Are you ready to stop focusing on external chaos and finally diagnose the internal barriers holding your association back? The webinar hosted on January 28, 2026, by Halmyre's Christine Saunders discussed common barriers to growth that associations face and how to conquer them.
Watch the Full Webinar
Click the image below to visit thinking.halmyre.com, watch the webinar recording, and access the PowerPoint presentation (on therecording's "Resources" tab).
Key Insights from the Webinar
During the session, Christine Saunders discussed Halmyre's proven methodologies for driving association growth and introduced a powerful new resource: the Association Growth Barriers Diagnostic Tool.
Key webinar takeaways:
- Associations often default to "reductive pricing" (discounts or fee waivers) when members complain about costs, but this undercuts the resources needed to provide value. Instead, implement additive pricing strategies.
- A common structural barrier is the "board bubble," where highly committed board members assume their needs represent the entire membership. Associations must use objective research—specifically, "voice of the future member" data—to mitigate bias and ensure that programs appeal to the broader market.
- Clunky, outdated technology acts as a "wind in your face," creating friction that can undermine even the best value propositions. Rather than avoiding the issue or reducing it to 'just' technology, associations should adopt a transformation mindset. Start with a member experience audit to identify pain points and ensure that digital tools make interacting with the association seamless and efficient.
- While the fast-moving world often pressures boards into short-term, three-year operational plans, associations are structurally built to solve "wicked," long-term problems. To stay relevant, leadership should ask: "What do we need to solve today so that members 20 years from now aren't even thinking about this problem?" This proactive approach positions the association as a non-transactional leader in its field, delivering value that is extremely difficult to replicate.
- Christine described Halmyre's six types of association growth, which can be unleashed by addressing the four barriers. To avoid fragmented efforts, associations should pick only two of these six growth types as priorities. Concentrating strategies on these two areas will generally create a "lift" across other categories as well.
Want to Talk More?
Ready to take the next step in overcoming your association’s growth barriers? Our team of experts at Halmyre is here to provide tailored advice and solutions designed specifically for your organization's needs.
Interested in learning more? Schedule your strategy session today with Christine and the Halmyre team and let us help you tackle your association’s growth challenges.
