January 7, 2010 An Experience vs a Transaction
And that is what it is all about, isn’t it. Don’t we as association professionals strive to provide something for our members that they cannot get anywhere else – or we at least hope they can’t or don’t 
My dear friend, Vinay Kumar, was talking on the Executive List Serve last month about the importance of creating an experience. In this day of recession, layoffs, cut-backs, we need to be even more in-tune with our members needs and desires – make every transaction an experience. When they hang up the phone, if they can think positive about their experience it is a plus, but we should also strive for that to be the norm.
After all, without members, we have no association. It is all about relationships and those positive experiences build those relationships – which in turn helps keep members and those happy members talk about our associations and then new members join to see what the fun is about.
Relationships, an experience, whether that experience is a first timer at your conference – where a great experience could ensure that they come back – that call to the office answered with a smile on your face, the marketing pieces that make it easy for them to get the information that they need to make a purchase or attend an event and it goes on and on. Every ‘touch’ that we make is important – every single member of the staff is important, not just the Executive Director or Vice President, but that receptionist, coordinator, secretary – every interaction is important. Of course we all have to make sure our staff realizes that are are given the tools to provide the excellent service that is needed and expected on a day to day basis, but that is another post.
Just my voice.
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