Tip #2: Put the warmth in your welcome
"I haven’t had a chance to do anything with
them yet, but they’ve got me for life!" |
-Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber New Member
|
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:
- You receive a confirmation of your membership listing for approval
in less than a week (one member’s came the next day!).
- 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.
- 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!
- 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:
- 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.
- When does the first personal encounter — by phone or in-person
— occur? This makes the membership real.
- 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?
- Who welcomes new members? It’s expected that staff will,
but members join to be around other members.
- 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. 1st 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.
