10 Things to Do Before Implementing Something New

1. Talk to your co-workers across all departments early in the process to get their thoughts and perspectives and how it might impact their area of responsibility.
2. Talk to your association network to see what their experience has been and how it has impacted them at their association.
3. Make sure that what you are considering doing helps you better serve your members or makes your efforts more effective and efficient.
4. Don’t do it just to do it (Don’t chase the shiny object).
5. Talk to your members to make sure that what you are considering is right for them.
6. Test or develop a pilot program for the idea to see how it will play out in real life.
7. Run the numbers to see how following the “trend” will impact your bottom line and your association’s business.
8. Do your research (i.e. books, white papers, listservs).
9. Allow for a cooling down period so that you don’t rush into implementation too quickly.  Give yourself a chance to sleep on it for a little bit.
10. Consultants/associations should both take equal responsibility for implementation/outcomes

This post was submitted by Scott Oser, of Scott Oser Associates, with over 17 years of marketing experience in the association and publishing industries. Before starting the firm he worked for market leaders like National Geographic Society, AARP and Science.Throughout his career Scott has excelled in developing, implementing and analyzing multi-channel direct marketing programs. He is highly skilled in creating effective membership, marketing and sales programs with the ability to align resources and operations to consistently achieve and exceed goals.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net