Show, Don't Tell

"Show, don't tell." -- I wish I had a nickel for every time this refrain was uttered in my journalism school classes, usually while my article was being ripped to shreds. But it's good advice for every writer. Instead of "telling" a reader what they should know or how they should feel, it is far more effective to provide the details, description and evidence that allow them to come to this conclusion on their own.

It's also good advice for associations. How often do you find yourself talking AT your members rather than talking WITH them, engaging them in an ongoing dialogue?

Working with agricultural associations, it's no secret that many of our members are behind the curve when it comes to technology. How do you communicate regularly with members who don't even have e-mail addresses? What value is a webinar when half of your members are still using dial-up? These are very real challenges for many associations.

Far too often, we found ourselves preaching to members about the value of having a Web site, the need for social media, the importance of e-mail marketing. We told them that their customers were on the Internet, the grown-up equivalent of "everyone else is doing it." We made our case with research and pounded the point home with statistics. But, despite all of this, we weren't making an impact. We were too busy telling our members instead of showing them.

So we looked at the root of the problem. In this case, it was a lack of training and knowledge. Our members didn't feel confident using the technology, and in many cases, they didn't have the time or inclination to seek out education on these topics. The bottom line is - if we want them to do something, then it's up to us to show them how in a way that makes sense.

For our association. it's a fundamental shift in the way we present information. Instead of articles in our association publication talking about the importance of social media, we have created a regular feature called "Teach Me How To ..." that provides step-by-step instruction on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. When presenting breakout sessions, we look at ways to maximize interactivity - inviting participants to bring their laptops so they can work alongside the presenter. When introducing webinars, we took the time to explain how they work and tailored them to our members' needs. And it means offering different levels of training for a diverse membership.

The fact is - our members don't want to be behind the curve. They want to improve their businesses, they want to keep up with technology, they want to grow their marketing -- they just need someone to show them how. Don't you want that to be the role of your association?