A harsh truth about your members…

A harsh truth about your members...

Just over 20 years ago, the book "He's Just Not That Into You" was published, and later turned into a movie (stick with me, I'm going somewhere with this). Per Wikipedia: "The premise of the book, as stated in the title, tells women readers that if a man in whom you are interested is not making the effort to pursue you, he is simply 'just not that into you.'"

So what does this have to do with your members? The simple fact is, the vast majority of your members are just not that into you. They actually don't really care about your association. They don't even think about you until they need something from you (e.g., registering for an event, earning credits for certification).

Why does this matter? Because the reality is, the onus is on you to ensure the data you have about them is accurate. When your member changes address, title, phone number or email, the last thing they are thinking is that they need to tell you about those changes. They'll tell you the next time they need you, and not a moment sooner. So you have to proactively collect data, whenever possible.

Of course, there are exceptions to this. Some of your members really DO care about you. But unfortunately, the "average" member is just not that into you.

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

The “S” stands for “Standard”

October 9, 2019

The “S” stands for “Standard” In a conversation with a past client, we were discussing […]

Is that meaningless data?

September 25, 2019

Is that meaningless data? I’m not a big quotes guy, but one of the few […]

Be aware of unintended consequences

September 18, 2019

Be aware of unintended consequences I’ve written before that every decision involves a trade-off. When […]

Positive change is harder to see

September 11, 2019

Positive change is harder to see Humans are wired to see negative change because we […]

MVP: Minimum Viable Product

September 4, 2019

MVP: Minimum Viable Product In product development there is a concept known as MVP, or […]

You always need a reason for collecting data

August 28, 2019

You always need a reason for collecting data When you ask for data from someone […]

If you’re unhappy, speak up!

August 21, 2019

If you’re unhappy, speak up! My clients will often ask me something along the lines […]

Does it advance the mission?

August 14, 2019

Does it advance the mission? Because associations are mission-driven, everything you do should be seen […]

How should you start a new data project?

August 7, 2019

How should you start a new data project? When you’ve got a new data project […]

A Data Integrity Report…for Reports!

July 29, 2019

I’ve written elsewhere about the value of data integrity reports. But one of the most […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top