Member feedback is the act of giving valuable comments based on member observation and experiences that help leaders improve organizational effectiveness and achieve superior results.

It should be encouraging and constructive as it intends to provide support rather than criticism. Therefore, it serves to create a healthy association culture, boost productivity, and increase member engagement

Most top-performing associations do not only handle and respond to feedback positively, but they also deliberately ask for it.

In this article, we will discuss further why feedback from members is essential and also show you the best ways to collect it.

Why Is Feedback Important In Organizations?

Feedback boosts member engagement. Getting feedback from members makes them feel valued and recognized for their ideas and suggestions. By consistently encouraging members to provide feedback, they will become more loyal and committed to the organization.

Feedback helps in the learning process. Find time to learn about your members and ask about their experiences. Continued feedback is vital to the organization to consistently align with set goals, build meaningful relationships, and improve the member experience.

Feedback is a crucial component of active listening. Whether the feedback is verbal or gathered through a survey, listen carefully and pay attention closely for respondents to feel that their thoughts and insights are valuable. Explain to them why their feedback is essential and disclose how you will use it in the organization to improve.

5 Ways to Collect Feedback From Members

Open communication between leaders and members through feedback promotes higher engagement and increases retention. It works as a valuable tool for the management to address issues and solve problems in the organization.

Here are some of the methods of obtaining feedback from members:

1. Surveys

One of the most effective ways to gain member insights is simply collecting feedback and sending out a survey.

Associations that value the members’ opinions utilize survey feedback to obtain and analyze data useful in improving processes, enhancing member benefits, and making strategic decisions.

To create a survey, prepare a list of respondents first. Next, list down effective membership survey questions to include.

Always construct questions that are to the point and easy to understand. We also recommend creating short surveys since they have higher completion rates.

You can opt to distribute a fully anonymous survey since participants are more likely comfortable to provide complete and honest answers that can make a real difference to the data.

Investing in the Net Promoter Score (NPS) can also improve member experience. You can use it as a tool to see how your members feel about the association, but more importantly, it measures their loyalty.

It can be in the form of a single question that asks how satisfied the members are and their willingness to recruit their colleagues to the organization.

Glue Up’s Surveys Solution lets you easily create surveys for your audience. With ready-made templates, all you have to do is pick your preference, add some questions, and you can generate data automatically for better decisions.

2. Phone Calls

Reach out and speak to members on the phone if you are keen to understand their personal thoughts and feelings about the association.

Since this is more personal, a phone call using a business phone system can generate the best response by knowing what others genuinely feel about the organization with their tone and voice.

We suggest that you schedule calls with your members in advance. It may be more challenging talking to them and making use of the feedback that is not as structured as surveys. The key here is to focus on the members who can give suggestions to management for improvement.

Therefore, gather answers from active members who have a deep understanding of the organization's industry and can offer you actionable feedback.

According to a study, Wednesdays and Thursdays are the best days to make a business call. People often avoid answering their phones during the start of the week as they are more geared toward accomplishing important tasks for the week.

In the same way, it’s not advisable to make calls on Fridays as most people rarely answer because they're already looking forward to the weekend.

3. Email Newsletters

Email newsletters are a type of email that offers members the latest news, tips, or updates in your association.

There are no limits on what you can include in a newsletter, and getting feedback from members can be part of it.

The best day to send a newsletter is Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday—between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Begin by informing members in the newsletter about what you will do with the feedback. They are more likely to respond if they know the importance and value of their answers.

For example, let them know that you intend to improve some membership benefits that the association offers.

Make sure that the questions are easily scannable. Ask questions that meet organizational goals. Smart and open-ended questions leave readers with the option to submit open-ended feedback, which is more detailed.

Ask feedback towards the end of the newsletter. Only once the readers have gathered enough information about the organization and the latest news are they equipped and motivated to give feedback.

Do this method and act on the results fast. If you can make real change from their answers, it will boost future response rates and keep members engaged.

If you want to automate your organization’s membership management process and maximize retention, check Glue Up’s Membership Management Software. This all-in-one solution can also help you streamline email marketing in your organization.

What’s more, you can create and easily send newsletters, branded event invitations, and other emails in a few clicks or build campaigns using a drag-and-drop HTML editor.

4. Pop-up Surveys

A pop-up survey is a questionnaire that you can display on the association website. You can also use it to invite members to participate in a survey.

This kind of survey is usually triggered by a mechanism, like setting a predefined period or after a couple of website visitors.

It's a quick and straightforward approach for members to submit their feedback. It could be in the form of a comment section, multiple-choice questions, or a star rating.

You can set up a pop-up survey on the website to collect feedback from members after events or activities. It's also a valuable tool to learn about the user experience of your website.

Build a Feedback Culture in Associations

Collecting feedback from members offers great benefits. When performed at the right time and in an open and respectful manner, feedback is essential for organizational success.

Once you’ve gathered answers from members, become aware of the areas that need improvement and make sure to align them with the association’s mission and future goals.

Do you want to launch a communication platform for your organization where members can interact with each other? Be sure to check out Glue Up’s Community Management Software where they can start discussions, share ideas, give tips, and report issues.