- Mar 14, 2023
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- John
Why join NIADA and your State's Affiliate?
- Thread starter JohnDismukes
- Start date
This is our absolute biggest challenge in Nebraska. We have had a couple of Conventions that we had National Speakers come in to speak. We struggle to add even a handful of dealers each year. I can talk until I am blue in the face to these dealers, and they honestly don't think there is anything else to learn.
What infuriates me is the fact that in the process of protecting my Association Members, I am also protecting the dealers that won't pay the $350/year to be a member. We protect them from our Legislature each and every year, pay a Lobbyist, shake hands call in favors, entertain our Committee Members, and the non participating dealers don't even care.
What infuriates me is the fact that in the process of protecting my Association Members, I am also protecting the dealers that won't pay the $350/year to be a member. We protect them from our Legislature each and every year, pay a Lobbyist, shake hands call in favors, entertain our Committee Members, and the non participating dealers don't even care.
- Dec 20, 2023
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- kyle
The core issue is a lack of perceived value. If dealers don't believe membership brings them anything they can't already access, they won't pay. You need to shift the strategy from just advocating benefits to demonstrating tangible outcomes—things like exclusive access, direct business growth, or legal protections that only members receive. Create pressure points: member-only alerts, trainings, or even public acknowledgment of contributors. If you're protecting nonmembers too, you're removing their incentive to join. Make the value of membership visible, measurable, and unavailable elsewhere.
Kyle, thanks for the reply.
We are working on a couple of "Member Only" things right now. One of them I believe will be a pretty good draw.
It is impossible to Protect Members without also protecting Non Members in the process. Most of the protections that I am referring to revolve around Legislative proposals and the like.
You make great points. I do not agree with your perception of the core issue. In my mind, the core issue is that dealers are perfectly happy to let someone else pay the bill. These dealers don't believe in pitching in for the greater good. They know that the few are forced to protect the masses and they are just fine with that. They don't believe in everyone pitching in. Rather than the Perceived Value and "what can you do for me", maybe the question should be "what can I do for others". When we all adopt that mentality, great things can happen.
Now, back to your point...I agree that we need to focus more on Tangible Outcomes. In 2026, we are going to really focus on the New Licensees rather than trying to figure out how to get the existing dealers to change their way of thinking. Again, you do make great points.
If you are going to the National Convention, let me know. I would really like to visit more with you!
Clint
Spot on, Kyle. At the end of the day, if you help them sell more cars, the rest takes care of itself.
