|
The member services and event management side of our business has a very small staff and we cannot afford to squander our limited resources on ineffectual activities. We are however willing to invest time and money in any technology that allows use our time more effectively. Our driving philosophy is to allow technology to do EVERYTHING technology can do so people can do what only people can do.
The first thing technology should do for you is to integrate as many of your communication tools as possible into one place. One of our clients uses Constant Contact, Survey Monkey, both Google and Yahoo Groups, QuickBooks, Outlook and various non-integrated paper systems, each requiring some kind of manual intervention and none providing a complete picture of the member experience.
If you would like more integration in your system consider SalesForce.com (SF). We are not paid representatives in any way, but find the tool amazingly powerful. SF is one of the new SaaS (Software as a Service) products offering a world-class tool and scalable pricing. The for-profit package is just $50 per user per month, and qualified non-profits can apply to use SF for free. There are hundreds of additional plug-ins available. I will describe just a few we are using. The Outlook synchronization allows us to work from the same database whether we are in the office or on the road, and the "Web to Lead" functionality allows us to create forms on our website that automatically dump captured contact information into our database. Our most recent integration is Vertical Response which provides exceptional dashboard tools for tracking, click through and focused list development. (Once approved, qualified non-profits can receive up to 10,000 free broadcast messages per month) This morning I added integration to my Twitter and Facebook accounts and online conference registration data is updated directly to the master member database.
Some of the most exciting tools are those for transparent collaboration, accountability and reporting. We are just in the development stage in this area, but the potential efficiencies are astounding. One of the greatest challenges we have found with the associations we have worked with and with service organizations of all kinds is the absence of clearly defined metrics that are:
1. Current (not historical)
2. Graphic: Pictures are worth a thousand words
3. Automatic: Not labor intensive user generated fluff that can be manipulated to conceal or inadvertently inaccurate
4. Transparent: Available to everyone on the team
5. Action Oriented: Information that is intended to initiate action or ensure accountability
Reports of any kind can be designed to reflect critical variables from member renewals and conference attendance to board action items, while the "Ideas area" provides a central searchable knowledgebase repository. The clarity of information reduces conflicts in priority and eliminates the need for "what's the status?" meetings or "reassure me we are on track" conference calls. Once reports are designed you can set the system up to automatically send up to the minute reports to all stakeholders with no manual intervention. In our next round of improvements we will incorporate the FREE Amazon web donor program allowing contributions through America's largest online retailer.
In the interest of full disclosure it should be noted that setting up SF is not an overnight process. I attended the DreamForce conference in November of 2009 and have spent a great deal of my "free time" learning what little I know. If you like stories of "unmitigated audacity" pick up Behind the Cloud, How salesforce.com grew from a start-up in a rented apartment into the world's fastest growing software company in less than a decade? SF has been one of the greatest advancements we have made to our member services portfolio. Use this link to find out more information about how MSI or SalesForce.com can help you accomplish more by doing less.
It is not what we get by reaching our goals, but who we become.
Randy Morgan CSP
Morgan Systems International
P.O. Box 2133
Boise, ID 83701
1-800-893-9002 ext. 201
1-208-429-0029
www.AffectiveResults.com
randy@AffectiveResults.com
Leadership Lessons Through the Lens of Laughter
|