going...going...maybe not gone: the power of exit surveys

Going. . .Going. . .Maybe Not Gone:The Power of Exit Surveys

Alexandria Brown Bag Networking Lunch

Wayne W Carley, PhDWWC Associates, LLC

20 August 2009

Why Do Members Leave Your Association?What do they tell you?

What do they really think?

20 August 2009 WWC Associates, LLC 2

WHAT ONE ASSOCIATION’S LAPSED MEMBERS TELL US

Responses to Exit Survey Questions From One Large Association, Conducted as Part of a Large Member Needs Assessment


Reasons for Leaving Association


“Other” Reasons for Leaving

Category of RationalePercent of Respondents

Answering “Other”

Cost/Expense 23%

Forgot/No Notice/Unaware of Lapse 18%

Retired 13%


Reasons to Join Association

• 38% Join for Professional Development Opportunities

• 26% Join to Receive Professional Resource Materials

• 9% Join to Attend National Conference

• 6% Join to Support Advocacy and Public Policy


Barriers to Participation

• 60% Do Not Have Enough TIME to Contribute to Association

• 16% Do not KNOW How to Get Involved• 12% Say Association Makes It Difficult to

Participate• 54% Say Cost of National Conference Is Too

High• 17% Say Distance Prevents Conference

Attendance


BUILDING YOUR EXIT SURVEY

Begin with the End in Mind

What ONE Question Would You to Answer?

Value Proposition vs. Value Perception


What Do You Want to Learn?

• Demographics—Who Joins and Who Leaves• Reasons for Joining• Reasons for Not Renewing• Correlations and Cross-tabulations• How to Get Lapsed Members Back• How to Attract New Prospective Members• How to Better Serve All Members and the

Professional Community


How Can You Gather Information?

• Data Mining

• Focus Groups

• Interviews

• Surveys– Online

– Print

– Telephone

• Social Media


Design Your Exit Survey

Remember: You Are Surveying People Who Left Your Association

• Who to Survey—How Long to Wait

• KISS 1—Keep It Short, Smarty– Shortest = 2; Longest = 12; Mode = 5

• KISS 2—Keep It Specific, Smarty

• Fixed Response vs. Open-Ended Questions


Add Content to Your Exit Survey

• What Is Your Goal Question?

• Remember Value Proposition and Value Perception—The Starbucks Conundrum

• Elicit Specific, Useful Information

• Questions about Satisfaction vs. Dissatisfaction

• Hint: Keep Responses Parallel for Comparison and Cross-tabulation


WHAT MAKES A GOOD EXIT SURVEY QUESTION?

Evaluate each of the questions—taken from real exit surveys—on the next several slides. Determine the strengths and weaknesses of each question for an exit survey and how you might include it in your survey.


Rate the Following Questions, 1

1. Your Employment– __I am no longer in the profession– __I am no longer employed– __I have retired

2. Please Give Us Your Candid Comments– __I moved to a new area– __I achieved my personal goals– __I was not comfortable with the club– __Time/location of meetings proved difficult– __My Job requirements/family situation changed



1. To what degree has the association met your expectations? (Scale of 1 to 5)

2. Check the description below that best describes your current professional setting (List of 3 options)

3. When did you originally join the association?4. Another Association is more focused on my

specialty (Check box and name association)5. Choose the statement that best describes where

you see yourself professionally in five years (7)



1. Dues– __Dues are too high

– __Employer will not provide support for dues

2. Annual Meeting– __Annual meeting costs are too high

– __Lack of educational programs

– __Too busy to attend meetings

• What is the primary reason you did not renew your membership this year? (open-ended)



1. Name one thing that would cause you to reconsider joining the association

2. If you would like a staff member to contact you, please fill in the information below

3. I consider the association1. __My primary professional association

2. __One of several I rely on to support my success

3. __A resource I go to when I have a specific need



1. Wait. . .there’s been a terrible mistake! Please reinstate my membership immediately

2. Is there anything the association could have done differently that would have resulted in your continued membership? (Open-ended)

3. As for the future. . .1. __I will rejoin within the next ___ months2. __I may come back in the future. Keep me on

the mailing list20 August 2009 WWC Associates, LLC 18

Exit Survey as Marketing Tool

• Rule: Never pass up an opportunity to market the association

• Lapsed members respond at much higher rates than other prospects (often twice as high)

• Remember that lapsed members often intend to renew

• But: Keep focus on survey, not sales


What Are the Challenges?

• Sample Bias

• Maximizing Response Rates– A Good Cover Letter/Invitation Is at Least as

Important as the Survey Design Itself

• Decreasing Contact Availability/Accuracy

• Identifying Goal of Survey

• Generic vs. specific questions and responses

• ALWAYS ACT on results of your survey!


Summary: Steps to A Powerful Exit Survey

I. Define the Goal and Desired End Result

II. Identify the Right Target Audience

III. Determine the Best Research and Delivery Methods

IV. Determine the Design, Length and Structure of the Survey

V. Write a Set of Specific, Goal-oriented Questions

VI. Act on the Results!


Your Lapsed Members Are Your Best ProspectsBring them back and you’ll be swimming in a rich pool of diverse members!


Thank You!

Wayne W Carley, PhD

WWC Associates, LLC1813 Old Post Terrace

Woodbridge VA 22191-3809www.wwcassociates.com

[email protected]

http://twitter.com/wwcassociates http://www.linkedin.com/in/wwcarley


http://www.wwcassociates.com/

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going...going...maybe not gone: the power of exit surveys

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