Association professionals switch association management software providers for all sorts of reasons, but two of the biggest are lack of support and resources.
A good AMS provider should WANT to help you succeed, and to help you succeed, they should provide you with a bank of valuable resources. Specifically, they should offer…
1. A readily-available help team
When it comes to software, questions come up. Period. And when they do, you should have a help center to call (and/or email), so you can quickly get your problem resolved and be back on your way. (You have 1,000+ things to do – waiting on hold for 30 minutes to ask a quick question should NOT be one of them.)
2. Training webinars
An AMS is a powerful tool, and chances are, it can do more than you even realize. Since you’re already paying the monthly or annual fee, why not utilize every feature you can to get the most bang for your buck? (If it makes sense for your organization, that is.)
Now this obviously takes some time (and training), so look for an AMS provider who’s willing to go that extra mile; someone who’s willing to provide monthly or quarterly webinars to help you better use (and understand) the product.
That’s called having a friend in your corner – and you need that!
3. Industry best practices
The great thing about AMS providers is they work with associations – like yours – day in and day out. That means they should understand what’s needed for associations to really thrive – what makes an engaging website, a successful conference, a prosperous non-dues revenue campaign, etc.
Find an AMS provider that’s willing to share those insights with you! Blog posts, white papers, eBooks, etc. Having a resource center like that – with information beyond just software best practices – is invaluable.
4. Conferences/User group meetups
If you’ve ever been to a software conference or a user group meetup, you know how valuable they can be. Learning about the industry and the product combined with being able to chat with other people who use it is education in full force.
If possible, try finding an AMS provider that does have an annual conference or various user group meetups – or at the very least, is looking to get some started. An AMS provider that wants to help you learn is an AMS provider you should want to do business with.
5. Add-ons
With an AMS, you’re paying for a specific product with a specific set of features. But as your association grows, you may have more needs (and more resources, even). Your conference may be getting bigger and perhaps it’s time to consider a mobile app for your event.
Well, rather than having to turn to a different provider completely, what if you could just turn to your existing AMS provider, with whom you already have a relationship? That would certainly simplify the shopping (and implementation) process.
Choosing an AMS provider that has add-ons you can utilize will make your life easier as your association grows – trust us!
If you’re currently in the AMS shopping process, these are all things you’ll want to look out for and consider. But note: There’s a LOT more to consider than just this.
To make sure you land on the right AMS provider for your association, check out our free Buyer’s Guide to Selecting the Right Association Management System below!
