P&Cs face demise as structures alienate younger members. P&Cs need to adapt to the changing nature of membership associations. Those that do will emerge stronger and more powerful than every before. It’s time to focus on developing a powerful sense of purpose and developing ad hoc volunteering opportunities that cater to all parents (even those who don’t have the time to show up) … read the full article on ABC News.
It is impossible to make informed decisions regarding your membership strategy without knowing your membership statistics. At the most basic level you should know your Retention Rate, Growth Rate, Loss Rate and Average Tenure – by each membership segment. If you don’t know how to work out these statistics, please download The Membership Managers’ Handbook to get more information on how to do it.
I have worked with a number of associations recently who have wonderfully high retention rates but very low growth rates. After investigating further, it became apparent that all these associations have a wonderful range of services, many very happy members, and absolutely no sales function whatsoever. To fix this situation, and to effectively recruit new members, you need the have the following processes in place:
A process for generating leads into your organisation. To create new members, you need prospective members. This means developing strategies for generating leads. This can include attending trade fairs, viral campaigns, and strong internal policies around the collection of opt-ins from prospective members with whom staff and volunteers come in contact with.
A process for building a relationship with prospective members. Recruiting and retaining members is a bit like dating. Just because you are ready for them to join doesn’t mean they are ready to make that commitment. Having some regular non-member engagement is a great way to enable prospective members to get a feel for the organisation. This can include issuing free e-newsletter and enabling non-members to register to attend your events (at a much higher fee).
A process for converting someone from a non-member to a member. There are many great sales channels for membership including direct mail, e-mail, outbound telephone calls, and/or an on-the-ground sales team. Associations who are growing the most strongly use a mix of all of these. After a heavy swing to email over the past 7 years, we are now seeing associations generating an excellent return from sending a well-crafted direct mail piece followed up by a phone call.
It is vitally important that every prospective member enquiry or outbound campaign is followed up with a phone call. This is an absolutely critical element to member recruitment success. With the advent of cost-effective, outbound call centres specialising in associations (such as Optimum Contact) there is no excuse for these calls not being made.
When selling membership, the fee you charge is not the most important factor. Instead it is the value the membership fee represents and how effectively that value is communicated.
Many associations struggle to articulate the true value of membership because it is generally intangible and therefore somewhat challenging to explain. So people default to speaking about the tangible aspects of the membership. Unfortunately, these are generally just features of membership (E.g. websites, magazines, events) which aren’t very compelling without being put into the context of a value proposition.
A prospective member is not making a donation to the organisation. They are making an investment. To get them to join you need to start the conversation by articulating how the member will realise a successful return on their investment. Some broad examples of how you might begin include:
For a business owner seeking to join an industry or professional association – When you join our association you are making an investment into the success of your business. By joining us you will increase your opportunities to generate new business, reduce your expenses, raise your profile, and gain a competitive advantage over those who aren’t members.
For an individual joining a professional association – When you join our association you are making an investment into the success of your career. We will provide you with the tools, skills and networks to help fast track your way up the career and salary ladder. As a member you can access opportunities to raise your profile, reduce your outgoings and advance your career that simply aren’t readily available to non-members.
The most compelling value statements are highly targeted towards the specific member segment you are communicating with. For example, a student entering into a new career may be focused on ensuring they get the information and support to get the best possible start in their career. However, someone nearing retirement may be more interested in legacy building and succession planning.
