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All this talk about an economic downturn – I think it’s been a solid hour since my last invite to participate in a survey about how the economy has affected my association and our members – led me to an interesting question: In today’s economic environment, how can we outsmart the associations with which we compete for members?

The answer, at least in my mind, could take one of two paths:

1) Quantity. Market more services and benefits than usual – for your association – with fewer resources. In other words, decrease the expense per service and offer more services. The focus here is on value-added services. How can association staff add value and spend the least amount of money? Generally, these services take little funding or staff time to administer, such as members-only Web site access or an invitation to participate in your association’s committee meetings.

2) Quality. Market fewer services and benefits than usual – for your association – with more resources. In other words, increase the expense per service and offer fewer services. The focus here is on a handful of impressive services. How can association staff outshine their competition by strategically funneling money into fewer services that yield a larger impact? Obviously, these services require more funding and staff time to administer, such as a complimentary subscription to a well-respected magazine you publish.

The point here is that during an economic downturn, it’s unrealistic to do both. Likewise, a reduction in staff, revenue, members, resources or some combination thereof means the status quo is also not an option. Yet, we all agree that standing out is a top priority. So, my question to you is this: Does your association subscribe to the notion of quantity over quality or quality over quantity? What does that look like in your association?