THE CHALLENGE
The decision to work with a member management software provider comes with certain expectations. When those expectations aren’t met, you look for a different solution.
That was the case for the Manatee Sarasota Building Industry Association.
“The solution from our previous vendor was very behind on technology,” said Leslie Weed, Manatee Sarasota Membership and Events Director. “For starters, there was no Association presence at login. Members couldn’t post jobs or news releases. Our website was out-of-date and separate from our membership management.”
Over time, the Association found that members weren’t logging in for events and they continued to ask how to update and post information. The time had come for a change in order to streamline operations for the Association’s staff of two.
THE SOLUTION
The Manatee Sarasota Building Industry Association began looking for a new solution in the fall of 2014. After an initial search, the field was narrowed to five finalists.
Extensive online research was conducted and it was determined that GrowthZone was the best fit for the Association. But to be sure, Weed wanted to speak with a few current customers.
“We talked with three GrowthZone customers and all were very happy with how the software performed,” said Weed. “They talked about how smooth the transition to GrowthZone was with seamless data conversion. They also raved about GrowthZone’s customer service and how it was refreshing to work with nice people that actually cared enough to get back to you in a timely manner. The biggest factor was cost – GrowthZone would save us money – while allowing more interaction with our members.”
THE RESULTS
The 325+ members of the Association couldn’t be happier. People are registering for events and paying online, which saves a lot of time for the Association staff so they can be productive with other things.