DigitalNow: Association Leadership in the Digital Age

Keynote: Bruce Kasanoff
Making it Personal: How to Profit from Personalization without Invading Privacy

10 Ways to Build Trust with Members Through Personalization

1. Remember information for members, not about them. Each member should benefit from the information you remember for them, and they must approve in advance what you intend to do.
2. Assume the answer is no. Advertisers like to brag that they allow people to "opt-out." That's like assuming a person will marry you unless they "opt-out." Unless a member gives explicit permission, don't include them.
3. Serve instead of sell. Personalization is about service, not selling. Service is what wins new members, keeps existing members active, and grows your relationship with all members. Selling is useless without service.
4. People can't approve what they don't understand. Most people have no idea what technology now allows. They don't understand how your databases or your web site work. Don't believe surveys that say members "aren't worried" about privacy.
5. Find new services for members, not new members for existing services. You already have members. Serve them better, and work harder to satisfy a broader range of their needs.
6. Don't talk about your relationships to others. If your friends tell you personal information, you wouldn't give it to others. So don't sell, rent or share information about your members.
7. If you have permission, use personal information to deliver the four major benefits of personalization: save me time, save me money, provide me better (often less) information, or treat me special.
8. Feedback must change behavior. If you want a strong relationship with individual members, respond immediately and meaningfully when they interact with you.
9. Don't confuse a relationship with promotion. If all you do is promote a series of services and/or events, you don't have a relationship with your members. This is a dangerous way to run an association.
10. Good intentions aren't enough. Be sure your security systems are first-rate and your people practice what you preach. Relationships are built on trust established over time.