member research show that high-performing professionals tend to move through three stages during their career. They may be new to the workforce, or new to their organization, or new to the profession, or new to an industry. They mentor others in their organization or within their profession or industry.

Association Value 84

Association Value Team Industry Member Research 84

Eric Lanke

AUGUST 27, 2018

The most interesting result from the member research on renewal notices is that these letters, emails, and phone calls do not serve to change most member’s minds about renewing. One of the reasons this hit home for me is that I was recently the member in exactly this situation.

Newsletter 159

Newsletter Member Research Resources Conference 159

Smooth The Path

OCTOBER 2, 2017

I credit the network effect for propelling all of my recent initiatives from speaking, to recruiting quality participants for association industry research, to having clients find me for custom member research. Networking is one of the top values we provide our members. I do know some, many even, but this is rare.

Florida 76

Florida Recruiting Recruitment Member Research 76

Association Success

MAY 28, 2019

On behalf of our mission statement and members, we went through a two-year rebrand. To provide context on what considerations we made in our rebrand, we want to point out a few factors that went into our decision: Member Research. All members were invited to participate, and hundreds did so through surveys and focus groups.

Survey 113

Survey Social Media Marketing Member Research 113

GrowthZone

JUNE 6, 2017

Engage your new members early and engage them for life! Amanda Kaiser, MBA, is a qualitative member researcher. She writes the blog, Smooth the Path , for association professionals, and is a popular association industry speaker and guest author. Take advantage of that window of opportunity.

Member Engagement 133

Member Engagement Member Research Process Industry 133

Smooth The Path

SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

Or, these conversations might help you source your next speakers and authors and interviewees and give you valuable insight for content like articles, white papers, and research reports. Few associations are mining attendee conversations for data because this was impossible to capture during in-person events.

Conference 78

Conference Report Industry Content 78

Reid All About it

JULY 9, 2021

Presenter: Julie Haddix, Senior Director, Industry Solutions for Cvent. Years before COVID-19, time pressures, higher member expectations, increased member diversity, differing generational values and accelerated advances in technology challenged the relevance of traditional association structures and practices. . 1 CMP credit.

Rhode Island 195

Rhode Island Technology Strategy Member Engagement 195

Associations Now

MAY 3, 2019

For starters, your test takers need to accept the validity of the exam based on how well it incorporates content that squares with their real-life professional experience, says member researcher Amanda Kaiser on Smooth The Path. Understanding what members are going through will help your association improve its value.

Process 81

Process Certificate Tips System 81

Smooth The Path

NOVEMBER 15, 2018

The trouble with association boards is they tend to be populated with super-members. Super-members are members who are so engaged, so seasoned, so advanced in the profession or industry they are not like most members. On the advancement of the industry or the profession. They know everyone and everything.

How To 90

How To Industry Member Experience Team 90

Reid All About it

MAY 3, 2019

If that type of experience isn’t an option for you, WBT Systems shares 13 ways you can get a basic level of knowledge and keep up with the trends in your association’s industry or profession. It’s frustrating to have member and event attendee data spread out across the organization in different databases.

Tucson 262

Tucson Phoenix Products Tools 262

Smooth The Path

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

It felt so great that a rock star in the industry took the time to talk to me. She immediately made me feel more confident. After that, I didn’t have any trouble introducing myself to other attendees. I later learned she was on the board. or, The community is great. Whenever I ask a question in the listserve I get ideas that work.

System 125

System Conference Industry Member Research 125

Smooth The Path

DECEMBER 14, 2015

In fact many associations focus on broad subsegments within a profession or industry. Going one step further, we typically see segment-able behavior, preferences or problems within our classically defined member categories. We may see members who are more forward thinking than most. And this is a valuable start.

Survey 68

Survey Member Research Industry Member Experience 68

GrowthZone

JUNE 28, 2017

Test your message externally with member research (via a survey or focus groups): Have trends shifted? Have your member’s biggest worries or needs changed? How satisfied are members with the services that you say you do well – that your VP is based on? If You Think You Need it, Get Some Outside Help.

Survey 60

Survey Tools Maine Examples 60

Smooth The Path

JANUARY 22, 2019

Additionally, there is room in each interview for members to talk about what is most important to them whether they want to talk about the association, or the profession, or the industry, or their career. Qualitative research helps us do a deep dive on what matters most to our members.

Survey 79

Survey Project Industry Member Research 79

Smooth The Path

DECEMBER 11, 2017

Join our group of over 160 committed association professionals who are looking for innovative ways to engage members. Related: Industry Study Brings a New Way for Association Professionals to Think About Member Engagement. The New Member Engagement Rule of Three.

Member Engagement 138

Member Engagement Member Experience Survey Report 138

Smooth The Path

APRIL 5, 2018

Members see three precious days out of the office, away from their families. Take a look at every big issue your staff is debating right now from association administration to trends in the industry. Is your staff’s point of view the same as your members? If not, get closer to your members.

Price 74

Price Cost Industry Member Research 74

Smooth The Path

JANUARY 24, 2016

Coming out of my own member research, the challenge that comes up nearly universally among members of all associations is the need to influence. Our members are solving tough business problems and need to practice their creative skills AND they need to learn how to help others in their organization be creative as well.

Social Media 60

Social Media Member Research Tips Education 60

Smooth The Path

OCTOBER 4, 2016

It is so frustrating… Industry suppliers launch competitive products and events and our members purchase them. Members have a challenging problem and we have the solution but they do not use our solution. We reach only 14% of the population of potential members. Only 25% of our members come to the conference.

Price 127

Price Products Member Experience Communications 127

Smooth The Path

NOVEMBER 29, 2016

Here are the top challenges we all have and here is what we did about them: New Members Feel Like Outsiders. One of the most common stories I hear in member research no matter the association is first time attendees feel like outsiders. They don’t know the industry lingo but, it seems like everyone else does.

Conference 60

Conference Innovation Committee Team 60

Associations Now

JUNE 29, 2016

Why one association researcher discounts nonmember feedback in favor of the highly engaged, and how that choice relates to associations’ strategic decisions about what segments to engage. Kaiser specializes in qualitative member research, mainly conducting in-depth member interviews for associations.

Recruiting 71

Recruiting Recruitment Sample Discount 71

Smooth The Path

AUGUST 28, 2016

There’s not much we can do when a member moves out of the profession or industry. With exit surveys we are asking, how do we stop members from leaving the organization? Do these answers give you what you need to make a real change? How actionable are most exit surveys? All associations have room to provide more value.

Survey 68

Survey Price Industry Member Research 68

Smooth The Path

JULY 26, 2018

We would develop a new member onboarding program maximizing the engagement window of opportunity by engaging new members a bit on the first day they join and then engaging them even more within the first week of joining.

Innovation 74

Innovation Member Insights Member Experience Recruiting 74

Smooth The Path

OCTOBER 2, 2016

Our members are taking on new responsibilities, being asked to take on new projects or they are identifying something new that needs to be done. Every time something new presents itself to our members, our members have a problem.

Innovation 119

Innovation Process Project Products 119

Associations Now

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

Your intrepid membership blogger returns from two conferences at regional societies of association executives with a roundup of tips and ideas, including great questions for member research and the power of delegating metric measurement to staff. “What worries you most about your industry in the next three to five years?”

Connecticut 40

Connecticut New Jersey New York Member Research 40

Mizz Information

NOVEMBER 18, 2018

This recent update summarizes what the project team learned from their latest member research; this post goes into why they did it and this helpful guide details how they did it. And here’s another really good article: The journalism industry knows engagement is necessary to survive. Sound like any other industry we know?

Leadership 63

Leadership Survey Project Examples 63

Fonteva

FEBRUARY 9, 2021

To get a better sense of the types of learning opportunities your members would most likely be interested in, consider the following: Take a look at your membership database and make note of common goals Review what other professional associations are teaching and offering to their members Research the industry and jot down different skills for different (..)

Member Engagement 98

Member Engagement Tips Recruiting Recruitment 98

Smooth The Path

AUGUST 18, 2016

These CEO’s came from large associations and small, some were Millennials, some GenX and some Boomers, they were from associations serving a wide variety of professions and industries and they were located all over the US and Canada.

Survey 60

Survey millennials Leadership Report 60

CSAE

JUNE 27, 2023

Key highlights from the Town Hall are below: Members were reminded of CSAE’s strategic priorities: to be the champion for associations, to be the centre of excellence for the association sector and to be a model for continuous improvement in association management. CSAE is responding to member needs and our own operational considerations.

Team 40

Team Committee Library Review 40

Mizz Information

NOVEMBER 18, 2018

This recent update summarizes what the project team learned from their latest member research; this post goes into why they did it and this helpful guide details how they did it. And here’s another really good article: The journalism industry knows engagement is necessary to survive. Sound like any other industry we know?

Leadership 40

Leadership Survey Project Examples 40

Smooth The Path

FEBRUARY 9, 2016

When I talk to relatively new members there is almost always a 3-5 year gap between when the member started in the profession or industry and when they actually became a member of the association. When I see that many year gap I always go back and ask them about it. Why didn’t you join sooner?

Innovation 60

Innovation Content Products Industry 60

Association Adviser

SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

We need to keep moving the ball down the court aggressively for our members and for the industries we serve. AA : What’s the best way to figure out what members need? SW : It starts with really knowing your members. But our research is never really done.

Ohio 60

Ohio Innovation millennials Resources 60