Last week we introduced the first of “7 Steps to MLS Success for 2011 and Beyond”. We shared the importance of finding out how your MLS measures up as the first step, just like your current location is the starting place for programming your GPS to guide you to your destination. If success is your destination, continue towards that goal by taking the second step, which is Know What Your Members Need and Value Most About You Right Now.
You need to find out what your paying customers (members, subscribers, etc.) value and appreciate and what they need and want from you right now. This is a key step before setting the direction for your roadmap. By combining available benchmark data with fresh and relevant feedback from your members, leadership and key brokers, you can begin to map your route to success. This step is like setting your GPS destination with the right address. If you don’t enter the correct address exactly, your GPS won’t give you the right directions.
With this second step, you will know how your members rate your performance as an association or provider of MLS services, as well as your value, overall benefits, education and technical support and customer service. You will know how you compare with others and industry benchmarks and you will learn how to interpret and use this to your advantage, as one of your competitive advantages. By getting specific demographic information about your members, including their productivity (transaction sides), years in the business, company size, age, you will be able to decide the specific route to take on your roadmap. All this information is necessary to make the right choices going forward. As a bonus of having this information, you will also know how to:
- Use your finite resources to deliver the biggest value to your members
- Interpret what members expect from you, making faster and easier boardroom decisions (imagine that)
- Save time and money by making the right decisions the first time…decisions that help you, your organization and members all thrive
- Prepare with well-informed directors and staff and a proven approach to strategic decision-making, resulting in becoming more nimble
- Align the expectations of leadership, staff and members which reduces waste, stress, busy-work and results in improved satisfaction by all stakeholders
Make sure you are headed to the right location. You must know how you measure-up and what your paying customers and leadership expect before you begin on your journey so you don’t get lost on the way to your success.
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