Amber Greenwood

1
Amber Greenwood

• Vice President Resource Development
• Greater Waco TX Chamber of Commerce

2
Retention Strategies

• Monday, September 15, 2008

3
Membership Retention Truths

• Retention starts immediately after the member
  joins
• Retention is more work than joining a member
• Retention leads to more members

4
You must have a Retention Plan!

• REVENUE is at stake! Both membership and
  non-dues.
• For every member lost, you must replace and add.
• Here is reality, every chamber drops members each
  year, but a retention plan will help you control
  the loss.

5
Where to Start.

• Assess your membership
• What is your retention rate
• One Retention Formula
• Total of member accounts for prior year total
  of cancelled accounts for current year / total
  of member accounts for prior year Retention
  Rate
• Example 1,100 300 / 1,100 73
• Set Future Retention Goals
• Create a Member Retention/Contact Plan

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Retention Program
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Elements of a Successful Plan

• Communication
• Engagement
• Return of Investment

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Retention Program

• Immediately
• All new members receive a hand written thank you
  note from account executive.

• Months 1-2
• Listed in a local publication Waco Today,
  distribution of 40,000, high quality magazine
• Hand written note, from a Chamber Partner, a
  Chamber Partner is a group of volunteers, which
  meet monthly reviews the list of new members,
  each member is given to a Partner for them to
  write a note, encouraging them to attend an
  upcoming chamber eventto engage the volunteer

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Retention Program

• 3 Month Anniversary
• New member has been invited and personally called
  to attend the monthly New Member Lunch event.
• New member receives a thank you note for
  attending the luncheon and inviting them to an
  upcoming chamber event from a New Member Lunch
  committee member.
• Listed in the next Waco Chamber Business
  Quarterly Magazine, distribution 5,000.

10
Retention Program

• 6 Month Anniversary
• Member receives a call from a Chamber Partner, a
  member volunteer, checking in and encouraging
  involvement.

• 12 Month Anniversary
• Ribbon Cutting during 1st year, write-up and
  picture is printed in the Waco Chamber Quarterly.
  Member also receives a custom frame of the event
  which is delivered by the custom framer and a
  Chamber staff person.

11
Retention is not Collection

• Collection is where your retention plan went
  wrong.
• Collection is an opportunity to learn from your
  members and to tweak your retention program.
• Collection is membership re-sell

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Renewal Timeline
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Renewal Timeline

• Along with the letters, we make personal calls
  and drop-ins.
• All members are dropped at 120 days.
• Remember, you must drop members, it is unfair to
  your paying members to keep extremely past due
  members. A member can always renew at a later
  date.

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Sales, Retention, Renewals.

• It is all about communication..
• Successful communication means you must adapt
  your style and delivery to the person on the
  other end.

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Communication Styles

• Driver fast pace, goal/task oriented,
  opinionated
• Expressive relationship oriented, story teller,
  focuses on feelings

• Amiable avoids conflict, loyal, doesnt speak
  up
• Analytical methodical, precise, takes their
  time, facts

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Communicating With a Driver

• Be clear, specific, brief and to the point
• Come prepared with requirements, objectives and
  support materials in an organized package
• Present facts logically and concisely
• Provide alternatives for making their own
  decision
• Provide fasts and figures about the probability
  of success and effectiveness of options
• Provide a win/win opportunity
• After talking business depart graciously

17
Communicating with an Expressive

• Allow time for relating and socializing
• Talk about their goals
• Ask for their opinions
• Provide testimonials from people they see as
  important or prominent
• Dont deal with extensive details give it to
  them in writing

18
Communicating with an Amiable

• Start briefly, break the ice
• Show sincere interest in them and find common
  ground
• Patiently draw out goals listen and be
  responsive
• Present case smoothly, non-threateningly, ask
  how questions to get their feedback
• Provide personal assurances and guarantees
• If a decision is required, give them time to
  think

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Communicating with an Analytical

• Prepare your information in advance
• Approach in a straight-forward, business way
• Support their logical, methodical approach build
  credibility by listing pros and cons.
• Present specifics and do what you say you will do
• Action plans with dates and milestones
• Disagree, prove it with facts and data or
  testimonials
• Need information and time for making decisions

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Tools in Communication

• Driver Brochures, Return on Investment Fact
  Sheet, A list of Chamber accomplishments in the
  past year
• Expressive Testimonials, Engage invite them
  to a Chamber event, focus on relationship
  building/committee programs, Networking

• Amiable Timeline of what to expect from the
  Chamber, Explain how the Chamber works for them
  regardless of their participation
• Analytical Timeline of what to expect from the
  Chamber, Return on Investment Fact Sheet, Details
  of of referrals, clicks and exposure

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Ideas for the Future

• Implementing, Coffee At the Chamber, a program
  inviting anyone not just new members to learn
  more about the Chamber.
• Creating a New Member logo brand to use in all
  Chamber communications
• Carry out at 6 -9 months, Expectations Survey
• Re-activating an Exit Survey
• Design a Happy Birthday card sent to all
  members, 2 weeks prior to their month
  anniversary.
• Membership form, create a check list of
  products/expectations that the Chamber can
  deliver, for the member to rate importance.