If you haven’t changed membership strategy in some time, it is well worth carrying out a review of your membership management systems and processes to see where improvements and changes can be made. Customers are demanding more, and businesses need to respond to these changing needs to maintain competitive advantage. In order to be able to get an holistic view of your business as a whole it is a good idea to consult with a Brand Strategy Agency such as Really Helpful Marketing who will be able to help you review your brand and membership angle.
Consider digital approaches
If your membership management system is largely paper-based, then there is plenty of scope to upgrade and improve it. This will speed up your processes, link them together more intelligently and avoid wasted time and resources. It will also free up staff time and allow them to focus on higher value tasks. Remember too that integration into your other CRM and databases can further free up time and cost, minimise the cost of re-work, speed up customer interactions and provide more valuable MI.
Look at self service
Digital membership management solutions also mean that customers have the opportunity to self-serve – again, reducing your business costs, whilst putting control into the hands of the customer. Customers can update their own details, register for events, choose subscriptions and pay for them, and select communication preferences themselves via a secure account.
Upskill staff in customer service
Good customer service can be a key differentiator when it comes to membership management and retention. Invest in training and accreditations that help your staff to become highly skilled and passionate about offering the best service they can. This will translate into better member attraction and retention and improve your bottom line by supporting upselling.
Consider marketing
How are you marketing your membership benefits? It could be time to update your materials and consider delivering some of your messages online. Social media is a great tool to support your website and other digital channels and it is more cost effective than print and out of house advertising.