Posted by CindyAE under
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Early in my career our for-profit subsidiary had a really bad roll-out of a new but important program in a part of our state. We arranged a forum and the president participated to get local feedback. It was all bad. He came back to my office and said we needed to immediately send out a “we screwed up” letter saying we were sorry, acknowledging that we knew exactly what went wrong, and what steps were being taken in the future. It actually didn’t matter that it “wasn’t our fault” - if the end user has a really bad experience they deserve the apology and then the organization can decide what to do about the fault part.
Members are far more forgiving if there is really honest communication about screw-ups - especially if they’re already aware of it …
I recently got this email from organizers of a convention: [emphasis and identifying deletions mine]
“The convention had many successes … We had 288 participants under the age of 25. Our check-in/registration process was one of the best ever, especially in the face of record turnout. We had record participation by advertisers in our program book. We had a record number of exhibitors. The hospitality suites on Friday night enjoyed great attendance ….
The convention also had a number of shortfalls. First and foremost, we made a mistake in [X] …. Second, when a system error caused a delay in the [X], we did not have a back-up approach ready to turn to immediately. Neither of these mistakes will be made again and I can only say I am sorry for these decisions. We also know that there are many other areas where we have room for improvement. For example, communications from the [organizer] to [attendees] were not good, the lunch distribution process did not work well, the [organizer]-provided shuttle bus process produced some unfortunate upsets and off-site [attendee] facilities were not properly secured. All of these, and others that will likely emerge, will be corrected through our convention debrief process.
We know you have other comments and suggestions and we want to hear from you. Your input is greatly valued, and your dedication to the [organization] is what will make [X] successful in 2008. Please help us by sending your comments so that we can make future conventions more enjoyable for you. You can email your feedback to [email] …. Thanks in advance for your help.”
Had I attended this event, this communication is exactly what I would want to hear. Anytime an association annoys or inconveniences members who participate in our programs or products, this is an example of the right way to apologize and improve.
Separately … they had encouraged first-time (and repeat) attendees to send posts for their blog, and a few were really quite brutal (including one who used the “f word” several times) - and they posted all of it.
Posted by AEM under
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Many people believe it began with them.
Association executives do not make a habit of consulting their predecessors, even if the organization has a sterling reputation. Past Board presidents are often ignored, and associations often try to avoid giving much of a voice - if any - to Past President Councils (if they even have them).
Lots of folks think all that preceded them was inferior and they measure progress beginning with their tenure.
That’s why I don’t think too many people are worried about the loss of institutional memory brought on by boomer retirements.
Every generation feels it is more capable than the previous ones. Today’s innovations will be tomorrow’s deletions. What happened yesterday may have helped the association, but tomorrow will require something different.
Change is inevitable. It is necessary. It is usually positive.
Just don’t tell that to someone who doesn’t work here anymore.
Posted by Cynthia D'Amour under
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I miss my dog.
Yesterday we took Raindrop for her annual 4th of July visit with my folks.
She’ll be there almost ten days.
Last night I heard 20 separate fireworks episodes in our neighborhood.
If Raindrop was here, we would both have needed valium.
(Her for the noise - and me for having to watch her fear.)
Today our house is way […]
Posted by Maddie Grant under
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Always wanted to try your hand at blogging but feel a bit intimidated? Try this. Posterous is the easiest blog tool EVER. No sign up, no login, nothing. Just email text, pictures, links, videos, whatever to post@posterous.com.
Et voila! Your blog is now at http://yourname.posterous.com.
Here’s how it works.
A perfect way to get your feet wet, methinks.
Posted by Mickie Rops under
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Oh no, there are ZERO sessions on certification at the upcoming ASAE & The Center’s conference in San Diego August 16-19th! But I suspect there will be many of us there who’d like to talk certification. If you’re going to the meeting, let me know and we’ll arrange some informal group events.
Posted by Ben Martin under
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Posted by Maddie Grant under
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Dave Webb asked me and several others via Twitter to comment on his post, “Spin on Cause Marketing Strategy Stirs Controversy“, about a recent Business Week article, Meet the Anti-preneurs. The story, about a new style of small business owners who are against globalization, advertising and corporate America, spawned a whole bunch of comments. Dave Webb asked, “is this type of market hypocritical and disingenuous or transparent and genuine?”
Here’s what I answered, in my comment on his blog.
“Dave, thanks for pointing me to this discussion! What I find really funny about the whole hoo-ha, and what many commenters on the article are reacting against, is that this type of cause-related “anti-marketing” marketing, is just another kind of marketing. I think you are right that the “anti-preneur” label is misleading and is actually irrelevant to the subject, which is using causes or politics to sell something. This can fall under what Rohit Bhargava calls “un-whatever marketing” (positioning your brand as the opposite of something else) OR “karmic marketing” (doing good with your brand), but it’s all marketing. When it works, it’s because it’s genuinely motivated. If not, the web 2.0 world will see right through it. Personally, I see it all as a very Gen-X style of doing things, where you can have different layers of meaning to what you are doing - i.e. selling something, building a business, making money, advancing a cause, bettering the world. For associations and non-profits, this is actually a very good model because non-profits are actually NOT not-for-profit, they have to make a living and stay in business like everybody else, but they are uncomfortable with that paradox.”
What do you think of it all? Is this kind of cause-related anti-marketing marketing just spin? Or could it be a very useful way for associations to market their causes or services?
Early in my career our for-profit subsidiary had a really bad roll-out of a new but important program in a part of our state. We arranged a forum and the president participated to get local feedback. It was all bad. He came back to my office and said we needed to immediately send out a “we screwed up” letter saying we were sorry, acknowledging that we knew exactly what went wrong, and what steps were being taken in the future. It actually didn’t matter that it “wasn’t our fault” - if the end user has a really bad experience they deserve the apology and then the organization can decide what to do about the fault part.