Tip #2: Put the Warmth in Your Welcome

How many of your new members would give your association this kind of thumbs up based simply on the first 3 months? More importantly, how can you earn that thumbs up? By putting the warmth into your new member welcome — like the Corridor Chamber does. They exude welcome in four ways:

1. You receive a confirmation of your membership listing for approval in less than a week (one member’s came the next day!).
2. You are invited to a new member orientation — by phone — within weeks of joining. At the new member orientation, you meet key staff, a volunteer or two, and other new members.
3. You receive a copy of the latest membership directory and your member plaque within the month — and in the membership directory you’ll find an updated insert listing the latest new members including yourself!
4. You receive dozens of letters, emails and phone messages over the following 2-3 months from members and volunteers welcoming you.

Lessons to Learn

Okay you’re going to say, "but it’s a chamber — they don’t have geography to deal with and members join specifically to sell to each other so naturally the letters and emails are free-flowing." Perhaps, but look deeper at the lessons and see where you can apply them to your association:

1. How quickly do you acknowledge a new member? Savvy retailers have set the standard through instantaneous email verifications, on-the-spot "temporary cards" and at-the-register savings.
2. When does the first personal encounter — by phone or in-person — occur? This makes the membership real.
3. How quickly does the member receive a membership directory or other items that help them connect with fellow members? People need validation that the purchase was smart. What better way than to see the many others who purchased before them?
4. Who welcomes new members? It’s expected that staff will, but members join to be around other members.
5. How long are new members considered new? At the Retailers Bakery Association, we treated members as new through their entire first year. They received a year’s subscription to our new member newsletter.

Give your New Member program a check-up!

• Ask 5-10 new members to grade your program
• Ask a cross-section of members to review your current new member kit
• Analyze new member behavior, e.g. 1^st year renewal rate vs. longer-term members; involvement of new members in association programs
• Check out Resources for Building a New Member Program for more ideas.

Want more ideas? Contact us  and we’ll be happy to share some of the ideas we’ve found as well as our own experiences.