GROWTH
& RETENTION
Table
Of Contents:
Membership Development
Identifying
Prospects
New
Member Induction
New
Member Orientation
Retention
Strategies
Membership
Development
It all begins with recruiting new members. Though regarded
by some as a challenge, the fact is that it should be the
easiest thing to do … all one needs do is ASK! To facilitate
this process, each club should develop a membership development
plan to assist all of its members in understanding and participating
in recruitment and mentoring of new members and in the retention
of the current membership. Success in your club membership
development program will give your club the confidence to
take on a club building opportunity.
The
president must work closely with the membership development
team – the membership committee, chaired by the vice president
of membership. As you develop your plan, you may want to consider
assigning special tasks to committee members, such as recruitment,
new member induction and orientation, mentoring efforts and
retention strategies. The more effectively you involve members
in these efforts, the more success you will enjoy.
To
effectuate a growth plan, a Sertoma club will encounter a certain
amount of expenses. Some of the related factors include the
cost of complimentary meals, promotional materials, bulletin
printing and mailing, special invitations, as well as other
incidentals. It is essential that the club budget adequate funds
for the growth campaign. Budgetary needs must be developed by
the growth committee and presented to the board of directors
for consideration.
Identifying
New Prospects
Every
quarter, ask each new member to suggest three potential members
with whom he or she is familiar. Another excellent source of
referrals is to solicit recommendations from membership candidates
who may be declining your invitation. This effort must be a
priority for club leadership; the leaders need to take the initiative
in making it happen.
Sertoma
also welcomes corporate members. List leading business and corporations
in your community. Profile each one. Identify the chief operating
officer; then, proceed to recruit the organization. It is extremely
important that the corporation designate its representative
in your club by name so that you can follow up with the individual.
Be sure to include the name of the individual on the New Member
form.
The
Art of Prospecting
A
key for service club growth is the ability of the organization
to implement an effective prospecting program. Prospecting can
be, and generally is, done on an individual basis. This approach
is only as effective as club members make it. The shortcoming
of individual, independent prospecting is that results are registered
only once something positive happens. In these times, when leaders
of volunteer organizations are emphasizing the need for growth,
"prospecting" takes on a greater priority.
A
group approach to membership prospecting, when properly planned
and implemented, can produce enthusiastic results. The key is
to plan the program, then work the plan. The club president,
supported by the board of directors, must be willing to commit
the organization to a prospecting program. The club must be
willing to dedicate a specific amount of time to this process
at various times during the year. The membership committee should
coordinate these efforts as a portion of the overall membership
development effort.
When
recruiting a new member, it is most important that the recruiter
give the prospect a proper understanding of the membership expectations.
Provide a profile of the club, to include: day, time, location
and frequency of meetings, membership fees, dues and method
of payment (and whether or not the club follows the prepaid
meal plan), support of our Foundation. Do not forget the benefits
– new friends; leadership training and personal growth
opportunities; networking; making a difference your community;
and an opportunity to impact Sertoma's national efforts concerning
speech and hearing issues.
Some
recruiting ideas that work for many clubs:
Prospecting
& Recruiting Incentives
Sertoma provides recognition incentives for recruiting new members.
These include GEM
(Good Enthusiastic Member) and Presidential Growth Awards. Each
new member is invited to build his or her own membership pyramid,
beginning at the moment of induction. Complete guidelines and
an award form can be found in the Awards & Reports section
of the Club Manual.
New
Member Induction
Once the nomination has been received and has been published
and approved by the club board of directors, the nominee is
invited, by his or her sponsor, to join the club. Upon acceptance
of the invitation, the president must schedule the date and
time for the induction ceremony. The club secretary notifies
all participants who are to be involved, and the necessary supplies
are gathered.
The
participants should include the new member, the new member's
sponsor, the club president, the secretary, and the membership
chairperson or inducting official. Many clubs take advantage
of this opportunity and invite the District Governor to participate.
Some clubs even invite the new member's spouse to attend the
ceremony.
It
is the sponsor's responsibility to meet as soon as possible
with the future new member and review the induction process
with him or her. At the same time, the sponsor should verify
with the new member the biographical information that will be
shared with club members at the induction. Information concerning
protocol for a New Member Induction is under "Ceremonies"
in the Sertoma section of the Club Manual.
New
Member Orientation
Why
Conduct a New Member Orientation?
The orientation is to introduce the newest members of the club
to the other club members and to orient them to how the club
works and what your club and Sertoma accomplish. You spent a
lot of time and effort recruiting your new members, so obviously
you want to keep them. Helping them understand why we meet,
what we do and how they can get involved will help them continue
to be interested.
When
Should You Conduct the Orientation?
This varies from club to club, but at a minimum you should hold
an orientation each quarter that you bring in a new member.
It is better to have an orientation for just one new member
than to wait until that new member drops out due to feeling
not welcomed or needed.
Where
Should You Conduct the Orientation?
Again, this will vary, but here are some guidelines. If your
orientation is for only one or two individuals, you might want
to make it a part of or the entire program at one of your regular
club meetings. If you have serveral new members, you might want
to make a ceremony out of it and have a special evening dinner
meeting for all club members and spouses. Obviously, you will
want to select an establishment that will provide you a private
room to conduct your meeting. If this is at a location other
than your regular meeting place, make sure that a podium, banners
,flags, etc. are brought to the event.
Who
is Involved in the Orientation?
You may want your program chairperson to set up the meeting.
You should arrange for a presenter(s). The orientation will
cover all areas of club business, so you may want to have a
number of presenters to allow for a variety of speakers and
presentations. The secretary, treasurer, sergeant-at-arms, sponsorship
chairperson and the president make good presenters. Again, if
you have several new members, you may want to invite your District
Governor and Foundation
Representitive. Before inviting out-of-town dignitaries,
decide whether you want them to be presenters and inform them
of their discussion focus and length. All club members, new
and old, should attend the orientation. A special invitation
should be sent to members who seldom attend club meetings; it
just might get them active again.
How
Do I Organize This Event?
Basically, make and follow a plan. Depending on the number of
new members and the location of the orientation, this will vary
from club to club. If you just have a few new members and are
including the orientation in your regular club meeting, most
everything you need is in place. You will still need to send
out invitations to invited guests and your club members.
Why not just rely on the club bulletin? Perhaps the bulletin
editor doesn't have all of the new members on the distribution
list! Even if it is your regular club meeting, you will want
to make this a "special event." Select your presenters
and ensure they know the area and amount of time for their presentation.
Make sure your gong and gavel, club banners, flags, etc. are
in place. Arrange for someone to lead in the pledge and invocation.
If you plan to sing the Sertoma song or recite the Sertoma prayer,
assure that copies of these are at each place setting so the
new members and guests can join in and feel like one of the
gang.
How
Much Will This Cost?
Hopefully, your club adopted a budget at the beginning of the
year, and your treasurer can advise on the amount you have to
spend. Remember: If all of these new members bring in new members,
you will be repeating this next quarter, so allocate your resources.
If the ceremony is conducted at your regular club meeting, costs
should be minimal. If you hold the orientation as a special
event, you may need to charge existing members for the party,
and comp your new members and invited guests. This is something
your board of directors should decide before major planning
gets underway.
What
Should Be Covered?
Sample orientation handouts from various Sertoma clubs can be
obtained from Sertoma Headquarters or from the Sertoma Web site,
www.sertoma.org.
Membership responsibilities are the key elements to share with
the new members. This is one way to help them to more fully
appreciate their commitment to the organization. New members
often wonder what is expected of them. Again, do not forget
the benefits they will enjoy.
- Involvement.
People subscribe to a cause, generally, because of a desire
to "get involved." This means pitching in when
someone is needed to introduce a speaker, give the invocation,
help the sergeant-at-arms, work on projects, etc. Members
are expected to be part of the "work party" by
sharing their time and talent. There are many ways in which
a member gets involved.
- Attendance.
Being a regular attendee at meetings and club functions
is important. Members should strive to attend as often as
possible and to even seek "perfect attendance"
recognition. When one misses a regular meeting, a "make-up"
is encouraged by visiting a nearby Sertoma club, attending
a board meeting or participating in another function that
fulfills the "makeup" requirement.
- Growth.
An easy responsibility for every member relates to growth.
Encourage your members to bring in a new Sertoman quickly
and as often as possible. Membership recruiting is a great
habit to get into – and an important responsibility.
Some members take seriously the responsibility by building
a new club in another community.
- Remit
Dues. Some clubs hesitate to address dues delinquency. This
is a responsibility everyone should handle easily. Club
officers shouldn't have to chase a member down to collect
dues.
- Fundraisers.
A club's sponsorships survive on the basis the organization
is able to raise funds successfully. Members owe it to their
club to be part of the action when it comes to planning
and working events.
- Brag
about the club. People are attracted to a service club because
of its community involvement. Members should talk about
their club and its projects and activities.
- Fellowship.
The basic ingredient of a successful club rests on a good
program of fellowship. Each one of us has something of value
to offer the organization. Let's enjoy what we do and the
company of one another.
- Sharing.
The talents and experiences of each member are so important
and should be shared fully with one's service club. Life-learned
experiences can be easily adapted to volunteerism. Share
and care.
- Lead.
A challenging responsibility. Yet, in each person there
is leadership talent. Service clubs are always looking for
new leaders. Lead a telephone committee, chair a sponsorship
or serve on the board. All it takes is a first step on one's
part and/or encouragement by an existing leader or member.
- Enjoy
the club. The easiest responsibility each of us should accept
fully is to simply enjoy our club and Sertoma's premise.
Members who enjoy their club share in the fellowship and
workload, get involved by attending regularly, bring in
new members, exercise their leadership abilities, raise
funds, pay their dues, brag about the club and give new
meaning to sponsorships.
- You
can create your own club handout by duplicating the Fact
Sheet on the Sertoma Web site, www.sertoma.org. On the back,
you can print your club information, such as fundraisers,
sponsorships and meeting information.
Retention
Strategies
Retaining a member involves keeping an eye on all aspects of
the member's experience with the club. The new Sertoma Retention
Manual is included on this Club Manual CD. Please take the initiative
to review and share this new material with your club members.
Retention
Begins With Recruitment
- Prospects
should be informed what is expected of them.
- Prospects
should be informed of the current projects the club supports.
- Prospects
should share interest in the types of projects and activities
in which the club participates.
- Identify
prospects that will satisfy club needs.
Retention
Continues With Orientation
- Establish
a regular orientation and education program, and conduct
the orientation as soon as possible. If necessary, conduct
a one-on-one program; don't wait months until another person
joins.
- Make
orientation special and fun. Television game shows are easily
adaptable to an entertaining and educational orientation
program.
- Promote
and utilize the GEM and Mentor Awards program.
Retention
Requires Involvement
- Identify
the interests and talents of the new member, and identify
the club projects in which the new member may have an interest.
A program may be centered on the new member's interests.
- As
soon as possible (the sooner the better), assign definite
responsibilities to the new member, and encourage the individual
to become involved in club activities. It's particularly
important for younger members who may lose interest if they're
not involved.
- Set
an example by being involved.
- Start
small. Give the new member a project with goals, plans and
responsibility. Don't put the new member on a large committee
in which the member becomes lost.
- Be
careful not to overwhelm the new member with activities
or projects; don't risk burnout.
Retention
Involves Mentoring
- A
personal visit by the club president or vice president of
membership makes the new member feel welcome and important.
- Utilize
the Mentor Award program. Complete guidelines and the Form
199: Mentor Award can be found in the Awards & Reports
section of the Club Manual. Assign a member to be the new
member's "buddy," having the responsibility of
ensuring the new member comes to meetings and participates
in club activities. When the new member misses a meeting,
the mentor should call to say the member was missed.
- Institute
a seating system that encourages members to become better
acquainted with one other and prevents the formation of
"closed groups" or cliques within a club. Avoid
having a table where the same people always sit together.
An unspoken message is conveyed to the newcomer that he
or she is not welcome to "infiltrate" their group.
- Feature
the new member in the club bulletin or newsletter. Publicize
the addition of the new member in local publications.
Retention
Results From "Buying In"
- Promote
participation in the GEM Award program.
- Encourage
the new member to recruit another new member. When the new
member brings in another member, a feeling of belonging
develops.
- Encourage
the new member to articulate new ideas, projects or programs.
Use them as resources in developing different and better
ways of providing service, fundraising, or conducting the
general business of the club.
- Encourage
the new member to take the initiative in instituting a new
project or program.
Retention
is a Product of Strong Club Leadership & Sound Practices!
- Remember
that those who belong to civic clubs are usually involved
in many other activities. Their schedules are full.
- Select
and train club leaders carefully.
- Leadership
must be flexible and able to adjust to change.
- Keep
meetings upbeat, positive and enthusiastic. Have an interesting
and entertaining program or speaker. Club meeting programs
are important and should be fun and educational. Have variety
in club programs. No one wants to hear at every meeting
a program speaker who is seeking money from the club or
selling a product.
- The
club should have regular meetings and board meetings and
should avoid conducting club business in the presence of
guests.
- Keep
membership costs reasonable. Dues and meal costs should
be affordable and as low as feasible. If membership cost
is too expensive, the new member will leave.
- The
dues structure should be flexible to accommodate members'
needs. The member who can't attend every meeting may resent
pre-payment for meals.
- The
club should have regular communications with members; use
the telephone, newsletters, e-mail or the Web site.
- The
club should have regular social activities.
Growth
& Retention - Table of Contents
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