"Her eyes were bigger than her stomach."
When I was a child, my siblings used to joke about how one of our sisters, on the rare occasion when we ate at a restaurant (like McDonald's!), was well known for ordering way more food than she could eat. Later in life I heard the phrase "Her eyes are bigger than her stomach," which was a perfect way to describe it. She bought more than she could possibly consume because it all looked so good (yes, even at McDonald's).
I've seen a similar thing happen to associations when it comes to purchasing technology (e.g., new AMS, new CMS, etc.). The new technology promises so many great things that the organization winds up buying everything! After all, having everything is better than not having enough, right?
But very often, even if we buy all the things, we may not be able to implement them all right away. And in most cases, you'll have the option to buy less now, knowing you can add more later (e.g., licenses, modules, services).
So just like when we eat at McDonald's, we should pace ourselves, buying only what we need at that moment, knowing that we can always go back for more, if we need it. Don't let the allure of great technology make your eyes bigger than your stomach!
![]()
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
Try not to OFFEND your members…
Try not to OFFEND your members… I recently received an email from an association where I’ve […]
How will you use that data?
How will you use that data? One of the beauties of technology today is how easy […]
Pennywise and pound foolish
Pennywise and pound foolish One definition of the phrase “pennywise and pound foolish” is to […]
How you respond matters
How you respond matters Very recently I wrote that I measure customer service by how […]
Your one non-renewable resource
Your one non-renewable resource For any project, the three primary resources are time, money, and […]
No system is perfect
No system is perfect When working with my clients on the selection of a new […]
Ask your members to update their info
Ask your members to update their info One of the greatest data management challenges any association […]
Customer vs. staff
Customer vs. staff In a properly designed AMS, when the customer goes online to your […]
Measuring customer service
Measuring customer service When I work with clients on AMS selection, one question that often […]
Iterate or innovate?
Iterate or innovate? When moving to a new association management system, there is often an implicit […]
