<VV> 100% Membership -- What would it solve?

Barry Johnson barry.johnson at activant.com
Tue Dec 15 18:44:02 EST 2009


I'm the last person to want to start an argument over this, but perhaps my distance from the problem gives me a little different perspective.

We're talking about long-term solutions.  Suppose CORSA really did force 100% CORSA membership.  In the long-term, what problems would that solve for us?

Short-term, there's a bump in revenue.  OK, that's good.  But beyond that one-time bump, is it going to stop the downward slope of membership or slow the pace of rising costs?  Personally, I don't think so.  I say this with regret, because I'm seeing similar declines in every other membership organization to which I belong.  No, I'm afraid that all it would do is piss off some people and postpone EXACTLY the same discussion for a few more years.  Any when we get to that point, we've burned one more bridge.

If someone doesn't believe that today's CORSA benefits are worth the cost of membership, then they're not going become altruistic and sign up out of the goodness of their hearts.  No, for those folks that are aware of CORSA and are choosing not to join, it's because they don't feel they're receiving value for their money.

There's only one way to fix that:  provide more value for the members.  Give 'em a deal they can't refuse!  And don't give anything away for free.

Maybe that means restricting VV to just CORSA members.  Maybe that means capturing the huge wealth of technical and historical data that people are willing to donate (like the technical guides) onto a members-only web site.  Maybe that means no chapter insurance without 100% membership.

I dunno.  I don't claim to have answers here, but I'm saavy enough to know that angering potential customers for the sake of a one-time bump in a declining revenue stream is NOT a long-term solution -- regardless of how self-satisfying it may feel.  If you don't believe that, I can give you *many* real-world examples from the corporate world.  Gang, it just doesn't work.

I do have several ideas about ways to increase membership value.  But I don't have time to do the work myself, or time to serve on the BOD, so I've been staying quiet rather than join the "somebody should do this" chorus.  Shoot, I don't even have time (or money) to work on my car, which I *really* miss.

And yes, I'm a member of both my local chapter and of CORSA, and the parent of a new, young Corvair owner.  I'm trying to pass along the heritage.

baj
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Barry Johnson
Lake in the Hills, IL
'65 Monza 140PG four-door



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