Jodie Slaughter's AICPA Interchange 2012 presentation on Member Value Propositions - Creating and Conveying Member Value in a Time of Change

1. Member Value Propositions:
Creating and Conveying Member Value
in a Time of Change
7.19.12
Jodie Slaughter, FASAE
President and Founding Partner
McKinley Advisors
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2. Membership
is dead!
Long live
membership!

3. Is the annualized trend in full, paid memberships for your
association over the past 5 years:
CESSE 2012 EIA 2011 EIA 2010 EIA
44%
Higher 34%
44%
44%
29%
Lower 26%
38%
28%
27%
Flat 37%
18%
23%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
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4. Same trend with 5 year forward-looking estimate
Estimate CESSE 2012 EIA 2011 EIA 2010 EIA
67%
44%
Higher 34%
44%
44%
15%
29%
Lower 26%
38%
28%
12%
27%
Flat 37%
18%
23%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
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5. What concerns you most about membership in your
association over the next 5 years?
Aging Membership/Attracting Youth 14
Providing/Communicating value 11
Membership Model 6
Competition 4
Lack of Employer/Govt funding 4
"Open" Journals / Info 4
5

6. ?
How concerned are you with the following issues
72%
Membership retention 77%
84%
88%
72%
Membership recruitment 78%
78%
86%
65%
Sponsorship 76%
88%
88%
59%
Annual meeting attendance 69%
79% Concerned 2012
83%
Concerned 2011
58%
Attendance at other educational seminars 68% Concerned 2010
74%
74%
Concerned 2009
49%
Advertising 59%
80%
74%
46%
Product sales 50%
66%
58%
36%
Volunteer participation 42%
36%
29%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
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7. 65 or older 6%
55-64 39% Typical age
distribution of an
45-54 30%
association’s
35-44 18% membership
25-34 3%
TODAY
Under 25 1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
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8. 65 or older 39%
55-64 30% Forecast age
distribution for
45-54 18%
the same
35-44 9% association in
2025
25-34 3%
Under 25 1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
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9. IN FOCUS
The Membership
Value Proposition

10. Your Value Proposition
It’s more than what you say.
It’s also what you deliver.
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11. How we look to some…
Pay us in advance so that you’ll have lots
more to read and the ability to pay us again
for access to things that may or may not be
relevant for you…
…because it’s the “right thing to do” and
you’ll feel guilty if you don’t.
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12. Customer Value Proposition
Job to be done: solves an important problem
or fulfills an important need for the target
customer
Offering: satisfies the problem or fulfills the
need. This is defined not only by what is sold
but also by how it’s sold.
Adapted from Reinventing Your Business Model; Mark W. Johnson, Clayton M. Christensen, Henning Kagermann; Harvard Business Review, December 2008
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13. Compare:
Networking Opportunities All Year Long
Meet Your Next Employer, Client, Hire Here
Keep Up to Date on Trends in Accounting
Easy Ways to Maintain Your CPA Designation and
License (so you can keep working)
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14. Customer Member/Value is Subjective
• Demographics can matter
• Career stage
• Job setting
• Level of engagement…
• And sometimes they don’t
Q: What affects value in your Society?
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15. Variable Value
Good of the Personal
Order Benefits
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16. So how do you know?
You have to be curious
• Look at behaviors
• Ask the right questions
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17. Sample Value Propositions
With variances based on career stage
Q: What audiences should you consider?
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18. Sample Value Proposition
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19. 19

20. Career Stage Value Propositions
Residents
As you embark on a career in anesthesiology, you likely have many questions: Who will help
me settle in to a long-term employment situation? How do I keep up with my CME
requirements? How do I keep up with changes in my specialty? The answer to all of these
questions is the American Society of Anesthesiologists. As a member of ASA, you have
access to the ASA Career Center, the member directory, comprehensive education
opportunities and a number of publications to help you stay informed. From now until your
retirement, ASA will ensure that every step is a successful one.
Late Careerists
As a veteran in anesthesiology, you have probably seen it all. Through your membership in
ASA, you can share your experiences and your knowledge with your colleagues and help
prepare the next generation for a satisfying future. Don’t just be a member of ASA –
volunteer with a committee or task force, support our advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill or
mentor a young anesthesiologist. Let ASA help you share your passion and give back to the
profession.
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21. Your Value Proposition
It’s more than what you say.
It’s also what you deliver.
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22. Living with a mature model
We typically try build our member value
proposition around our existing processes and
resources…
…this has acute impact on the
membership value proposition.
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23. Think about:
 Conference committees
 Website navigation
 Presidential initiatives
 Chapter meetings
 e-newsletters

24. Some of our processes and
decisions that erode the
MVP:
 Product development
 Pricing
 Brand strategy
 Incentive compensation
 Promotional mix
 Technology platforms
 Service levels
 R&D investment

25. Deconstructing the MVP
What within your membership offer:
• Is available EXCLUSIVELY to members?
• Addresses ONE job to be done, not ten?
• Is CHEAPER, FASTER or EASIER to obtain?
• Is relevant to nearly ALL of your target audience?
What do you that fits the bill?
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26. The “half full” argument…
• There WILL be markets and potential members
to serve in the future.
• Certain membership drivers are ETERNAL.
• Membership growth is a LAG INDICATOR of a
viable customer value proposition.
• Our challenge is to create a BALANCED AND
COHERENT value proposition for membership.
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27. Strategies to Enhance the MVP
• REWORK internal structures
• Seek BALANCE in the MVP
• Focus on the USER EXPERIENCE
• Determine what can be made EXCLUSIVE
• Test low/no cost CONTENT alternatives
• TARGET communications (REALLY)
• Invest in MOBILE
• Increase FLEXIBILITY in membership policies
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28. Let’s talk…
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29. Really?
Really?
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30. Not if you offer unique value and have
the tools to make it compelling.
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