Many associations use e-mail as the primary method of contact with their members. Why? It’s fast, efficient, and cheap. And if you’re managing an association with a virtual storefront and no physical office, it’s essential.
Members always have questions, concerns, problems and suggestions. So how can your association best manage this barrage of incoming e-mails? Here are 7 association management tips and tactics for better member communication:
Divvy up the e-mail workload. You can funnel all inquiries to a single e-mail address like admin@yourassociation.xxx. You can also divide the workload among officers and staff by position or function. Examples would be president@, treasurer@, and membership@. E-mail addresses and forwards are easy to set up for your Web site. So why not share the fun?
Set up standard responses to frequent questions. To save time and to ensure your association speaks with one voice, compile an electronic “swipe file” with answers to frequently asked questions. Share a copy with everyone who handles e-mail. Copy, paste and customize these FAQ documents for each response.
Answer member inquiries within 1 business day. The Internet has made everything instantaneous and immediate. Answer member inquiries within 24 hours. If you can’t provide the full answer, send a quick note acknowledging the e-mail and tell the sender what you’re doing about it. Don’t let your members wonder where their association is.
Keep it simple. We all have the attention spans of gerbils when we’re on the Internet, so don’t create long, text-dense e-mails. Keep your message brief and focused. Write in active voice. Use short sentences and short paragraphs. Pepper your response with headers, bullet points and bold text. And if your e-mail’s readability tests higher than Grade 8, start over.*
Don’t sugarcoat bad news. Don’t spend 3 paragraphs dancing around because a member’s renewal check bounced. Get to the point. You’ll have far more credibility if you deliver the bad news immediately and then follow up with the other stuff. And is that other stuff really necessary?
Put a smile in your e-mail. Keep your e-mail responses conversational and personal. Let your members know you’ve heard their complaint/issue/suggestion/question. Call them by name, thank them for contacting you, and encourage them to contact you again if they have questions. And it doesn’t hurt to wish them a great evening/weekend/holiday, does it?
Use the phone. Yep, you read that right. E-mail is fast and convenient, but sometimes the phone is the best way to go. If you have members that haven’t adapted well to e-mail—or the situation really can’t be handled by e-mail—just pick up the phone. Voice still works! Who knew.
Keeping members happy is the best retention strategy out there. Make quick and clear e-mail communication a key piece of that strategy. Start with these 7 simple tips that will improve your association’s e-mail skills—and your member relations.
Ramona Goutiere
Goutiere Professional Business Services
*Go ahead. Ask. This post’s readability score: Grade 7.
