Avoiding the 7 deadly membership sins

The 1st Sin: You dont have enough online services

54% of customers have higher expectations for customer service today compared to one year ago, and Gartner predicts that 89% of businesses will be competing on customer experience ALONE.

Today’s members have huge expectations, and have little tolerance for slow service or complicated processes. Think how much patience you have when accessing a website or making a purchase online.

Because a number of membership organisations have been around for many years, the data collected on their internal systems – though vast and invaluable – is often out of date and not being put to good use.

The angelic solution

Integrating your systems with your website means you’ll be able to use your member data more effectively, and provide more personalised offerings for members, which in turn creates value and drives retention.

The angelic solution

Some software systems enable you to set up member portals, where members can self-serve for smaller admin tasks such as annual renewals, membership upgrades, event registration, and communications opt-ins. In an online and increasingly autonomous world, modern members want as few hoops to jump through as possible to get what they want – make sure you fit the bill.

3rd Sin: You’re ignoring unengaged members

Your existing members are your most valuable asset, and you need to be gathering plenty of information about their behaviours. If you’re not tracking members who aren’t opening or clicking on your emails, registering for events, visiting your website, or accessing their benefits, how will you know the best way to meet their needs?

The angelic solution

A good membership CRM will be able to provide you with smart insights into member behaviour with easy and accurate reporting. With these insights you can create an informed plan of action and reach out to your less engaged members with reminders of their perks, and hopefully keep them on board.

4th Sin: You haven’t automated your renewals

If you haven’t already, you need to offer an online renewals service – post or telephone only isn’t going to cut it anymore. 

The angelic solution

By sending periodic automated reminders with a link to renew online, you’ll free up precious time to focus on other things, knowing that your recurring revenue is in hand.

5th Sin: Your members arent aware of their perks

Just because you’re aware of the perks your membership offers, that doesn’t mean your members do. If you aren’t making an effort to remind them of their benefits, then they might forget the value their membership brings come renewal time.

The angelic solution

Keep your communications regular – ideally automated – to ensure their membership is front of mind. By automating this process you’ll free up your team’s time to focus on other aspects of the business, like acquisition and retention.

6th Sin: You haven’t built a proper member journey

Do you know what your members’ journey looks like? If you don’t have a clear picture of how you want members to engage with your organisation, then you can’t expect your members to.
Solidify your member touchpoints and goals for current and potential members – what does a successful journey mean for you?

The angelic solution

Technology such as a CRM system will integrate with a number of marketing software platforms, meaning you can map out an automated member journey which keeps track of a member’s progress in real time.

The Final Sin: You’re not learning from your mistakes

Do you know what your members’ journey looks like? If you don’t have a clear picture of how you want members to engage with your organisation, then you can’t expect your members to.
Solidify your member touchpoints and goals for current and potential members – what does a successful journey mean for you?

The angelic solution

Reach out to your lapsed members and ask for feedback. You can automate this process to save time and resources, and you’ll be more likely to receive a response if they receive a timely communication. Try to turn it into a positive; you can use the feedback to make improvements, and you never know, this proactive step may encourage them to re-join in the future.