Recruitment & Retention Invite ● Engage ● Retain This organization is a people-thing. It’s made up of you, me, and others that desire to make a difference. The lives that are impacted and changed from our devotion to our families, communities, and country is a result of hard work and dedication. The fact is that with more, we can do more.

Growth is a process… It is no secret that the essential components to growth are recruitment and retention. Both components are equally important to the longevity and vitality of every organization, likewise of Exchange. One without the other is an ineffective process. Yes! Growth is a process…not an occurrence, an event, or a moment in time. Those that refuse to recognize it as such, find themselves remembering the good old days verses being apart of something magical.

Membership recruitment No matter if you are trying to recruit young or old members, membership recruitment is a process (a sales process). And, this process has three components: Awareness Recruiting Engaging

“Have you heard about the National Exchange Club?” (Solicit responses for audience that can assist in developing community awareness.)

Recruiting “Hi Tracey, this is Jim. I just wanted to follow-up with you from our talk the other day, to see if you have any questions from the material I sent to you. My fellow club members and I are excited about you coming on board with us…” By increasing the number of people you tell your story to regarding your cause (product, service, or organization), you have also increased the successfulness of your recruiting campaign. Simply put, ‘selling is a contact sport. The more people you contact, the more successful you will be. (discuss methods for generating prospects and managing prospects through the recruitment cycle.)

It may be sales, but it’s not always directly about the number of new members. Membership recruitment is about creating long-lasting relationships, engaging your prospects and providing them with why they would benefit from your organization. No matter who it is, everyone tunes into the same radio station…WiiFM “What’s in it For ME?” (Open-up on dialogue on how to develop and nurture relationships)

Understand Exchange’s niche Understand your organization’s niche…Is Exchange for everyone? We need to buckle down and determine, realistically, who are our target market and where should we look for new members. Much too often, Exchangites are running to the battlefield for combat with no plan in mind… Make a list of competing organizations to help determine your market. Find out what they offer, then craft a solid message to differentiate our organization from the other. (How may of you heard an Exchangite tell a prospective member that Exchange is like Rotary?)

Membership Needs You are tuned in to WiiFM radio… No matter how they ‘Rock Out’, everyone tunes into the same station when it comes to their time and money…WiiFM (What’s in it For ME?) Find out what your prospective members and the at large community want. What are they missing from other organizations? What are the reasons they choose not to join What would change their minds? The only industries that are successfully using ‘push marketing’ are the auto and technology industries. They dictate the type of products they will offer to their customers. Conversely for Exchange, you must always be prepared to answer “what’s in it from me?” Membership Needs

Do you know what to say? Know your organization’s value. When you have an opportunity to speak to a prospective member, do you know what to say? No more touting that networking is your organization’s greatest value. It isn’t! Use the research and preparation you have done to craft a solid ‘value proposition’. Incentives do not sustain membership growth. Monetary incentives are typically short lived, unless you are prepared to offer it endlessly. Figure out the value in Exchange, and communicate it effectively.

Learn from yesterday, Love for TODAY, Hope for TOMORROW… The IMPORTANT thing is not TO stop QUESTIONING. An evaluation is an important part of any membership recruitment strategy. Create a method for tracking your recruitment efforts, stages of engagement, and how members make the decision to commit. Analyze all of your promotional outlets and events. You need to know what was effective and what was not, and why. Adjust your recruitment strategy accordingly. Membership recruitment is a process, not an events. Getting them is the easy part, keeping them is the challenge…

Questions we need to answer… What is our mission? Who are our members? What is the value of membership?

What members value will change over time, and so must our membership benefits. Members don’t exist in a vacuum, but rather in a constantly changing world. You need to know what your members value about their membership and how your members’ needs are changing, to respond in a meaningful way.

“Time won’t give me time…” Fact: You’ll spend between five to 15 times more effort to recruit a new member than to keep an existing one.

Members base their perception of value on their interaction with other members, the club’s activities, and the information and opportunities provided.

Unique Characteristics By looking at the unique characteristics and demographics of your membership as part of an annual needs assessment, you’ll be in good position to take full advantage of the opportunities afforded by changing lifestyles. Unique Characteristics

It’s crucial to identify members’ expectations from the start; you can’t satisfy needs you don’t know about. Members will want to retain membership in your organization if they believe it is valuable to them. EXPECTATION

Why do people drop: Not enough time to use membership Involved with other association that better fits/meets the needs Feel like an outsider Change professional/location/interest Only communication is regarding wanting money Employer no longer pays for it Too expensive (not enough value)

Serving those who serve others… Would it surprise you to know that the number one reason for dropped membership is the none payment of dues? What do you think that means? Why do members just stop paying dues? How can clubs be more proactive in preventing this situation? What role can the district play? (Highlight new payment methods clubs can use)

High activity (participation) High information (communication) In a recent study, 50 CEOs were asked to describe their associations’ retention effort. One fundamental component of all answers was communication. To keep members past the first year, clubs need to focus on three actions: High touch (contact) High activity (participation) High information (communication) “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” ~George Bernard Shaw