Imagine what happens when your entire staff and leadership team speaks in common terms about how your association is most valuable? Sounds crazy doesn’t it? How is this possible you might wonder to yourself?
For a moment, think about how powerful it would it be to overhear every staff member express in an overarching statement what you do best in their own words? What next milestone would be unlocked if every person on your team was comfortable articulating why your association matters and how it helps go beyond solving a problem, and breaks through the barriers to success for members?
If you want to experiment with this idea, the next time you are sitting with your staff in a group, even virtually, ask them to answer this question and email it to you:
What is the one significant benefit of belonging to your association?
- As hard as it is, only choose one
- The benefit should be something you know your members need most
- The benefit should be something that members cannot get anywhere else
Collect your answers. Now do the same thing with either your executive team or board of directors.
When you collect them, if you are like most, you will make two general observations:
FIRST, the responses are a listing of features. Things that the association does, which means the claim is internal.
SECOND, the responses are usually what the association thinks they do best. The claim is internal, again.
A value proposition is exactly the opposite: The answer would be clear (1) that it’s something that’s connected to a member’s business or practice, and that it overcomes a significant worry, and (2) the answer would explain how your service, or tool, or people help the member do something better (that they consider significant).
Positioning “value in your association” is different from promoting classes, or an event, or political action. What would change if you had a new way to offer members and prospects a clear rationale about that one significant intangible benefit of membership in your association? What would be different if everyone around the association table rallied around a similar answer to the question “Give me one good reason I should belong?” A response that would matter to all member types in a significant way: in every live conversation, in digital and social interactions, and in everything you present for member consumption.
Consider this a call to action to ask all 5, or 10, or 20 of your staff members sitting around the (live or virtual) table. Next ask your board. And you should participate, too. Then collect the responses on paper or over text, or email.
It’s not about their names, or who says what. Only be curious about the responses. What will they say?
Breakthrough Value is a new workbook and reference guide to discover your value proposition with the member at the forefront. It will change the way you think about your stakeholders, what you are trying to sell them, and how you plan for your future. Learn more and purchase the book at www.breakthroughvalue.org.
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