How to define your value so you can finally segment, write, and plan with confidence

Part 2 | DEFINE VALUE

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If you’ve ever sat down to write a campaign, segment your data, or plan a new onboarding journey, and thought:

“I don’t really know what these members want from us.”

You’re not alone.

In Part 1 of this series, we shared the most common reason CRM strategies stall: not technical failure, but lack of clarity. Not knowing what your organisation really stands for, or why people join in the first place.

So, how do you fix that?

By getting clear on what you actually offer your members, in their eyes, not just yours.

 

Not your features. Not your benefits. 
➡ Your promise.

This is where your value proposition comes in.

Not a long slogan. Not a brand mission. Just a clear answer to this question:

"What do we help our members do, and why does it matter?"

Think of it as the promise you’re making and what you’re helping them become.

 

Quick test: could you answer this right now?

What do you really offer:

• To a student member?
• To someone mid-career?
• To a long-time fellow or retiree?

If you find yourself reaching for vague answers like “resources” or “support,” you’re probably not alone in your organisation.

That’s okay, but it means your CRM, marketing, and membership strategies are running on weak fuel.

 

A practical formula

To get to a sharper proposition, try this structure:

"We help [this member type] [do this thing] so they can [achieve this outcome]."

This helps you articulate what the member is trying to do and how you help them get there.

Here are a few worked examples:

 

Student members

"We help students understand their future career options, so they can make confident next steps before they graduate."

 

Mid-career professionals

"We help members stay up to date with policy and practice, so they stay relevant and in demand."

 

Retired members

"We help retired members continue contributing to the profession, so they stay connected and valued."

 

What changes when you write this down?

A lot.

Once you’ve defined clear propositions like these, suddenly you can:

• Write copy that resonates (because you know what they care about)
• Segment your data meaningfully (not just by age or status)
• Build CRM journeys that support real goals (not just admin flows)

 

This isn’t about getting it “perfect”, it’s about being specific

You’re not writing the next ad campaign.

You’re writing something that will guide:

• What you show a member when they log in
• What you include in a “value at renewal” email
• What a journey looks like if someone hasn’t clicked in 60 days

These are everyday choices. But they rely on clarity.

 

What this sounds like in your world

Let’s say you’ve got an onboarding campaign.

Without a strong value proposition, the welcome emails might look like this:

“Thanks for joining! Here’s a list of what’s available.”

 

But when you’re clear on what matters to the member, it sounds more like:

“Because you told us you're early in your career, here’s a guide to our mentorship programme and how it’s helped other members like you get their first role.”

That’s not slick marketing. That’s useful. And it shows you understand them.

 

Define value before you personalise journeys

Before you build journeys, plug in content, or automate anything, define what value actually looks like to your members.

Because if you’re still guessing, so is your CRM.

 

What next?

In Part 3 of this series, we explore how to apply your value propositions to real member journeys from joining to re-engagement using your CRM and CMS in practical ways.

And if you missed it, Part 1 is here.

 

If you're trying to do smarter marketing or engagement work, this step, defining value, is where it really starts.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. But it has to be clear.