Founded in 1911 and with members in more than 100 countries, CIM is the world’s largest community of marketers, supporting, representing and developing marketers, leaders and the marketing profession.
In many respects, CIM is the perfect model of the membership organisation and it’s challenges: a body with a long history and tradition, yet representing a fast-moving and digitally advanced sector, providing wide-ranging activities and a multitude of potential engagement touch points with members and prospects.
Our work for CIM has been enormously satisfying and the experience means we are ideally placed to help other membership organisations to better serve the ongoing and developing needs of their members.
Common challenges for membership organisations
Of course, the term ‘membership organisation’ is itself a broad church. It can mean an industry or professional association, a trade union, an educational or awarding body, a sports association, a political party, or a non-profit, charity or volunteer association.
All such member organisations face similar challenges that can impede their ability to operate efficiently and engage effectively with their members.
First, they often rely on outdated, manual processes or computer-based workarounds that are labour-intensive and prone to error. Such processes can apply to operational fundamentals such as managing renewals, planning and tracking engagement, and processing payments.
Second, fragmented data systems make it exceptionally difficult and time-consuming to obtain a full picture of each member’s journey, limiting the organisation’s ability to provide personalised and timely interactions.
Furthermore, member expectations have evolved, with individuals now expecting seamless digital experiences similar to those offered by major e-commerce or social media platforms.
Finally, without streamlined data, workflows and analytics, organisations struggle to identify and act on cross-selling and upselling opportunities to members (events and CPD being just two examples). This also impacts their ability to run effective new member acquisition campaigns.
Time to sign up to a digitally transformed future
All of these challenges, and many more, underscore the need for a comprehensive, technology-driven solution that supports efficiency, growth, and member engagement and, ultimately, member satisfaction, retention and development.
What we have found, beyond doubt, is that Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 for Sales (CRM) together provide the most comprehensive functionality for membership organisations to address these challenges.
Better still, it can be a pain-free, future-proof digital transformation for the whole organisation. After all, Dynamics 365 business systems are not only rich in required functionality — they also have the familiar look and feel of the Microsoft applications employees use every day (Word, Outlook, Excel, Teams et al). What’s more, they also allow seamless integration with other Microsoft solutions such as Power Platform, Power BI, and Microsoft AI and Copilot.
So, let’s just consider three specific areas where a Dynamics 365 solution implemented by Unify Technologies can enhance not only member engagement but also membership operations across the board.
1. Improving member engagement and retention
Without engaged members, organisations will likely struggle to achieve their objectives and suffer from high levels of member churn. Dynamics 365 for Sales (CRM) provides the tools that allow for personalised engagement, ensuring that each member feels valued and connected to the organisation.
Through segmentation, members can be categorised based on interests, engagement history, or demographics for example. This information allows targeted campaigns that resonate with different member segments. Additionally, automation features mean that communications (such as reminders about upcoming events or membership renewal notifications) can be delivered at optimal times. Personalised content also strengthens member trust, encouraging ongoing engagement.
Dynamics 365 for Sales provides analytics tools that offer insight into what works and what doesn’t. For example, data on click rates, attendance at virtual events, or participation in surveys can guide adjustments in communication strategies, content creation, or event planning. Member organisations can then use these insights to test and refine their strategies for maximum engagement impact, making each member feel seen and valued.
All of the above can dramatically improve member engagement and retention. Indeed, Microsoft solutions will enable member organisations to identify signs of disengagement at the earliest opportunity, and proactively address them before it’s too late.
For example, if a member’s engagement metrics drop, automated workflows can be triggered, such as personalised messages, re-engagement campaigns, or special offers, all designed to encourage the member to reconnect with the organisation. These workflows can even alert membership retention teams to reach out personally, allowing for a more proactive approach to retention.
Furthermore, by analysing member’s past interactions, preferences, and event attendance, organisations can create targeted retention campaigns that deliver value directly to the individual member and increase the likelihood that they will continue their membership. This data-driven approach increases renewal rates and cultivates strong, loyal, long-term relationships with members.
2. Cross-selling and up-selling to members
Cross-selling and up-selling opportunities allow organisations to enhance the member experience while increasing revenue. Dynamics 365 for Sales enables this by providing a holistic view of each member’s engagement history, interests, and purchasing behaviour, which can inform recommendations for additional services, events, or membership levels.
For example, if a member frequently attends events on specific topics, they might be interested in specialised resources or workshops.
Automated and personalised cross-selling not only boosts revenue but also enhances the value members derive from their membership, making it more likely they will stay engaged with the organisation. It’s a win-win approach that allows organisations to meet member’s evolving needs while strengthening their financial foundation.
3. Attracting new members
Even with sophisticated member retention programmes, membership attrition over time is a fact of life. Constant membership growth is therefore the essential lifeblood for any membership organisation. A key challenge is to continue to evolve services that both satisfy the existing membership and attract new generations of members.
The insights provided by Dynamics 365 for Sales can play a significant role in this vital member acquisition activity. Again, by analysing data from current members, organisations can better understand the demographics, interests, and preferences of their target audience, allowing them to create targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with prospective members.
Additionally, Dynamics 365 for Sales can track interactions with prospective members, from their first contact with the organisation to their eventual enrolment. This information enables a strategic, data-informed approach to lead generation, nurturing and conversion. For example, if a prospective member expresses interest in a particular topic or event, they can receive targeted communications and invitations to related activities, further encouraging them to join.
Automated functions in the system also enable personalised onboarding experiences, helping new members to feel welcomed and supported from day one. Tailoring the onboarding process with helpful resources, upcoming event invitations, and relevant information makes it easier for new members to quickly see the value of their membership, increasing the likelihood they will stay long-term
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central — the solid foundation
Underpinning everything is Dynamics 365 Business Central, the all-in-one business management ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solution. Business Central not only integrates membership operations into a centralised, unified platform for comprehensive management, decision-making and reporting, it also integrates seamlessly with Dynamics 365 for Sales.
Amongst the many benefits of this natural integration are automatic payment receipts, invoice issuing and direct debit functionality, all of which translate into major efficiency savings for the member organisation’s finance team. Not only that, but members see and benefit from the most timely and professional communications in all their dealings with the organisation.
From out-of-the-box to tailored – rapidly and efficiently
All of the above describes what is essentially ‘out-of-the-box’ capability that comes as standard with Dynamics 365. What sets Unify Technologies apart is our team being specialists in Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 for Sales (CRM), specifically for membership organisations, and especially the complete integration between the two systems.
Moreover, we tailor and fine-tune functionality to meet your exact business needs, ensuring that you get the very best out of Dynamics 365’s capabilities and so deliver a better member journey at every stage.
In practice this can mean, for example:
Building in the functionality required by awarding bodies, or to manage various membership levels including new members, deferred members, upgraded members and so on, or to manage chartered status
Efficient, automated management of VAT for membership organisations
Implementing member ‘self-serve’ capabilities including setting up direct debits, viewing and managing CPD records, and downloading invoices for accounting and tax purposes
Incorporating other complementary technologies such as call centre solutions, chatbots, direct debits etc
Our advice is that membership organisations need to be 100% sure that their Dynamics 365 partner both understands their business and has the highest technical capabilities and experience. Many system integrators claim this but fail to pass the test when it comes to delivery.
Above all, we never lose sight of the fact that members want and need to feel like a valued human being and not just a number.
If that’s how you want to engage with and grow your members then we should be talking. You can find out more on our Membership Organisations Expertise page, or simply contact us today to start the discussion around what you are looking to achieve.
Transformation and enhanced member engagement for membership organisations
Through our work for CIM (the Chartered Institute of Marketing), implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 for Sales (CRM), we are deeply involved in enhancing membership operations and member engagement.
Founded in 1911 and with members in more than 100 countries, CIM is the world’s largest community of marketers, supporting, representing and developing marketers, leaders and the marketing profession.
In many respects, CIM is the perfect model of the membership organisation and it’s challenges: a body with a long history and tradition, yet representing a fast-moving and digitally advanced sector, providing wide-ranging activities and a multitude of potential engagement touch points with members and prospects.
Our work for CIM has been enormously satisfying and the experience means we are ideally placed to help other membership organisations to better serve the ongoing and developing needs of their members.
Common challenges for membership organisations
Of course, the term ‘membership organisation’ is itself a broad church. It can mean an industry or professional association, a trade union, an educational or awarding body, a sports association, a political party, or a non-profit, charity or volunteer association.
All such member organisations face similar challenges that can impede their ability to operate efficiently and engage effectively with their members.
Time to sign up to a digitally transformed future
All of these challenges, and many more, underscore the need for a comprehensive, technology-driven solution that supports efficiency, growth, and member engagement and, ultimately, member satisfaction, retention and development.
What we have found, beyond doubt, is that Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 for Sales (CRM) together provide the most comprehensive functionality for membership organisations to address these challenges.
Better still, it can be a pain-free, future-proof digital transformation for the whole organisation. After all, Dynamics 365 business systems are not only rich in required functionality — they also have the familiar look and feel of the Microsoft applications employees use every day (Word, Outlook, Excel, Teams et al). What’s more, they also allow seamless integration with other Microsoft solutions such as Power Platform, Power BI, and Microsoft AI and Copilot.
So, let’s just consider three specific areas where a Dynamics 365 solution implemented by Unify Technologies can enhance not only member engagement but also membership operations across the board.
1. Improving member engagement and retention
Without engaged members, organisations will likely struggle to achieve their objectives and suffer from high levels of member churn. Dynamics 365 for Sales (CRM) provides the tools that allow for personalised engagement, ensuring that each member feels valued and connected to the organisation.
Through segmentation, members can be categorised based on interests, engagement history, or demographics for example. This information allows targeted campaigns that resonate with different member segments. Additionally, automation features mean that communications (such as reminders about upcoming events or membership renewal notifications) can be delivered at optimal times. Personalised content also strengthens member trust, encouraging ongoing engagement.
Dynamics 365 for Sales provides analytics tools that offer insight into what works and what doesn’t. For example, data on click rates, attendance at virtual events, or participation in surveys can guide adjustments in communication strategies, content creation, or event planning. Member organisations can then use these insights to test and refine their strategies for maximum engagement impact, making each member feel seen and valued.
All of the above can dramatically improve member engagement and retention. Indeed, Microsoft solutions will enable member organisations to identify signs of disengagement at the earliest opportunity, and proactively address them before it’s too late.
For example, if a member’s engagement metrics drop, automated workflows can be triggered, such as personalised messages, re-engagement campaigns, or special offers, all designed to encourage the member to reconnect with the organisation. These workflows can even alert membership retention teams to reach out personally, allowing for a more proactive approach to retention.
Furthermore, by analysing member’s past interactions, preferences, and event attendance, organisations can create targeted retention campaigns that deliver value directly to the individual member and increase the likelihood that they will continue their membership. This data-driven approach increases renewal rates and cultivates strong, loyal, long-term relationships with members.
2. Cross-selling and up-selling to members
Cross-selling and up-selling opportunities allow organisations to enhance the member experience while increasing revenue. Dynamics 365 for Sales enables this by providing a holistic view of each member’s engagement history, interests, and purchasing behaviour, which can inform recommendations for additional services, events, or membership levels.
For example, if a member frequently attends events on specific topics, they might be interested in specialised resources or workshops.
Automated and personalised cross-selling not only boosts revenue but also enhances the value members derive from their membership, making it more likely they will stay engaged with the organisation. It’s a win-win approach that allows organisations to meet member’s evolving needs while strengthening their financial foundation.
3. Attracting new members
Even with sophisticated member retention programmes, membership attrition over time is a fact of life. Constant membership growth is therefore the essential lifeblood for any membership organisation. A key challenge is to continue to evolve services that both satisfy the existing membership and attract new generations of members.
The insights provided by Dynamics 365 for Sales can play a significant role in this vital member acquisition activity. Again, by analysing data from current members, organisations can better understand the demographics, interests, and preferences of their target audience, allowing them to create targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with prospective members.
Additionally, Dynamics 365 for Sales can track interactions with prospective members, from their first contact with the organisation to their eventual enrolment. This information enables a strategic, data-informed approach to lead generation, nurturing and conversion. For example, if a prospective member expresses interest in a particular topic or event, they can receive targeted communications and invitations to related activities, further encouraging them to join.
Automated functions in the system also enable personalised onboarding experiences, helping new members to feel welcomed and supported from day one. Tailoring the onboarding process with helpful resources, upcoming event invitations, and relevant information makes it easier for new members to quickly see the value of their membership, increasing the likelihood they will stay long-term
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central — the solid foundation
Underpinning everything is Dynamics 365 Business Central, the all-in-one business management ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solution. Business Central not only integrates membership operations into a centralised, unified platform for comprehensive management, decision-making and reporting, it also integrates seamlessly with Dynamics 365 for Sales.
Amongst the many benefits of this natural integration are automatic payment receipts, invoice issuing and direct debit functionality, all of which translate into major efficiency savings for the member organisation’s finance team. Not only that, but members see and benefit from the most timely and professional communications in all their dealings with the organisation.
From out-of-the-box to tailored – rapidly and efficiently
All of the above describes what is essentially ‘out-of-the-box’ capability that comes as standard with Dynamics 365. What sets Unify Technologies apart is our team being specialists in Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 for Sales (CRM), specifically for membership organisations, and especially the complete integration between the two systems.
Moreover, we tailor and fine-tune functionality to meet your exact business needs, ensuring that you get the very best out of Dynamics 365’s capabilities and so deliver a better member journey at every stage.
In practice this can mean, for example:
Our advice is that membership organisations need to be 100% sure that their Dynamics 365 partner both understands their business and has the highest technical capabilities and experience. Many system integrators claim this but fail to pass the test when it comes to delivery.
Above all, we never lose sight of the fact that members want and need to feel like a valued human being and not just a number.
If that’s how you want to engage with and grow your members then we should be talking. You can find out more on our Membership Organisations Expertise page, or simply contact us today to start the discussion around what you are looking to achieve.