Who We Help

Membership Bodies

You bring a whole industry together. Growing it shouldn't be an uphill climb.

For associations, chambers and member organizations with $1m–$7m in annual income. Your members count on you to champion their field, but the next generation isn't joining as readily.

Professional AssociationsTrade AssociationsChambers of CommerceInstitutesBusiness ClubsConference OrganizersCertification Bodies
Apply for a Growth Check

You'll speak with us directly, as the CEO, Executive Director or Membership Director.

An empty event hall with rows of chairs facing a stage

SOUND FAMILIAR?

Where most associations lose members.

01Members Can't Say What They Get

Ask why someone should join, and each person on your team answers differently.

Usually starts in: Your Offer · Your Marketing Materials

02Busy Events, Flat Membership

Your conference is packed every year, yet the member count hardly moves.

Usually starts in: Where Your Leads Come From · How You Engage Leads

03Renewal Season Feels Like Guesswork

Every year the reminders multiply, and the renewal rate still won't budge.

Usually starts in: Your Sales Process · Your Results and Data

04New Members Quietly Slip Away

They join full of enthusiasm, yet one in four doesn't renew a year later.

Usually starts in: After the Sale · Who Owns Each Step

How members find you

Six routes to a new member.
Each one has its own weak spot.

Every new member reaches you by one of six routes. Here's the journey each one usually takes, from first hearing about you to joining.

MEMBERSHIP FUNNEL
    An illustration. Every association's routes look a little different.

    WHAT WE LOOK AT

    The eight parts we check, through an association's eyes.

    01

    Your Offer

    Common gaps
    • Benefits listed, but no clear reason to join
    • One membership level for students and seasoned professionals
    • Company memberships that don't say what employees get
    02

    Your Marketing Materials

    Common gaps
    • A website that speaks to insiders, not newcomers
    • No member stories showing what joining changed
    • A join form that's hard to finish on phones
    03

    Where Your Leads Come From

    Common gaps
    • No ties with employers, colleges or training providers
    • Members never asked to bring a colleague
    • Sponsors and exhibitors never invited to become members
    04

    How You Engage Leads

    Common gaps
    • Membership questions answered days later, if at all
    • Event guests and webinar sign-ups never followed up
    • Guests at mixers and club visits given no next step
    05

    Your Sales Process

    Common gaps
    • Joining takes forms, signatures and weeks of waiting
    • No auto-renew, so busy members simply forget
    • Large member companies renewed by invoice, never a conversation
    06

    After the Sale

    Common gaps
    • New members left to find their own way in
    • Lapsed members never asked why they left
    • Recertification reminders that arrive too late to act
    07

    Your Results and Data

    Common gaps
    • Member records split across systems and spreadsheets
    • No early warning when engagement drops before renewal
    • Event, sponsor and dues income never seen together
    08

    Who Owns Each Step

    Common gaps
    • Nobody owns a new member's first year
    • Committees and volunteers with no clear role in recruitment
    • Chapters, events and membership run as separate teams

    WHAT IT CAN LOOK LIKE

    One association, before and after. More interest. More members who renew.

    An 8,000-Member Professional Association.

    The problem: almost every new member came through the annual conference, unfinished applications were never followed up, and first-year members heard nothing until their renewal notice.

    Before

    Each square is one piece of the association's recruitment and renewal: its join form, its welcome calls, its renewal reminders, and every other part of how it wins and keeps members.

    Working WellWorking, But Room To GrowNeeds WorkBroken
    Your path to a member who renews

    Yearly totals: the year before the changes, and the first full year after.

    THREE FIXES IN THE PLAN

    Members Invited All Year
    Webinars and member invites between conferences.
    Same-Day Follow-Up
    Unfinished applications get an email, then a call.
    A 90-Day Welcome
    A welcome call, first benefit and chapter.

    An illustration of our approach, not client results.

    Want to know where your association is losing members? Within two business days you'll hear whether we can help.Apply for a Growth Check

    HOW IT WORKS

    01The AuditDiagnoseWe find what's standing in the way.→02The ArchitectureDesignOne plan around your goal.→03The ActivationBuildYou hire the right specialists. You run it.

    See How It Works →

    LATEST INSIGHTS

    Not Ready to Apply? Start Here.

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    4 min read

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    Team and Hiring

    Agency, In-House Hire, or a System?

    An agency or a hire adds hands. Neither fixes a missing plan. Here's how to choose.

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    All Insights →

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How much does it cost?+
    Two fees, the Audit and the Architecture, sized to your organization and agreed up front. No retainers. Your quote comes after the call.
    What happens after I apply?+
    Within two business days you'll hear whether we can help. If there's a fit, we book a call, then send your quote.
    Our board approves big decisions. How does that work?+
    We share what we find in a form your board can read in one sitting, and we're happy to join a board or committee meeting to answer questions.
    Do you help with renewals as well as new members?+
    Yes. We look at the whole path, from first interest to a member's third renewal. Every reminder and invitation we suggest includes a clear way to opt out.

    MAKING GROWTH MAKE SENSE

    Every member who joins should want to stay.
    Let's talk.

    Apply for a Growth Check. Within two business days you'll hear whether we can help, and what happens next.

    →

    Not Your Industry? We Help Others Too.

    Professional ServicesFirms and consultancies →Ecommerce & ConsumerBrands and stores →Charities & NonprofitsCauses and nonprofits →Appointment-Based BusinessesClinics and studios →Education & TrainingSchools and providers →Trades & ContractorsMulti-crew firms →Hospitality & LeisureHotels, groups and venues →Care & SupportCommunities and agencies →Faith & CommunityCongregations and clubs →
    Apply for a Growth Check