The Start of Something

1
The Start of Something
COMMITTED TO SERVING YOU!!!
RECRUIT, TRAIN, RETAIN
2
Ways to Get and Keep Your Members

• How many total members are currently in your
  chapter?
• How many members did your organization have, one
  year ago?

3
Ways to Get and Keep Your Members

• How much money of your current years budget is
  earmarked for membership recruitment?
• How much money of your current years budget is
  earmarked for membership retention?

4
Ways to Get and Keep Your Members

• List your chapters 3 major competitors for
  members
• What percentage of your potential members are
  already in your main membership category (i.e.,
  regular, voting, or active) In other words, what
  is your market penetration?

5
Ways to Get and Keep Your Members

• What was your retention rate last year?
• What will your retention rate be at the end of
  this year?
• What does it cost your chapter to recruit a new
  member?
• What does it cost your chapter to lose one member?

6
Membership PlanUnderstanding the Value of
Membership Planning

• Key elements of a good plan should start with a
  Membership Committee and a chairperson who
  coordinates all membership recruitment and
  retention (RR) programs
• Conduct at least 4 meetings per year
• Develop a timetable for each phase of your plan
• Evaluate the results of RR programs

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Membership PlanUnderstanding the Value of
Membership Planning

• Review membership reports monthly
• Establish a 1 to 2-year plan, so that people in
  charge of membership functions have a guide this
  will assist your chapter when there is a change
  in committee personnel and help ensure some
  continuity in the membership function.

8
Organizing for Success

• Set membership growth goals and plan strategies
  to attain those goals by utilizing mail
  campaigns, member-to-member programs, inquiry
  cards, and member referrals.

9
Organizing for Success

• Coordinate production and provide input on the
  theme, design and layout of all promotional
  materials, including the tri-fold pamphlet,
  letters, and applications.

10
Organizing for Success

• Determine target audiences and provide materials
  that will promote their interest.
• Put capable people in positions, not just friends
  for the sake of friendship
• Select people who have the ability to develop
  innovative ideas for RR activities
• Select people who are willing to take
  responsibility for membership growth.

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Organizing for Success

• Select outgoing, personable, and enthusiastic
  people
• Select people with strong organizational skills
• Select people who are willing to devote
  sufficient time to membership committee
  activities
• Select people with knowledge and understanding of
  the organization, its members, its mission, its
  goals and objectives.

12
Identifying the Benefits

• Use the BIG National Program Booklet
• Use your own testimony
• Use The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Join BIG
• Use the services that are provided by your
  chapter and/or region

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Identifying the Benefits

• Use the BIGNET, internet Website, to find
  information on Whats BIG Doing Now?
• Provide membership incentives to persons who join
  your organization during a membership campaign
• Customize your membership materials.

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Membership Recruitment
Telemarketing, media, trade shows, and other
recruitments options must be utilized.

• Make the best use of the telephone
• Use trained telemarketing recruiters to deliver a
  specific benefits of BIG message to a targeted
  list of qualified prospects over the phone
• Advantage this method allows personal contact
  with prospective members and provides the
  recruiter a chance to listen and respond to
  questions

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Membership Recruitment

• Selecting the right people to do the calling is
  an important factor. Having an effective
  telemarketing team assures successful recruiting
  opportunities.
• Having membership materials and records easily
  accessible, along with a familiarity of the
  organization and knowledge of the administrative
  aspects of membership is important

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Membership Recruitment

• Develop a good script or discussion guideline to
  control the timing and content of the
  conversation, so the recruiter sticks to the
  point (Joining BIG!)
• Making use of all forms of media has the
  potential to reach a lot of people in a short
  space of time

17
Membership Recruitment

• Utilizing membership booths (Nomadic Displays) is
  another effective method of getting peoples
  attention visually the booths provide the
  recruiter the opportunity to personalize the
  message and network with other organizations.

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Membership Retention
Membership retention is the process by which
organizations get their members to renew their
membership for another year.

• After working hard to recruit new members, it
  just makes good sense to work hard to keep them.
• A high retention rate allows you to measure the
  effectiveness of your current programs and
  services.

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Membership Retention

• A high retention rate is actually a good
  recruitment tool, because it is a great
  testimonial to your chapters ability to retain
  its members.

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Membership Retention

• Set retention goals and develop and implement
  strategies, such as leadership training,
  membership awareness programs, new member
  newsletters, on-time membership renewal
  incentives, new member surveys, and chapter
  retention campaigns, in order to attain those
  goals.

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Membership Retention

• A good retention program can encourage members to
  become involved in your chapter activities and
  move up through the various leadership positions
• Give members a sample news release they can send
  to local papers announcing that theyve joined
  BIG.
• Hold leadership training programs to give members
  the tools to be successful volunteers

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Membership Retention

• Skills developed through leadership training are
  transferred back to the members workplace. At
  renewal time, members and their employers will
  remember where these skills were developed.
• Have outside speakers promote BIG this adds
  credibility and prestige to your mission.

23
Membership Retention

• Assign an officer to contact a certain number of
  inactive members each month this courtesy call
  will remind members that the chapter knows
  theyre still of great value to the chapter
• Create a new member welcoming committee
• Establish a new member orientation program this
  program will let members know they are special to
  the chapter and provide positive reinforcement
  for a long-term relationship.