Is It Easy to Do Business With Your Association?

By Carolyn Shomali, PAR Director of Content

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The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) had a problem. Each year, it offered 450 training programs to its more than 2,000 member organizations — but the sheer volume, combined with the fact that not everyone within those organizations had access, meant navigating the available options was often confusing for members.

So MBA took a cue from the consumer world and decided to bundle its educational offerings.

 “It was about simplifying the process for our members and also helping the members save money and recognize the value of their MBA membership dues,” according to David Upbin, VP of Education and Strategy.

Bundling is one way to get to the core problem that so many associations face when it comes to showing their value – it makes it easy for their customers to conduct business. The consumer world has figured this out. Think of Disney’s “park hopper” ticket, which lets guests move freely between parks, or something as simple as the fast-food industry's value meals that streamline ordering.

MBA is applying the same logic to its professional education, which includes everything from low cost webinars to $1,600+ certification courses. Instead of buying the offerings a la carte, members can now purchase Education Advantage — a single annual fee that grants access to a wide range of trainings for the more than 100,000 individuals employed by MBA’s member companies.

“It allows their employees to self-serve and not have to request that budget approval for each offering,” Upbin says.

Education Advantage is offered in three tiers: Plus includes unlimited access to self-study courses, Pro adds certifications and instructor led online classes, and Premium includes classroom courses and in-person workshops. The pricing varies at each level and is tied to a member’s dues, which vary based on their company’s mortgage volume.

“Prices mean different things to different companies,” Upbin says. “$950 for one company does not equal $950 for another company.”

The data indicates members are finding the value in the program. Upbin says the majority of participants are choosing the highest tier, and MBA is nearing $1 million in gross revenue from the program. And members are getting a seamless, valuable experience.

“The program really is trying to package like products so members can focus on their needs, focus on their budget, get what they need, and then keep layering.”

That kind of transactional ease matters just as much to sponsors as it does to members. It’s why many associations are shifting from one-off sponsorships to bundled, year-round partnership programs. At this year’s Professionals for Association Revenue GOAT Awards, SWANA Executive Director and CEO Amy Lestition Burke shared feedback her association received from sponsors who wanted a simpler way to engage – one that combined exhibit opportunities with corporate memberships.

 “They don't want a la carte. They want one check. They want one conversation, and they want to know they're taken care of for the year,” she says.

Bundling offerings allows customers to interact with a single point of contact instead of juggling multiple contacts across departments, making it easier to engage and do business. And that drives both stronger relationships, engagement and better revenue outcomes. How easy is it to do business with your association? Finding the answer to that question could be the key to earning more of it.