Fact: Business associations must sell memberships and sponsorships to grow and succeed. Is your organization generating the most ROI from your sales efforts? Tao Stadler, Senior Membership Management Executive at WebLink International, will presented the top 10 mistakes he's seen associations make, and how you can get the most out of your selling efforts. You'll learn from an experienced association professional on: • Top 10 mistakes associations make when selling- we'll show you new selling techniques you can begin implementing right away. • Selling best practices that drive the greatest impact. • What data you should be looking at, and how to measure your selling success.

1. 10 MISTAKES
Associations Make
When Selling

2. WebLink International
3905 W. Vincennes Road Suite 210 Indianapolis, IN 46268
P 317-872-3909 | 1-877-231-4970 | F 317-872-3929
www.weblinkinternational.com
Tao Stadler
Sr. Membership Management Executive
• Former Chamber Executive
• 15 years in Association Industry

3. Far more than member
management software
About WebLink
• SaaS Company (Software as a Service)
• Leading Software Provider to 600 + Chambers of
Commerce and Business Associations
• Established in 1996
• 60 Employees
• Based in Indianapolis, Indiana
• 94% Customer Retention Rate

4. Far more than member
management software
About WebLink
• Membership
Management
Software
• Website Design &
Development
• Non-Dues Revenue
Programs

5. Far more than member
management software
Association Clients

6. Far more than member
management software
Chamber Clients

7. Far more than member
management software
Pre-Webinar Question
66%
25%
9%
How well do you understand ROI from your sales efforts?
Our data and reporting
could use some work
We have a very difficult
time understanding ROI
Very well. We have great
data and reporting

8. Far more than member
management software
Pre-Webinar Question
52%
22%
12%
3% 11%
What area of sales most needs to be improved within
your organization?
New Member Sales
Retention
Sponsorships
Events
Other

9. Far more than member
management software
Pre-Webinar Question
47%
20%
14%
14%
6%
What is your top new member acquisition challenge
Difficult to demonstrate
member value
Not enough staff
Not sure how to attract
young members
Other
Don't have right tools

10. 10 MISTAKES
Associations Make
When Selling

11. Chickening Out

12. Far more than member
management software
Mistake 1: Chickening Out
• You never have to like prospecting, you just
have to do it
• Don’t alienate potential prospects
• Make sure everyone knows about the
opportunities/value you provide
• Pro Tip: Restricted content for sales materials so
you know who looked at it

13. Barfing On
Your Prospect

14. Far more than member
management software
Mistake 2: Barfing on your Prospect
• Spilling your candy (don’t show too early, before you
understand the prospect)
• Add flexibility to your packages so that you can tailor
them to your prospect
• Have components like visibility, access, data, notoriety,
etc… Think about what your prospects want
• Pro Tip: Name your tiers around members’ goals: Visibility
Package; Influencer Package; Industry Supporter Package

15. Adding Seagulls To Their Painting

16. Far more than member
management software
Mistake #3: Adding Seagulls to their painting
• Selling what you have, not what they need
• Just because you think it’s great, doesn’t mean
your prospects will
• Once you get agreement, stop adding things
• Pro Tip: Use your membership application and surveys to
allow people to identify their top 3 membership priorities

17. Trying To Use Telepathy

18. Far more than member
management software
Mistake #4: Telepathy
• Sales process is a Process! Follow it!
• No mind reading allowed—you will get burned.
• No guessing based on experience
• Asking questions is the only way to know... And
knowing is half the battle! Budget, decision,
reasons why and why not?
• Pro Tip: Use Outlook appointments with
prospects—set an agenda for each meeting

19. The Blabbermouth

20. Far more than member
management software
Mistake #5: The Blabbermouth
• A prospect who is listening is no prospect at all
• Consider your first appointment an interview
• Count how long you talk; try to avoid talking for
more than 30 seconds at a time.
• Pro Tip: Recap your conversation in an email,
confirm next steps

21. Ignoring The Story

22. Far more than member
management software
Mistake #6: Ignoring the story
• Learn to tell a story about a successful member or
sponsor.
• Features and benefits alone are not enough.
• Help the client visualize themselves in the future.
• Pro Tip: Feature > Benefit > Pain > Story

23. Far more than member
management software
Name a feature you
have
What benefit does
this feature
provide?
What pain would
that benefit
address?
Tell a story about a
member that used
that feature to
receive a benefit
that addressed that
pain

24. Renewing
At The
Renewal Date

25. Far more than member
management software
Mistake #7: Renewing at
the Renewal Date
• Revisit the relationship before it renews. Ensure
everyone is happy before the renewal date.
• Work to renew the relationship should start at
least a month before it ends. (earlier is better)
– For membership, revisit the benefits and reasons why
they joined.
– For sponsorship, recap on paper how they benefitted.
• Pro Tip: Use Retention Project Template/Plans

26. Forgetting To “Stalk” Prospects

27. Far more than member
management software
Mistake #8: Forgetting to stalk your prospects
• Have profiles for your prospects in your CRM
system
• Track details about them so you can run
comparisons to successful members
• Track all activities they do with you
• Friend, Follow and Connect
• Let them subscribe them to Groups of Interest
Pro Tip: Send “If you were a Member” emails

28. Keeping Secrets

29. Far more than member
management software
Mistake #9: Keeping Secrets
• From Prospects: Share stories about successful members
• From Members: Remind them of the value they receive
• From staff: Info and interactions with prospects
• Secrets will only come back to haunt you!
• Pro Tip: All benefit milestones can, and should, be
recorded in your CRM.

30. Delivering What You Promise

31. Far more than member
management software
Mistake #10: Delivering what you promised
• Give more than you promised
• Always exceed expectations
• Connect them to other members
• Pass along interesting news
• Pro Tip: Track benefits you didn’t advertise

33. The Lone Ranger
Bonus Mistake #1

34. Far more than member
management software
Bonus Mistake #1: The Lone Ranger
• Prospecting is an organization-wide endeavor
• Lead generation comes from many places: Social
networks, events, webinars, blogging, website, etc…
• Organization must create content that is valuable to
your members (and prospects)
• Members tell their friends
• Staff connects with prospects

35. Wrong Number
Bonus Mistake #2

36. Far more than member
management software
Bonus Mistake #2: Wrong Number
• Find the decision maker early
• In organizational memberships, people who
answer the phone don’t generally sign checks
• For individual memberships, find out if there is a
second layer of approval needed

37. Far more than member
management software
Recap of the Mistakes
Prospecting
• Chickening Out
• Barfing
• Adding
Seagulls
• Blabbermouth
• No Story
• Stalking
• Lone Ranger
Retaining
• Telepathy
• Stalking
• No Story
• Renewing
Late
• Closing
• Keeping
Secrets
• Stalking
• Wrong #

38. Far more than member
management software
Webinar Recap
• We will email copy of
presentation to
attendees
• Link to video
recording of webinar
• Please let us know if
you have any
questions

39. Far more than member
management software
WebLink Recap: An Integrated Solution
• ONE web-based
centralized database
• Prospects, members,
non-members and all
reps in same system
• Financials, events,
email, committees,
website, reporting
Central
DB
Financial
System
Website
Email
Marketing
Members
Events
Prospects

40. Far more than member
management software
Association & Chamber Websites
• 500+ client websites
• WebLink Local business
directory drives 67%
increase in traffic from
organic searches
• Adds value for
members
• Non-dues revenue

41. Far more than member
management software
Go To Webinar Question/Poll

43. 10 MISTAKES
Associations Make
When Selling

44. WebLink International
3905 W. Vincennes Road Suite 210 Indianapolis, IN 46268
P 317-872-3909 | 1-877-231-4970 | F 317-872-3929
www.weblinkinternational.com
Tao Stadler
Membership Management Executive
tao.stadler@weblinkinternational.com