Have you and your team discussed purchasing membership management software in the near future? Maybe you’re on the fence about it; you know it’ll streamline tasks, ultimately saving you time, but it’s also an investment (of time, resources, etc.). Could you hold off another year? Another six months? Well, maybe…but at what expense to your organization? How do you know now is the time to begin the member software shopping process? These are three tell-tale signs: 1. You can’t easily sort and segment your data. As an association or chamber professional, you have a lot of data at your fingertips. But how easily (if at all) can you sort through and segment that data? For example, if you wanted to pull a list of all the members who joined your organization in the last 90 days, could you? Or, if you wanted to pull a list of everyone who attended your annual meeting last year, would you be able to (in a reasonable amount of time)? If not, that could be preventing you from engaging your membership to the fullest. The more you can target your communications (email, in particular), the more effective they’re likely to be — the more likely your members are to open those emails and take the desired action(s). If the inability to sort and segment your data is what’s holding you back from increased member engagement, then it’s time to seriously consider a membership management software solution. 2. Your members are having difficulty completing what should be simple actions. Consider this sign a bright red, flashing one. Why? Because it directly impacts the member experience. Too many bad experiences often add up to one big reason not to renew. Are your members having trouble registering for events online? Are they having difficulty paying their membership dues? If so, those issues need to be resolved ASAP, and that may mean exploring new member software. The great thing about membership management software is, not only does it make certain tasks easier for you to do, but it makes tasks easier for your members — and prospects — also! 3. You feel stuck with your current membership structure. 2020 has forced many of us to try new things (which isn’t entirely bad). But what IS bad is if you want and need to try new things, but can’t due to the lack of certain technology and/or functionality. Take membership levels for example. Let’s say you’d like to experiment with a tiered dues structure, which is another phrase for the same concept. You think that’d give people more options, meaning higher growth AND retention rates. But with the technology you’re using today, implementing something like that just doesn’t seem realistic. Being in a situation like that keeps your organization stagnant, and that’s a sign it’s time to get a tool that can help, such as a membership management software solution. If things are starting to look a little clearer for you (in other words, you’ve “seen the signs”), then it’s time to start exploring member software for your association or chamber. But where do you even begin? What should you be looking for and at what point should you start reaching out to vendors? Check out our free Buyer’s Guide below for tips!