FIVE RESEARCH TOOLS TO MAKE THE
ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE MORE POWERFUL
How does today’s smart Association Executive stay on top?
By staying on top of what the membership is thinking.
But how can a busy executive keep track of hundreds or thousands of members in different parts of the country, each with their own needs and expectations? The answer is simply good independent research.
Just take a few minutes to read about five types of surveys that have helped other associations better serve and retain their members.
(1) NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY
A Needs Assessment Survey provides the most basic and important information you can get from your members. Its questionnaire goes right to the heart of matters. Just what do members think the association should be doing for them? What needs are actually being met? What more is expected? Have changing times and changing attitudes affected the members? Is the association as relevant as it used to be? Are the founding principles behind the association still applicable in today’s world?
(2) THE MEDIA SURVEY
Most members get the bulk of their information from your publications and media. So it is vitally important to get feedback on editorial content and quality.
How well does your magazine, newsletter or website inform members? Is it addressing all the right issues? Should more time be spent highlighting the members, the association itself, or the news of the industry? Should the media platforms be expanded, changed, or stay the same?
Editorial direction, however, isn’t the only area which should be studied.
