Don’t do that… One of my very favorite pieces of advice to give clients is “Don’t do that.” Client: “We’re going to migrate all of our current data into the new system.” Me: “Don’t do that.” Client: “In order to learn more about our members, we’re going to ask a dozen questions on the membership […]

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 […]

Should you chug or sip? I was recently meeting with two staff at a client of mine. They had been reviewing references for an AMS they are considering, and one staff person said, “Their references are so strong it feels like a cult. I’m not sure I’m ready to drink the Kool-Aid.” The other staffer […]

Why bother with a consultant when I have AI? As AI becomes increasingly powerful, the value of using an AMS selection consultant (and many other types of consultants!) starts to come into question. After all, with very well-constructed prompts and responses, an association could develop a very solid needs analysis and RFP that could be used to […]

Guardrails can be helpful! When selecting a new AMS, I find my clients are often very tempted by custom software or “platform” systems (e.g., built on Salesforce or MS Dynamics) because these systems are infinitely configurable. After all, if I can make the system do anything I want, that’s a good thing, right? Well, maybe. In […]