Membership Recruitment: Singing a Fresh Tune
By Mike Faber
What would your association’s membership look like in a perfect world? Chances are, your members would reflect a broad diversity of age, personal and professional background, upbringing and economic circumstances. The “beauty” of a truly diverse association would be that you could leverage a vast reservoir of creativity as you work to retain current membership and turn prospective members into dues-paying members. The “beast” of such a diverse group of members is that the vast reservoir of creativity would have a multitude of opinions on how things should be done – and how leadership should run the association! Sound familiar?
It’s not a perfect world. If it were, the Beatles would still all be alive and producing new music. And our kids would listen to it. Just like the “perfection” gap that exists in all of our lives, the pursuit of perfection in leading an association can only lead to frustration. When the Colorado Society of Association Executives hosted the recent “Learn With Leaders Luncheon” on September 7, 2007, a panel of experts shared their diverse experience in building associations that appeal to diverse memberships. Sharing their perspective were Jerry Bowman, a 35-year executive director of multiple associations, Dina Alengi-Storz, Executive Director of Interactive Management, and Lu Anne Garvin, Director of Membership Benefits, Colorado Dental Association.
Recruiting new members within the multiple generations represented in today’s workforce is a critical and challenging task facing every association in today’s marketplace. Delivering tangible value to those members, while appealing to Gen Y, Gen X and Baby Boomers means association leaders walk a tightrope in their recruitment efforts. While there is no “how to” booklet with step-by-step instructions for creating a broadly diverse association, several quotes from the CSAE panel may provide the key.
“People support what they create”
Involving current membership in appealing to new members is one key to maintaining a robust and vibrant association. The National Speaker’s Association runs a promotion that delivers tangible value to current members who recruit new members. Discounts on upcoming meetings, plus a free MP3 player to those who bring in a new recruit are powerful incentives.
“Members love being special”
As Dina Alengi-Storz stated in her remarks at CSAE recently, “Members know when they call we’ll either have the answer, or we’ll get the answer!” Top-notch service to current members makes them feel good about recommending association membership to their industry colleagues.
“Hitting them early and hitting them often”
Jerry Bowman’s theory may sound a bit violent, however it’s always a great idea to remind members of the benefits of expanding membership. More dollars in the membership “kitty” allow an association to take on a higher profile in the community. Your association shown doing good in the headlines means greater exposure and more members.
“The globe has changed, times have changed”
Lu Anne Garvin’s wisdom is apropos for every association executive. What worked a generation ago may sound as dated as the Beatles’ “Yesterday” does to a new age of listeners. Get current, and then realize that your association is competing for interest and membership dollars from a multitude of sources.
Growing competition for your audience’s time and money mean any association should strive to stretch and reflect a more diverse array of potential members than ever. That way, you’ll always be singing “Here comes the Sun”.
About the Author
Mike Faber is a keynote speaker and coach, helping business leaders communicate their vision of the future by being credible, confident and compelling. For more information on Faber Communications, please call 720.851.5208, or visit www.mikefaber.com.