An Association’s Dilemma
At DSK Solutions, we have tackled a variety of problems in the association space. It is clear to us that the best way to help our clients is to help them to discover their own solutions and enable them to use their data as a tool. For example, a recent association client was offering several professional certifications within the financial industry. They had launched a new training product designed to help their members better prepare for an exam. However, even though the number of registrations for the exam had increased, sales of the pre-course were flat, and curiously, the pass-fail ratio had worsened. What was going on? They had the raw data conveying the trend but what did it mean?
The Importance of Data Discovery
The anecdote above is an example of the types of problems many of our clients face. Before implementing a BI project, they tried the traditional methods i.e. allocating even more resources towards marketing, even bigger “spray and pray” campaigns, etc. However, their normal methods were not working! Why?
- They had data but were not using it to derive new insights
- Their initial assumption about the problem was wrong
Now, the client decided to start using their data. After implementing a business intelligence initiative, the association learned that they had been allocating a disproportionate amount of resources towards marketing to their largest member type- Associates. With the new data discovery, they could see there was a new trend of test-takers with .edu email addresses. The association hypothesized that college student members had been taking the exam prematurely in attempts to bolster their resumes. However, because the exam covered out-of-the-classroom material such as client-facing etiquette and legal regulations, the new demographic was less successful at passing this crucial exam.
Responding to Data
In response to their new insight, the association reallocated their resources towards developing a college level pre-certification and corresponding study guide to complement their already growing college engagement program. This was incredibly successful with their college members and also helped transition their student members into associate members.
This kind of discovery does not have to come through painful trial and error. Data discovery, using interactive business intelligence, will rapidly provide these insights.
