-
For
future high-level engagement, recruit new members through current
active members and urge members to only recruit one member a year.
-
Provide
current members with the correct member recruitment tools;
specifically a brochure that clearly states the annual return on
investment in real dollars that the new member could expect to
receive.
-
Urge
the recruiting member to convince the new member to attend the
upcoming annual meeting, convention, or expo.
-
Urge
the current member that did the recruiting to accept the role of
"meeting mentor" for the new member. This is why each member
should only recruit one member a year. It is nearly impossible to
mentor two or more new members at a single meeting. The mentor needs
to introduce the new member to his or her friends and help the new
member to understand the "lay of the land" at the meeting.
This helps to insure member engagement and high perceived ROI (return
on investment).
-
Find
the pressing interest of the new member, the primary reason they
joined the organization, and see to it that they get invited to
participate on that committee.
-
For
the first year the new member is on board, ask them each quarter
(yearly after the first year) to complete a Relationship Value
Update which can be as simple as three questions:
~What
value are you receiving from your membership in XYZ Association?
~What
value do you believe you are delivering to XYZ Association?
~How
could XYZ Association deliver even more value to you?
-
The
information the association receives through this conduit is member
engagement gold if, in a timely manner, it is tallied and disseminated
to the membership committee, board of directors, and involved staff.
-
Keeping
members engaged over the long-term need not be difficult, if there is
a continual focus on member ROI delivery. A frequent member engagement
mistake made by association executives and volunteer leaders is
believing that the senior members no longer need to receive value but
rather should continually donate to the association for the betterment
of their industry. This is a deadly error or judgment and perception.
Members at all stations of their membership lifecycle need to receive
a reasonable ROI from their membership. For some it is in the
mentoring and giving to younger members, however for many it is in
finding new ways to sharpen their metaphorical axe in moving their
careers forward or for business growth.
-
Keeping
a healthy differential between member cost and non-member cost for all
your associations services, products, education, and meetings shows a
healthy ROI and will go a long way toward continued member engagement,
even for the senior most members.
-
Build
communities, live and virtual, or at the least facilitate member driven
communities of reciprocity. Regardless of staff or member developed,
communities of special interest based also on age (YPO & Dinosaur
Groups) continually engage members and the deliver high-levels of ROI
necessary to retain members over the long haul.
