From royal colleges to chartered institutions, membership organisations exist in many forms. Some bodies exist as industry regulators and advisors, with compulsory membership for certain professions, while others are more relaxed communities of common interest. Not-for-profit organisations are also very common.
To thrive, membership organisations must continuously recruit new members and retain existing ones. This means they face a unique set of challenges which are intensified by an ever-changing digital landscape.
Legacy systems and poorly-stored data are a huge problem for membership bodies, and an obstruction to membership engagement. Many membership organisations store important member data, such as contact details and training activity, across multiple applications and spreadsheets. This makes it difficult to keep this information current and up-to-date, leading to a poorer experience for the member, and more difficult working process for the organisation.
Members must feel incentivised to renew their membership, and most of the time, this comes through engagement. Member engagement can include actions as small as opening emails to larger statements, such attending events or undertaking training or exams; anything that makes the member feel like there is value and benefit in them belonging to that organisation (and paying a subscription fee). A good CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system is integral to achieving this, and can solve the problem of sporadic data storage.
A CRM system allows businesses and organisations to manage and analyse customer data and activity throughout the customer lifecycle. Increasingly, membership bodies are recognising the value of CRM systems, both for their own working practices and their members. A 2016 survey conducted by membership and association network, MemberWise, found that almost half of membership organisations store their member data on a CRM system, and that four in ten organisations are likely to replace their CRM systems over the next 12 months.
Dynamics 365 CRM provides a single member view (SMV) in which all member data can be stored and easily accessed. Contact details, event attendance, and training and exam activity can quickly and easily be monitored and updated in this centralised system, leading to an improved experience for the member as they receive more relevant communications. An engaged member is far more likely to renew their membership and recommend the organisation to others, fulfilling both the member recruitment and retention objectives.
CRM systems can also be integrated with other applications to ensure a seamless website experience for the member, and help create more efficient processes for the membership body. Core has partnered with digital solutions company, NetXtra, to ensure we can offer a comprehensive CRM solution which fully integrates the CRM system, website and other applications, such as finance and marketing tools.
Another important aspect of CRM for membership bodies, is personalisation. Personalisation of association websites offers a more fulfilling experience for the member. A personalised website may include features such as one-click membership renewal, reminder emails as renewal date approaches, details of e-courses tailored to suit the interests of the member, and information on events local to their area. With this in mind, Core has created CoreMem; our own IP designed to accelerate the process of personalising your CRM. It offers great functionality ‘out of the box’, but can also be used with additional modules for a more bespoke CRM solution.
When implementing our CRM solutions for membership Core adopts an agile approach to working which is entirely flexible and adapts to the changing needs of the project. We transfer our knowledge to the team we’re working with to ensure they can take control of their CRM, and use it to its full potential once the project is complete.
To find out more about CRM systems and how Core’s membership solutions can help your organisation with recruitment and retention, contact us today. We will also be attending the 2017 TechSmart NFP conference at County Hall in London, on 28 November; please come and see us to discuss any aspect of CRM for membership bodies.