Written by: Vickie Sullivan | October 17, 2017
2 Opportunities for Speakers Who Present at Association Events
Because many of us thought leaders speak at association events, it pays to know what their members value. This study from Community Brands compares three categories of membership and why members stay or leave.
The findings we care about most are the ones around value and content. Here are two opportunities for speakers:
• Communicate value. The #1 reason why people leave: too little value as compared to the dues. The dilemma: Many “benefits” focus on the industry and not the individual, which appeals to loyalists but not the critics. Ask prospects: How can your presentation communicate progress and the association’s impact on the industry? How can your information bridge to the critics?
Listen: 2 ways to appeal to the critics
• Personalize the content. This is big, given that 47% say content is not personalized. The biggest faux pas: The content does not pertain to them. (And almost 30% reported dull or boring content.) Among the top mistakes: content is too vague. One way to address this is to reach out to the loyalists and drill down. Find out what specifics mean the most and include those in your upcoming speech.
Given the competitive landscape associations face, any help moving the critics to the more loyal categories will be welcome. Knowing how your expertise can help in an association’s efforts to retain members can give you the inside track.
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