In It ForEVER | Helping Businesses Grow Through Events and Membership Programs

We are excited to welcome Marcia Sheehan, Founder of Charmed Cardinals today as we talk with her about putting together a 1st ever conference. Not only is her Society putting together this event they also have a membership program which we touch base on. Listen in to hear how she's applying the In It ForEVER™ principle to the Connector Conference. 

Most of us work with Volunteers in some capacity whether it's on a committee, Board, School PTO you name it! So we are offering up 5 Tips in 5 Minutes on working with Volunteers. 

We love to read and wanted to share with you all some of our favorites. In this episode we are talking about 5 books we recommend. These are both for personal and professional use and we can't wait to hear what you think we should read.

Retention is not an event, it's a constant throughout their cycle. Retention rises and growth happens with onboarding plans. Do you have an onboarding plan in place for new members? The first year of membership is teaching and molding new members to become loyal. This week we talk about the onboarding process and give some tips on what you can implement to provide the value message.

Happy Podcastiversary to US! Learn what the numbers 1-46-4-5 all have in common as we take you on a brief lessons learned within our first year! PLUS we have a contest announcement as we get ready to hit our 50th episode. 

Every membership program is different yet there are 6 dials each professional should monitor on a daily basis. Listen in to hear what data points you should be reviewing and monitoring. 

In this month's 5 Tips in 5 Minutes we are giving you tips on the meeting budget. If you have a meeting, event or product to sell you need a budget and we recommend you follow these easy 5 tips to help with the process. 

In this week's episode Dan shares thoughts and perspectives on the value of student membership. Are you offering discounts, complimentary or scholarships to student members? Is that helping or hurting your organization? Listen in to find out more and let us know what do you offer your student members and do you have a category of membership for students. 

In this episode we are getting personal. We've been asked many times how did we get here working with one another and how do you work together? So we are answering that today and getting very real, raw and honest! If you are thinking of starting your own business you might want to hear how we got here and how it's all working out. 

In this month's 5 Tips in 5 Minutes we are talking trade and vendor shows best practices. Are you doing each of these? Have one we didn't mention let us know in the comments! 

In this episode we talk about how renewal and retention are not interchangeable when it comes to your memberships. 

Today's episode we are bringing the experts to YOU and talking SEO with Corrie & Heather the team behind Target Rocket. What does SEO mean? How can we keep up with the ever changing environment? How many dollars do I allocate within my budget? I'm a niche Association how can I really target the group I want? We also get to delve into some Facebook tools that are powerful and free! This episode goes into the EVER that we focus on: engagement, value, experience and relevance and how it applies to all things within your organization and business.   

This week we are asking, "Is the customer always right?". We agree on the answer and does it match what you think? Listen in to find out and find ways to remedy a situation. We give some clear cut examples of how to remedy various situations. Have you needed to remedy a situation? We want to hear about it please share with us in the comments.

In this months 5 Tips in 5 Minutes we are giving you some (5 of course) tips on how to prospect: gain new customers, members, sales, or clients. 

In this episode Dan touches base on another sales technique that works called the Door Knob Technique. Whether you believe it or not we are all in sales so listen in and test it out.

In this month's 5 Tips in 5 Minutes we offer successful fundraising event tips. We also had enough time to do a bonus tip and have a full blog post as well with even more details. 

In this episode we offer a sales technique to help you make more sales for your business. 

How the two two two method worked for me then and still does now. Learn what it's all about and how valuable it can be for your business. This is the perfect listen for those especially in sales and membership.

Our reflections on the strategic planning process and tips for going through it.

In this month's 5 Tips in 5 Minutes Dan talks about the best ways to market your membership program. Do you know the difference between the tangible and intangible benefits and why one is better to market versus another? 

It's hard to believe it's been one week since we prepped for our third IN³. In this episode we talk about what IN³ is all about and offer a recap of the education offered, what our attendees have to say and much more. 

Toolkits provide your stakeholders with resources to help with the promotion and administration of your company/organization. In this episode we give suggestions for toolkits to have and what can be included.

In this month's 5 Tips in 5 Minutes we offer the five must haves for every registration form. We talk about why it's important to have these on each registration form and even offer a free download. 

There is a lot of talk about UX (User Experience) and MX (Membership Experience). In this episode we offer advice for tracking and monitoring the membership experience.

In this episode we talk about the 7 steps to creating a meeting or event plan. No matter the size or scope of your event or meeting it is important to check off each step we discuss. 

There is one question that will make you money. Do you know what it is? Listen in to find out what the question is, where and when to use it and of course how.

In this month's 5 Tips in 5 Minutes we are talking about effective tools for your membership brochures plus some bonuses at the end! 

In this episode we give you 4 reasons why it's important to hire a professional planner for your events. All too often we are asked, "why hire a professional?" and our answer is always the same so listen in to hear what we have to say.

Affinity Partnerships are important to adding value to any association's value proposition and there are 2 crucial questions that you should be asking. Listen in to find out what they are.

This month's 5 Tips in 5 minutes will give you some great ideas to working with a small team and staff. How can we get the most productivity when we are all over whelmed? Are in you in a small staff association? Do you have a team beneath you in sales? Or own a small business with just a few assistants? This topic is for YOU! 

We learn a lot by making mistakes. To take us into the New Year we've put together a fun montage of some of our mistakes while podcasting these past few months--otherwise known as bloopers. So enjoy this quick listen and cheers to 2018! 

In this episode we are talking about stepping up in 2018. How will you step it up with your goals for the future? We give you a fun tool to use to see what your focus may look like in the New Year. 

In Episode 19 we touch base on Meeting Trends for 2018 and offer a few tips as you plan and prepare for your events. Regardless of the event make sure you know what the trends are and if they fit find a way to integrate. 

In this episode Dan talks about shifting from customer service to concierge service. Here are some tips to take it to the next level and better serve your members, customers and clients.

Working with crappy leaders isn't always easy so in this episode we each offer 5 tips to dealing with crappy leaders. Plus we have a fun contest around how many times we said 'crappy'! 

Nonprofit associations are an important part of our society. In this episode Dan does a little storytelling on the power of associations.

Listen in this week as Dan talks how to get your staff and volunteers on board with change. We think it is a lot like getting a stubborn teenager to wake up in the morning! It's all about getting their attention and removing their comfort with the familiar.

In this episode we are talking about whether you can plan for a crisis for any type of event you are planning. Did you know that you can be liable if something happened and you weren't asking the right questions of your attendees? Take a listen in to find out some tips to show that you've done your due diligence for event planning. 

In this episode we give you 5 tips in 5 minutes on events. As we gear up for one of the busiest seasons for hosting and attending events it's important to remember 5 basic musts, so take a listen. 

In this episode Dan offers 4 tips to help you grow your business based on a maxim he believes in for your membership, customers or clients. What is this all about? Take a listen!

In this episode we interview Girls to the Moon co-founder Courtenay Rogers. Girls To The Moon is a Nashville-based social enterprise company that brings together inspirational leaders, creative events, and impactful content to guide girls to become their best selves, impact their communities, and create a more inclusive culture. They surround girls age 10-14 with truth and education on topics ranging from healthy relationships and sex to creative writing and coding. The Next Steps, LLC team had the pleasure of assisting with onsite logistics for their annual Campference held in September, 2017. In addition to an annual event they also offer memberships. Listen in to hear all about this amazing community and why this annual event and memberships are vital to the growth of this small business. 

Welcome to our tenth episode of the In It ForEVER podcast. This episode is part two of a series on Carried To Full Term (CTFT) – a non-profit organization that operates a maternity home in Haymarket, VA (Prince William County) – and their journey to become sustainable and expand their reach within Northern Virginia. CTFT commissioned The Next Steps, LLC to plan and manage their annual fundraising event Life is a Gift held on December 2, 2016. In part two of the series, we catchup with Frances to discuss the 2016 Life is a Gift event and its outcomes. [Part 1 is episode 005]

We are finishing up our In it ForEVER with the R: Relevance. If you don't have 100% market share within your field, industry, or sector then you must become more relevant to your core base and develop products, programs, and services that better meet their needs. The premise of this principle is that you should not move out of your lane and you should focus completely on the one carrot or what your following wants and needs from you and your business or organization. Join us as we offer suggestions on the ways you can stay relevant. 

In this episode Dan & Nicole explore the 3rd letter of the In It ForEVER principle of ENGAGEMENT. Not the kind where Dan got down on one knee and proposed! Rather the type that you have with your attendees and members. 

In this episode we talk about the membership and attendee VALUE as it relates to the In It ForEVER principle. We talk about what is commonly found when analyzing the value proposition of a business, the difference between unique selling proposition and the value proposition, how to be more disciplined about delivering value, how to remain at the top of your customers' minds, the 3 questions to ask members and customers when surveying and why value is tied to monetary figures. On the meetings side we touch on how to make sure your attendees aren't left feeling overwhelmed with tasks, networking and how it impacts the value of your meetings and events and the value of gratitude. 

In this episode Dan & Nicole take a look at the first need in the In It ForEVER principle--the need for a quality membership or attendee Experience. 

In this episode we interview Frances Robin of Carried to Full Term (CTFT) and how we are working together on their annual fundraising event and membership program. 

In episode 4 Dan & Nicole talk about how networking is like dating! Learn about the stages of networking, why it's important, thinking outside the box and extending your reach. Not to mention what to do if it doesn't work.  

In this episode, Nicole describes and explains the In It ForEVER Principle and how it applies to your meetings and events. Remembering that its the Experience, Value, Engagement, and Relevance will bring your event full circle. 

In this episode, Dan describes and explains the In It ForEVER principle and how the relationship a business has with its customers is more dependent on delivering a quality experience, ever-increasing value, intentional engagement, and consistent relevance and less on marketing, sales, and renewal. 

This episode is a brief introduction to your hosts of the In It Forever podcast, Dan and Nicole Ratner. They provide some details about their background and combined 35 years of experience growing organizations and businesses through events and membership programs. You'll hear how their business helps you improve and optimize your business to "get your house in order".