Sheri Jacobs - Membership Rules! The Art of Selling What Matters

Contents

Copyright 2013 by John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

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ISBN 978-1-118-76717-7 (paper); ISBN 978-1-118-76712-2 (ePDF); ISBN 978-1-118-76716-0 (ePub)

Introduction

The only constant is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today.

Isaac Asimov

One of the earliest memories from my childhood occurred during a drive my family made from Chicago, Illinois, to Omaha, Nebraska, when I was eight years old. We had been in the car for about six hours when the weather began to change. The sky turned black, and my dad pulled the car over to the side of the road. My sister and I huddled on the floor of the car, put our hands over our heads, and closed our eyes. As the car began to shake and rain pounded on the roof, I began to count the seconds and then the minutes until it passed. Later, I would learn that it was actually a tornado we had witnessed from the side of that Midwest road. Once the sky lightened up, my dad pulled the car back onto the road and we continued on our way. We were driving to an association meeting. And even a tornado would not stop us from getting to our destination.

From a very early age, I became privy to the role of associations and the communities they build. When my dad first joined the organization, he took advantage of the various social and networking opportunities and, at the same time, looked for ways to contribute and give back. Over the years, as the needs and interests of younger members changed, the organization looked to its roots for guidance on how to adapt. It made changes to its membership model by opening up new avenues for individuals to support the associations efforts and activities. For more than fifty years, my dads dedication to helping his association achieve its mission and adapt to a changing society taught me some important lessons.

When I sat down to write this book, I considered all of the lessons Id learned from my father as well as from my own experiences working for and with associations. I truly believe we live in a world of constant changeand that it has always been this way. There have always been differences that can serve to define a generation and set it apart from ones that came before or after it. What is important, relevant, and meaningful to some may hold no value for others. Although some people would like to shift some of the blame for a dwindling membership on the changing attitudes of the youngest members of the workforce, I dont believe this is the root cause of the troubles many organizations face today. Advances in technology have helped us move from the printed word to computers to mobile devices and tablets. It is because the world is constantly changing that there is a growing need for organizations that can bring people together and provide community. And it is because of the advancements in how we are able to communicate that we now have more opportunities than barriers for that association and community.

I believe that the reason some organizations thrive in the constantly changing world is that they understand the art of membership. What is the art of membership? It is a set of guiding principles that form the bedrock of all successful membership organizations. One of these guiding principles, sell what matters, is presented in this ebook; it will help you understand how to thrive in a constantly changing world.

However, this is just a small sample of what will be presented in the forthcoming full-length book The Art of Membership. This ebook will get you started down the path of creating a sustainable membership model that will thrive in an ever-changing environment, but the full-length book will provide a full roadmap to help you: (1) find your value; (2) understand who your members are, based on your valueand who should remain customers; (3) sell your organization, based on your unique value and your member or customer base; and (4) overcome objections, personalize the process, and create meaningful connections that will cement your relationship with members.