I recently got my new ATM card in the mail from my bank (Citibank) because the old one will be expiring soon.  No big deal...this happens all the time, right?

The card was attached to the letter/insert as normal. But the insert said "WELCOME" in huge letters, as if I were new to Citibank and this was my first card ever.  But, they KNOW that I've had this account for more than 10 years and they KNOW this was just a renewal card.  So, why did they treat me as though I were new?   Is it that hard to have a second insert that says "Thanks for being our customer. Here's your new/updated card."?  This could be one of the reasons why I'll be closing my Citibank account soon and using someone else.

Your members expect you to know them, too.  Are you sending generic communications when you could segment them into two or more groups?  Does your membership management software allow you to easily segment members for such communications?   Are you tracking the kind of data you need to be able to segment your members and gain member intelligence for your organization?

Demonstrate to your members that you are working to communicate with them as they have indicated.  Work in specifics about their business category, past activity, dues level, length of time in business and more to show them that you KNOW them on and individual level. 

A little bit of planning and thought can go a long way towards letting your members know that you value their business and care enough to send relevant communications.   And as we’ve seen in the past relevant and timely communications can improve member satisfaction, increase retention and lead to new member sales as well.