Trust means a lot more to your members than you might think.
Loyal members spend 67% more than new members, and they are much more forgiving when things do go wrong every now and then. That is trust in action. However, some membership organisations still prefer working behind closed doors, leaving members to guess wildly about everything from pricing to decision-making.
This strategy is losing you members. Transparency creates emotional loyalty, improves retention rates, and differentiates your value proposition from those organisations that are still playing their cards close to their chest.
What Is Transparency? Why Is It Important In Relationships With Members?
Transparency means no hidden agendas, no surprise fees hidden in the fine print, and full disclosure about how you make decisions, your value proposition and how you will use member data.
Your subscribers are not asking for your trade secrets. They want to know what they’re getting, how much it costs, how secure their personal information is and why you do what you do.
Confusion is the enemy of engagement. Members who don’t know their benefits, the role they can play, or how they can contribute may feel disconnected from your organisation.
The Benefits of Getting Transparent
1. Better engagement and retention
Openness allows members to understand how you use their contributions and make decisions, making them valued partners instead of just revenue sources. You’ll start to notice higher event and initiative participation as they become more engaged.
Members who feel truly informed and invested are also more likely to renew their memberships. They’ll see participation as a genuine investment in personal growth, not an additional expense.
2. Helps clarify & communicate your value proposition
When a member knows exactly what they’re getting and why it matters, your value proposition is crystal clear. There will be no room for confusion about what they’re signing up for.
A member who understands what they’re getting – and the thought process behind those offerings – will have a lot more respect for what you do, and they’re more likely to stay happy.
3. Real Organisational Impact
And here’s where transparency becomes interesting from a commercial point of view. Increasing member retention by 5% can increase your profits between 25-95%.
Transparent pricing and clear communication keep members happy and turn them into advocates who will bring in new members through word-of-mouth referrals.
How to Build Transparency Within Your Organisation
- Get the fundamentals right: Define your terms. If a 12-year-old couldn’t comprehend your membership benefits, you need to simplify. No hidden tiers, no fine print surprises, no complicated redemption rules.
- Be transparent about costs: When you must raise prices, be sure to explain why. Inflation, better service, added features – your subscribers are adults who can accept reality. They’ll appreciate honesty a lot more than they’ll appreciate mystery.
- Offer visibility to members: Allow them to monitor their progress through apps or member portals. Real-time updates lead to increased engagement and fewer questions.
- Explain your data practices: Inform members what data you collect and how you will use it. Get them to agree consciously that they want what you are offering and show them what benefits they will gain as a result.
- Establish feedback loops: Regularly ask what members think, and demonstrate how the feedback influenced your decisions. This creates a sense of ownership that enhances the membership experience.
Walking the Transparency Tightrope
Remember that while transparency actively builds trust, too much information easily overwhelms members. Constantly sending out minor operational updates can bury meaningful information in unnecessary noise.
When you do this, your members may tune out completely, meaning they can miss the important information. Strike the right balance by sharing what matters most and keeping routine updates brief and focused.
Your Next Step
Transparency forms the basis for sustainable member relations. It establishes trust, nurtures loyalty and prompts the kind of engagement that turns average members into passionate ones.
Start small. Choose just one area where you can be more open – it could be your next member communication, a brief outline of fees or costs, or a simple FAQ of common enquiries.
Propello offers a range of tools to help drive new member acquisition, increase brand loyalty, boost member retention and improve the experience for your members.
Contact us to learn more.
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