I've been seeing a ton of questions online recently about how to improve the effectiveness and response rate of an exit survey after a member lapses.When I see these, it makes me scratch my head. Why wouldn't we focus on winning them back while also finding out more from the member? Otherwise, we're just presuming their status as a lapsed member is the end of the road and only sending them a survey asking them questions.

While associations often know the basics about their members - profile data, for example - they know less about what interests their members. Why does it matter what interests individuals, outside of association-related benefits and offerings?

Conversational engagement is about finding and acting on opportunities for 2-way interaction with members. With traditional marketing and engagement tactics, the one-to-one connection is sporadic and by happenstance. With conversational engagement, you’re purposely harvesting connections with individuals.

For associations, one of the most frustrating and challenging aspects of member data is its static nature. Who moved last month and needs to update his address? Who gained a new credential? Why did these members decide to wait until after the early bird deadline to register for the conference? While the association might have some general idea of the answers to these questions, it doesn't really know what’s current and what’s not. And beyond basic information, the organization also doesn't know what each member intends to do.

As associations, you're aligned with your members on your unique mission to impact the world. You're not selling shoes. So please, look for opportunities for your members to talk to you.

Of the various types of data gathered by organizations today, profile data is the most essential information gathered on members and prospective members. It seems straightforward, but what happens to this data year after year?