By Paul Flemming, AEM Vice President of Membership and Sales —
Every October, we launch our AEM membership renewal process and invite our 1,000-plus members to recommit to their partnership and involvement with the association.
Member companies like yours are required to annually pledge to be a part of a growing roster at AEM, one comprised of organizations and representatives that all come together to speak with one voice to build momentum for the equipment manufacturing industry.
However, for AEM’s combined membership and sales team, the yearly renewal process also presents a uniquely valuable opportunity – the guarantee to get in front of you and convey all the value-added benefits and services available to help you grow your business.
We at AEM know we have so much to offer, and we work diligently to provide the greatest possible return on your investment with the association. Our efforts include taking several steps to understand, communicate and engage with you throughout the year, including reviewing the list of people who are subscribed to receive information about each member service, asking for a new key contact for each division within a member corporation and conducting a member satisfaction survey.
The first, optional step involves reviewing the list of people who are subscribed to receive information about each member service. The decision paid immediate dividends this year, as we saw more than 100 database updates during the renewals cycle. So, for the upcoming 2024 renewal effort, we are building on this step to include asking for a new key contact for each division within a member corporation, if applicable. Doing so ensures that each division of a company will receive AEM information directly, aligning with our organizational priority to maximize member engagement.
Prior to conducting a member satisfaction survey, AEM struggled with securing a significant enough sample size of data for it to provide much value or insights in previous survey attempts. However, by adding a few key questions – ones related to satisfaction, NPS, business challenges, areas for improvement and valued association services – as a required component of the renewal process, we’ve been able to see a significantly higher survey response rate and:
- Better gauge our true member satisfaction metric and identify trends.
- Take proactive steps to better address your needs.
- Provide us with future value proposition ideas for new member recruitment.
Ultimately, these tactics ensure the right people within your organization receive the right information (thereby maximizing engagement), help us be efficient and effective in our marketing efforts, as well as provide you with access to relevant information that’s disbursed appropriately throughout your organization.
Optimizing AEM’s member renewal process has been well worth the investment of our time, effort and resources. For 2023, we saw 67% percent of member companies like yours renew on time and by year’s end, compared to just 54% the year prior. Not only does this allow our membership and sales team to begin engaging you earlier, but it also saves on staff resources and allows AEM to focus on engagement – as opposed to renewal outreach – in the earliest months of the year.
All AEM’s core services help the association build momentum for equipment manufacturing, and they reflect the needs, wants and expectations of members like you. With that in mind, it’s critically important for our membership and sales team to position you and your fellow members to take full advantage of all we have to offer and maximize engagement.
After all, an AEM membership will only take an organization as far as the benefits it enjoys. And, by always keeping engagement opportunities top of mind, we can ensure you truly secure the greatest possible return on their investment in – and involvement with – AEM activities, priorities and initiatives.
For more AEM staff perspectives, subscribe to the AEM Industry Advisor.
