For Your Eyes Only: Getting Members to Share Sensitive Info

Your membership collectively holds all the information you need to gauge the health of your industry. The key is to gather that information, analyze it, and present it to members in a way that makes them feel both comfortable and confident. A great obstacle, however, lies between the association and the information. Association members famously…

Read more

Are Business Stats Magic Numbers?

In a word, no. Business owners and C-level executives from all industries know the value of business statistics. Some facts, however, are more telling than numbers…and perhaps infused with a little magic. This elusive and astonishing information exists in the hearts and heads of your members. Numeric business statistics tell us a great deal—and could…

Read more

No Business Is an Island

Historical data provides valuable information about past trends and the current state of the business. Based on this data, decisions are made regarding hiring, purchasing, and sales efforts. But this information is focused inward, not reflecting the trends of the entire industry… Predictive data about the greater industry can hint at a potential hurdle in…

Read more

Historical Data Is in the Past

Business owners and leaders rely on data and statistics to run their companies—top-line sales, bottom-line profits, raw material costs, labor hours, etc. The data is helpful to a degree; it can measure productivity and efficiency quite well… That is to say, past productivity and efficiency. Even more limiting, this data is internal to one’s own…

Read more

3 Ways to Encourage Members to Complete Surveys

Association executives would give anything to read the minds of their members and know exactly what they need. The simplest solution is to ask members how they are doing and what concerns them. Most members feel comfortable responding–until things start to get “personal.” Companies tend to balk at sharing financial, production, and other sensitive business…

Read more