Producing and Marketing Better Member Programs and Services

Better programs and services can translate into more revenues, and more members.

For programs and services where you have no direct competitors, the goal should be to focus on features and benefits that are highly relevant and will be valuable to the participant.

If direct competitors exist, the above goal is not enough.  To make breakthroughs against competitors' programs and services, you must also be able to differentiate your program or services from that of the competitors in ways that matter...that is, features and benefits that are highly relevant and will be valuable to the participant.

Let's look at it in another way:

Poor
		Your program or service does not bring value to the participant.
		Your program or service is distinctive from that of competitors, but not in ways that add value.
		Your program or service is valuable to participants, but is not distinctive from that of the competitors.
		Your program has high value for participants, including in ways that are distinctive from competitors.
Excellent

The practices described in this area are described as Better Practices for a very good reason. We have a great deal of difficulty with the term best practices used in any other context than to refer to the results of benchmarking exercises involving real and relevant organizations with tangible results.  We offer Better Practices related to areas where we feel that change is needed in associations. Better Practices are intended to provoke thought, and to encourage organizations to think about what they are doing and how they are doing it.  

OUR MISSION

To build better
associations and non-profits by 
delivering unique
and unparalleled expertise, programs
and services
to their staff and
volunteers.