Serving Diverse Member Needs
Updated: Aug. 31, 2017 | Categories: Surveys, Goal Setting, Membership
No two members are alike. They have different wants, needs and expectations from your association. In order to keep your members active and engaged, it is important to address their diverse needs.
Provide Choices
Have you noticed a trend at restaurants over the past few years? Combos, “you pick two” order meals are extremely popular. Can’t decide between a salad or sandwich? Get both!
People like having choices.
Offering multiple options is a great way to cater to diverse membership needs.
Let’s take payment as an example. By only allowing members to pay by cash or check, you are assuming they have money readily available. Adding the ability to accept credit cards opens the gate a bit wider, providing an option for people who don’t have immediate access to the funds.
The same method can be applied to volunteer tasks. Some members may not have the time nor be ready to take on the responsibility of a board member. However, they may be willing to serve on a committee. Perhaps they are able to spend some time assisting with administrative tasks, like updating the website or setting up the event registration forms. Create multiple levels of engagement within your organization.
Check in with Members Regularly
Membership wants and needs can shift over time. For this reason, it is important to stay in touch with what is going on with the group and individuals. Chapter leaders should keep on the pulse of the organization through formal methods, such as a survey or a suggestion box, and informal methods, like coffee chats.
You can’t serve the diverse needs of your group if you don’t know what they are.
Find the Balance of the Individual and the Group
The key is to discover the range of needs and implement items that will best serve the group.
If one person in the organization has a very specific request, it is worth researching if the overall chapter would benefit. However, catering to a time or money consuming request for a single member may not make sense. Before making the investment, take some time to determine if it makes sense as an option for the association as a whole.
As your membership grows, the needs of those members will become more varied. In order to continue your organization’s growth, it will be important to stay aware of the diverse needs so you can best serve them.
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