I was completing an application online today for an organization I was joining. One of the required fields was “home phone.” Here’s the problem: I don’t have a home phone. I have a cell phone, I have an office phone, but I have no home phone. But the home phone field is required. So what to …
I’ve always been a HUGE advocate of software users groups. When I was on staff at an association and a daily user of my AMS, it was incredibly valuable to have a community of like-minded users for me to easily access when I had a challenge. Many (but not all) of the AMS vendors now …
Users meetings now augmented with quarterly calls Read More »
When I talk with software vendors who are new to the association space (or at least new to me!), I always ask them: “What is your customer sweetspot?” What I mean by that is, what does your ideal association customer look like? Associations come in all shapes and sizes, and it’s very unusual that a …
I’ve always been a HUGE advocate of software users groups. When I was on staff at an association and a daily user of my AMS, it was incredibly valuable to have a community of like-minded users for me to easily access when I had a challenge. Many (but not all) of the AMS vendors now …
Users meetings now augmented with quarterly calls Read More »
When I talk with software vendors who are new to the association space (or at least new to me!), I always ask them: “What is your customer sweetspot?” What I mean by that is, what does your ideal association customer look like? Associations come in all shapes and sizes, and it’s very unusual that a …
Consulting guru Alan Weiss often says “Logic makes you think, emotion makes you act.” I’m reminded of this when I work with my clients during selection of a new AMS. Using the process I use, my clients will wind up with two or three really strong options for a new system. As some of them …
Don't be afraid to follow your gut when choosing software Read More »
I read today that Nielsen reports that the average household has 189 channels. They watch 17 of them. That means the average household is watching less than 10% of all the channels it has access to. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing? I often hear my clients say “We’re barely using any of …
Are you using all of your AMS's features? And should you? Read More »
If you read my work, you know that I have a strong bias for off-the-shelf (OTS) software for managing an association. I’ve written extensively about why that is, but one the most important reasons for using OTS software is that the software is supported by a company rather than a single person. Over the years …
Does your technology have a single point of failure? Read More »
One of the most significant trends that I’ve seen in the association market over the past two years is a dramatic increase on the value and offerings of education. Association members are demanding more and better educational opportunities. And of course, these offerings have to be at a relatively low price point, and have to …
It's all about education, which for many associations means an LMS Read More »
I’m conducting a brief survey on association’s opinions of their current AMS. I’ve already got over 100 participants and I’d love to have your opinion, too. Click here to take the survey, which should only take you three minutes to complete.