Jean Roberts

Men and women of all ages join Clubs in order to either benefit themselves or benefit the Club.

Some join with enthusiasm, maintain their enthusiasm and remain with the Club for a long time. These quickly become and remain active members, and they become active recruiters of new members, and active nurturers of existing members.

Others join with enthusiasm, find their enthusiasm lessening as they become familiar with Club activities and membership requirements, and gradually fall away. They quickly become passive members. If they recruit new members or nurture existing members, it’s by accident rather than by design. And when their membership does cease, it’s not likely that they will talk positively of their Club membership and experience to others who could benefit.

Yet other will join with enthusiasm, find their enthusiasm lessening but remain in the Club as ‘passengers’ which means that Club membership brings little benefit to themselves and less to the Club. This group becomes a cost to the Club. They renew their annual membership, but offer little more than the minimum effort required to retain membership eligibility.

A member-based Club is one whose primary purpose is to provide member services of a nature and quality that will ensure maximum member loyalty, ie membership renewal and recruitment. In a member-based Club, you must be a member in order to receive or participate in services which are only available upon payment of a subscription.

The challenge for any member-based Club includes ensuring that:

• current members see membership as an investment rather than a cost
• there is a continuing inflow of new, and a minimal loss of existing, members
• the nature, quality and availability of member services does not suffer as membership numbers increase
• members contribute to, are involved in and are committed to the Club’s purpose and philosophy, and
• members genuinely honour the Club’s traditions, and work in a coordinated and committed manner to ensure that the Club continues to serve or achieve its purpose.

Member-generated income is usually a major category of Club revenue. As well as funding the cost of recruiting, servicing and retaining Club members, the Club must be able to fund the activities directly associated with its purpose.

There are two major categories of Club life – activities related to membership, and activities related to the purpose of the Club. It is wise for any Club to know the ratio of ‘membership’ activity and costs to ‘purpose’ activity and costs.

Contact me to discuss how to effectively recruit and retain members.