Creating a new member category for an underserved membership segment became an excellent test case for getting leadership buy-in. Having a step-by-step, winning methodology also gives Matt Rankin, CAE, director of membership development at the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), an excellent prototype to reference for future dues restructures.
Before Rankin approached IPO’s board, he made sure he had all the data to back up the plan for the new member category. “These are very educated, technical people, and so they don’t want ‘my gut says,’” he said. “They want data and survey results.”
Rankin and his team left nothing to chance. They conducted comprehensive research that backed up everything in their proposal, including member and nonmember input on pricing for the new category, which was double the amount for the previous one. Now, when he wants to go back to the board with other dues restructures, he can remind them.
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