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Eight lessons learned about making for-profit and not-for-profit partnerships work since revamping ASAE Services Inc. 2 years ago are discussed.

Partnerships. Affinity programs. Strategic alliances. Whatever you call them, for-profit and not-for-- profit marriages are the new buzzwords in association dictionaries along with the requisite action plans for their success.

Conventional wisdom indicates that joining forces automatically leads to happily-ever-after endings, including increased membership, enhanced services, and greater earnings. Right? Well, maybe.

Here's what we've learned about making for-profit and not-for-profit partnerships work since revamping ASAE Services, Inc., two years ago. We call these lessons the Eight Commandments for creating a successful partnership program. Save this page. It may come in handy if you decide to launch a partnership program of your own.

1. When choosing a partner, put your members-not your profit potential-first. When business suitors come courting, we are presented with many alluring proposals. Rather than be motivated by short-term monetary gains, we measure a program's value by its value to our members. How will it contribute to their professional or personal lives or associations in a lasting way? When the answer comes back "not sure," it is easy to walk away.

2. Test for proper fit. How does the prospective partner's product or service enhance your lineup? Can the partner deliver in terms of marketing, distribution, and customer service? Does everyone understand that while you're both in the car, you have to be in the driver's seat?

3. Become indispensable by fulfilling current needs. Make your association the first place members think of when they need to find or replace a product or service. To help members easily find the services they need, we added the programs to ASAE's Web site (www.asaenet.org/services/) and organized them into five categories: business, financial, technology, insurance, and nondues revenue.

4. Lead as well as follow. Don't always wait for potential affinity partners to contact you. Learn what your members need and find the right companies to meet those needs. We know that associations need core benefits to attract and retain employees, protect against disability, and provide for retirement. So we contacted the major players to create the best insurance and retirement programs.

5. Build your brand around a benefit. What word would your members use to describe their relationship with you? We recognized that a key benefit of doing business with ASAE Services, Inc., is trust. Members can trust the ASAE name as a source for products and services because we perform the due diligence necessary to ensure top-quality programs. We've imbedded the word trust into all our messages as a reassurance for members and a reminder to us of our responsibility to honor that commitment. Members know they can turn to ASAE Services when seeking new programs to offer their memberships.

6. Make it real. By this we mean, take that benefit and turn it into a tangible symbol for all to see. We created a logo to look like a stamp or seal of approval. The message is clear: If a product or service carries this seal, you can choose it with confidence. This symbol guarantees it.

7. Be a true partner. Simply attaching your logo to a company's brochure won't bring in sales. Participate actively in the creation and marketing of the programs.

8. Cherish it with your life. Like a good name, brand reputation is priceless, When we revamped ASAE Services, Inc., a number of programs were already in place. We put each one through a rigorous review, amending or canceling those relationships that didn't fit our brand identity or measure up to our standards. In addition, we request regular feedback on our programs from members.

One final thought. Like a good marriage, a business partnership is dynamic. It needs to bend and adjust to change if it is to survive and grow. Given proper attention and a lot of nurturing, it will be a source of enduring pride and rich rewards, both tangible and intangible, for your association for years to come.