Productivity

by Frank Kenny The membership dues model known as “fair share” is unfair to your members and your chamber. With fair share, every member gets the same features and benefits, yet some pay more than others simply because they have more employees, hotel rooms, or money on deposit. This dues model fails to consider that a business’s wants and needs change over time. The needs of a startup business, a growing business, and a mature business are entirely different. Yet […]

Engaged members will renew their contracts and recruit colleagues who help you grow and work towards your mission.

Five out of every six phone calls go straight to voicemail. For busy association professionals, this can be not only frustrating but also a huge time-sucker. Better your chances of getting a call back by mentally composing your message before each call. To improve your chances of getting a callback, try these tactics: Begin by saying your name and your organization’s name. Assume the person you’re calling doesn’t have your number, so say your phone number twice. People hate it when […]

It’s time to change your association emails and make them more voice-friendly. Why now? Millions of Americans now own smart speakers, and they use those virtual assistants to check their email with voice commands. Several years ago, Amazon has updated its Alexa voice assistant, giving it the skill to read, reply to, archive, or delete emails. Alexa will read the sender’s name, subject line, and text. It can read emojis but will ignore images and certain HTML attributes. Alexa will […]

The ugly truth about traditional billing and payment processing is, well, ugly. Invoices sent via mail require more resources than you may realize. You spend time and money on: Paper (invoices & envelopes) Bank slips, receipts, and deposit notes Ink cartridges Printers, postage machines, copiers (plus power and maintenance) Follow-up mailings and reminders for late payments Postage Fuel – visits to the bank and post office Bank charges Employee time to process (load paper, stuff envelopes, open mail, enter data, […]

Marketing Automation is a premium module available in the GrowthZone platform that will help you increase engagement, recruit members, and save time. If these benefits alone don’t convince you, read on to learn why you will want to implement these features if you haven’t already. In general, marketing automation can be extremely helpful for associations in several ways: Efficient communication Marketing automation tools enable associations to efficiently communicate with their members and stakeholders via email, social media, and other channels. […]

If you’re looking to start your association’s search for a new Association Management System (AMS), here are seven steps to keep in mind: 1.      Define your needs and requirements: Before starting your search, it’s important to define them. This includes identifying the features and functionalities you need in an AMS and any specific integrations or customization requirements. 2.      Determine your budget: Your budget will play a significant role in selecting association software, so it’s important to determine how much you […]

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. And often, the first impression of your association happens when a prospective member visits your website. Precisely why you need to know about website governance. So, what is it? Website governance is a system for managing your online presence orderly. From an association’s perspective, website governance lays the foundation for your digital presence. Do it well, and you will gain certainty and stability. Your association’s digital presence should be […]

In this article, we will provide guidance on how to write a mission statement for an association. What is a mission statement? A mission statement is a declaration of an organization’s purpose, goals, and values. It is a fundamental document that guides and inspires all of its actions and decisions. Why should an association write a mission statement? An association’s mission statement provides direction and clarity to its members, stakeholders, and the public about its purpose. It is crucial for […]

Have you tried ChatGPT or Canva’s Text to Image feature yet? We posed this assignment to both platforms: Write a funny blog article about how association executives can use ChatGPT to write blog articles. This article includes an example of one of the images created with Canva’s Text to Image. Here’s the unedited blog article ChatGPT wrote: Hello, association executives! Are you tired of staring at a blank screen, trying to come up with engaging content for your blog? Well, fear not! […]

Year after year, GrowthZone chamber survey respondents have noted that less than half of their revenue comes from non-dues sources. In the 2023 survey again, 474 chamber of commerce professionals across the U.S. and Canada stated that 45% of their revenue comes from non-dues sources. Increase Non-Dues Revenue If you’re struggling to increase non-dues revenue, we can help. Read Using Technology to Streamline Non-Dues Revenue for 10 helpful tips you can implement quickly and easily, using technology you probably already have […]

It’s no surprise that when GrowthZone surveyed 388 association professionals across the U.S. and Canada at the end of 2022, the top non-dues revenue source listed was events. Successful Revenue-Generating Events How can you ensure success for your important revenue-generating events? When you spend a lot of time and money preparing for an in-person event for education, fundraising, networking, or membership building, the last thing you want is an empty room. Our guide, Before, During & After: The How-To Guide […]