sheepCRM: Your Trusted Guide to Membership Success

Will Jeffries

Oct 8, 2024 • 7 min read

Let’s be honest—managing a membership organisation can often feel like an uphill climb, especially when you’re juggling multiple priorities: managing administrative tasks, nurturing member relationships, and driving growth. We know how challenging it can be to balance everything and still feel like you’re moving in the right direction. But what if you had a trusted guide to help navigate you, no matter where you currently are on your journey.

That’s where sheepCRM comes in. We’ve had the privilege of partnering with countless organisations to help them achieve success, no matter where they are on their journey. We believe membership success is a journey, not a destination; it’s a series of stages or climbs, each with its own unique challenges. Our platform and services are designed to support you at every step, whether you need to operate more efficiently, gain better data-driven insights, or you’re striving for engagement and growth.

We like to think of membership success as a journey through three distinct mountains—each representing a critical stage in your organisation’s growth:

Mountain 1: The Foundation of Success – Systems and Stability.
Mountain 2: The Peak of Insight – Data-Driven Insight.
Mountain 3: The Summit of Growth – Engagement & Growth.

Let’s explore how we’ve helped organisations just like yours conquer these mountains and reach their goals.

Mountain 1: The Foundation of Success – Systems and Stability

You wouldn’t attempt to climb a mountain without the right gear and an experienced guide, would you? It’s the same when it comes to achieving success for your organisation. Every successful journey starts at base camp—with a solid foundation of reliable systems and processes to ensure everything runs smoothly. That’s where Mountain 1: The Foundation of Success comes in. It’s all about laying down a strong foundation by implementing the right systems and processes to streamline your operations. By starting at base camp, you equip your organisation with what it needs to overcome the initial hurdles and set out on a path to greater success.

For the Biochemical Society, the first step in their journey was to stabilise their operations. They were using an outdated Salesforce system that had created a web of complexities the organisation could no longer sustain. Their team faced daily frustrations, from payment processing errors to data inaccuracies, making even routine tasks a challenge.

“sheepCRM brought simplicity and reliability back to our operations,” said Lorraine Reese, Biochemical Society. “Payments are now processed smoothly without any errors or unexpected charges, and our staff can easily track payments.”

With sheepCRM’s automation features and centralised data management, the Biochemical Society eliminated inefficiencies and replaced chaos with clarity. Today, they have a stable foundation that allows them to focus on delivering greater value to their members.

Key Takeaways from the Biochemical Society's Story:

Replacing the outdated system eliminated payment errors and reduced daily frustrations for staff.
A centralised platform provided accurate data, helping them overcome operational complexities.
As a result, the Biochemical Society now has a reliable system that ensures smooth operations and better member experiences.

Mountain 2: The Peak of Insight – Data-Driven Insight

Having established a stable foundation, you’re now equipped to climb higher and gain a clearer perspective of your organisation’s landscape. With reliable systems in place, the next step is to harness the power of your data. Think of this stage as reaching a lookout point on your journey: from here, you can see more clearly, make sense of your surroundings, and decide where to go next.

For Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), moving to a data-driven approach with sheepCRM transformed how they engaged with their members. Previously, they were using a non-membership-focused CRM that made it challenging to interact effectively with their 750 organisational members. It lacked the capacity to provide meaningful insights and opportunities for engagement.

When BGCI transitioned to sheepCRM, they gained access to powerful data analytics tools and integration capabilities that helped them better track, monitor, and reach their members. They started thinking outside the box about how to leverage data insights to improve member interaction and connect members to the benefits offered.

“sheepCRM has made BGCI more technologically driven. We now have a membership system that enables us to track, monitor, and reach our members effectively. sheepCRM drove that,” said Patricia Malcolm, Membership and Conservation Services Manager at BGCI.

sheepCRM’s data-driven tools helped BGCI create a dynamic digital environment, enabling them to better communicate with members and provide value, even during the challenging times of the pandemic.

Key Takeaways from BGCI’s Story:

The transition to sheepCRM enabled BGCI to gain clarity into member behaviour and use data insights to enhance member engagement.
With improved data tracking, BGCI could better monitor member interactions and strategise new ways to connect members with their benefits.
As a result, BGCI’s membership and income have grown consistently over the past two to three years.

Related feature: Read the full BGCI case study here.

Mountain 3: The Summit of Growth – Engagement & Growth

Reaching the summit of growth means more than just responding to your members’ needs; it’s about actively shaping their experience and delivering a unique value that fosters loyalty and expansion. With a firm foundation and clear insights guiding you, the next step is to build stronger relationships, expand your membership base, and create deeper connections within your community.

The Music Industries Association (MIA) was looking for a way to enhance its member experience and deliver more personalised engagement. With around 200 member companies, MIA needed a system that would not only manage memberships effectively but also empower their team to create meaningful interactions and provide value in new ways.

MIA implemented sheepCRM’s self-service member portal that enabled members to access resources, register for events, and manage their memberships independently. This capability significantly enhanced the member experience by giving members control over their own engagement and access to exclusive resources.

“Although we were conscious of the member vs. non-member approach with our communications, events, and resources, we hadn’t really thought much about how to protect the investment of our members. Now our members can control their membership and we can keep valuable materials exclusively for paying customers,” said Alice Monk, General Manager of MIA.

sheepCRM’s tools also allowed MIA to deliver highly personalised communications that spoke directly to their members’ needs and preferences. This personalisation helped drive higher engagement rates and improved member satisfaction. By automating administrative tasks, such as renewals and event registrations, MIA’s team had more time to focus on engagement strategies and creating value-driven member interactions.

“sheepCRM has streamlined our operations, automated our admin, and enhanced our member experience,” said Alice. “Our members now receive tailored communications, and the portal has given them a more personalised and engaging experience.”

The transformation not only improved the member experience but also strengthened MIA’s ability to demonstrate value to its members, contributing to higher retention rates and a more engaged community.

Key Takeaways from MIA’s Story:

Implementing a self-service portal gave members direct access to resources and control over their memberships, enhancing engagement.
Personalised communications drove higher engagement rates and improved member satisfaction.
By automating administrative tasks, MIA freed up resources to focus on deeper engagement strategies and value delivery.

Case Study: Read the full MIA case study here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: How can sheepCRM support my organisation’s growth journey?
A: sheepCRM is designed to help your organisation overcome challenges at every stage of your membership journey:

Mountain 1: Systems and Stability – If you’re struggling with fragmented processes or complex CRM systems, sheepCRM helps stabilise your operations by automating routine tasks, managing payments, and providing a reliable platform. For example, the Biochemical Society eliminated payment errors and reduced operational frustrations by switching to sheepCRM.
Mountain 2: Data-Driven Insight – Ready to gain a clearer perspective on your members? With sheepCRM’s powerful data analytics and reporting tools, you can unlock insights that help refine your engagement strategies. BGCI used these tools to track member interactions and deliver more targeted content, leading to a more connected and engaged membership base.
Mountain 3: Engagement & Growth – For organisations ready to drive deeper engagement and expand their community, sheepCRM provides personalised messaging, engagement tracking, and a self-service member portal. MIA used these features to create a more interactive and valuable membership experience.

Schedule a discovery call with a sheepCRM expert to find out which stage your organisation is at and how we can help you reach your next milestone.

Q2: What challenges can sheepCRM help us solve at each stage of our journey?
A: sheepCRM addresses different challenges based on where you are on your membership journey:

Operational Stability (Mountain 1): Do you face daily frustrations with fragmented data, unreliable systems, or manual processes? We help organisations like the Biochemical Society establish a stable foundation by automating routine tasks, managing complex membership types, and providing data accuracy.
Data Clarity and Insight (Mountain 2): Are you finding it hard to gain actionable insights from your data? We work with organisations like BGCI to provide a clear view of member behaviour, track engagement, and deliver targeted value to members.
Engagement and Growth (Mountain 3): Struggling to deliver personalised interactions or grow your membership base? sheepCRM’s engagement tracking and personalisation features have helped MIA enhance their member experience and demonstrate value, contributing to higher retention and satisfaction.

Get in touch to share your current challenges with us, and we’ll show you how sheepCRM can help you overcome them.

Q3: How have other membership organisations like ours achieved success with sheepCRM?

A: Here’s how some of our clients have transformed their operations and achieved their goals:

The Biochemical Society simplified complex processes, resolved payment errors, and improved member satisfaction, making day-to-day management more manageable.
BGCI used sheepCRM’s data insights to track, monitor, and engage their members more effectively, even during the challenges of the pandemic, leading to consistent growth in both membership numbers and income.
MIA created a self-service member portal and used automated workflows to deliver personalised communications, driving higher engagement and providing more value to their members.

Check out our customer stories for more details on these success stories and how sheepCRM supports organisations like yours.

Q4: How can we determine which stage of the membership journey we’re in?

A: Understanding where you are on your journey is the first step to unlocking success. Answer these questions to find out:

Are you struggling to stabilise your operations or experiencing inefficiencies in your current system? You might be in Mountain 1: Systems and Stability.
Are you looking to gain more insights into your members’ needs and behaviour? You could be in Mountain 2: Data-Driven Insight.
Are you focusing on building stronger member relationships and driving growth? You’re likely in Mountain 3: Engagement & Growth.

Schedule a complimentary discovery call to identify your current stage and explore how sheepCRM can help you move forward.

Achieving Success Together:

Every membership organisation has its own journey, and no two paths are the same. Whether you’re just getting started or pushing for that next level of engagement, sheepCRM is here to guide you. We’ll help you stabilise your operations, unlock insights, and build the relationships that matter most on your journey to membership success.

Where is your organisation on its membership journey? Are you seeking to stabilise your operations, harness data for insights, or drive meaningful member engagement? Wherever you are right now, sheepCRM can guide you to the next summit.

Let’s start your journey together. Book a demo or get in touch with us today and see how sheepCRM can help you achieve membership success.

With the right support, each summit is within reach—one step at a time.