CEO'S MESSAGE
What Is the Value of Our Association?
W
hat IS the value of to them what we have to offer and how being a member of we get those messages to them. This this association? is quite often referred to as our “Value For many, that Proposition” and there’s a good chance answer easily that over time it can become stale or comes to mind. Common answers are the audience changes and when that typically things like: “I value being part occurs, we better change with it. of an organization with the strongest From where I sit, I am quite amazed advocacy for the real estate industry STEVE STEVENS, RCE, CCE, IOM at the many opportunities to be gained of any at the state level” or “being a CEO – KENTUCKY REALTORS® through membership in this association member of an association that helps AND the same can be said for being a me navigate a myriad of complicated member of both our local and national regulations and laws that affect my real estate associations. All of us have plenty of beneficial business” or even “I value the association’s strong programs and services tailored specifically to the education program that helps me stay up-to-date needs of REALTORS®. At the state level, Priority #1 is to on our rapidly changing industry”. Certainly, these represent REALTORS® at all governmental levels and are excellent answers, but there are so many more speak as the Voice of Real Estate whenever needed. that could be mentioned here as well. It should be We are here to serve our members and I’d venture noted that these would be the type of answers that to say would do just about anything to find those come from members who are engaged and involved “things” that will do that best. So, what do we do? in our association. Unfortunately, in our case, they come from less than 10-15% of our more than 12,000 Periodically, every organization needs to take members who are active participants. And the rest some time and revisit its Value Proposition and make – well, frankly they may have forgotten why they sure it is speaking to its customers. In the coming joined us. If we are lucky, they might occasionally months, we will be examining this a lot closer. attend one of our education classes or they could be Perhaps we will end up talking about the same things involved in a professional standards case. The hard to our members we always have, but in different fact is that most don’t know any of the other good ways. It may be our message differs depending on work we are doing for them since they may not open the subgroups within our membership and this our emails or attend an event – AND, I don’t fault may just need repackaging. On the other hand, it them in the least. Here’s why: is important to reach deeply into the ranks of the unengaged, non-participating group and find out The fact that only a fraction of our members “if we could be the perfect association for real estate engage and become involved may not have anything professionals, what would we do that would give you to do with whether or not we have a wide offering of a reason to engage?”. Is a young professional looking programs, initiatives, and services. for something different from the association than the In the current world in which we live, the seasoned and experienced veteran member? With a distractions and competition for our members’ rapidly changing real estate industry, do we need to time and attention are innumerable. If we are going offer new tools and support to members we’ve never to get their attention and a piece of their time, we contemplated? My belief is that the answers are out better be “selling” something awesome and that they there and our members will be eager to tell us how absolutely NEED. Just as important as the product we can continue to strive to be the most effective offering, however, is the language we use to convey trade association anywhere.
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