Smooth The Path

Member Informed Strategy, Innovation & Marketing

May 20, 2015 By Amanda Kaiser

Are Associations Earning Our Member’s Trust?

TrustThere is a gaping void of trust in the professional world today. We see this everywhere. Some new hires may not do the work they signed on to do. Some co-workers don’t deliver what they said they would deliver. Some team members miss deadlines. Some consultants deliver underwhelming results. Some giant corporations lay all the risk on at their customer’s feet.

Trust is rare. Trust is valuable. Trust is earned.

Not only should we be offering beneficial benefits but we should also be working to earn our member’s trust.

Ways associations can grow trust

Close the distance. Sit on the same side of the table with members. Partner with them and together work toward a goal.

Eliminate policies. Tell members what they can do not what they can’t.

Open opportunities. There are members who want to step up that have not been selected to contribute. Build more meaningful opportunities for everyone.

Be personal. More one-on-one contact less mass marketing.

Promote accessibility. Answer the phone, respond to emails and join in the conference fun.

We have not earned member’s trust just because we are a non-profit. We have not earned member’s trust because we are a good value. We earn some trust when we do the expected: provide value and do what we say we are going to do but to earn real trust we have to do more.

Related:

  • Our member may not trust us
  • Little habits that hurt our association’s credibility
  • How more trust can build a better functioning association

Filed Under: Association Marketing, Member Experience Tagged With: goals, inaccessible, member marketing, policies, trust, value

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