Often, you’ll hear association professionals and their boards sharing stories of frustration regarding membership renewal rates.
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
- "We have a revolving door of members. New members in = members out."
- "Members try us out, but they just don’t stay."
- "We put so much time and effort into recruiting new members that we pay less attention to our current members."
Studies show that it is less costly to keep the members you have than to bring new members in. So here are six tips to refocus your energy around keeping the members you have and getting the renewal rate you’ve been dreaming of.
- Know your Value Proposition
If you don’t know or can’t clearly articulate the problem you solve or the need you fulfill for your members, don’t bother reading the rest of these tips. You need to get clarity on this first.
- Onboard New Members to Get Their Buy-In
Develop a timeline of touch points that your association will have with new members. From the point of application throughout the first year of membership, be sure that your new members feel connected to your association through multiple modes of contact. From new member welcome emails and phone calls to mentoring programs and orientation webinars or videos, you want to create a connection with members and help them maximize all that your association can offer them.
- Establish a Renewal Process Designed for Success
I’ve heard associations say they don’t mail renewal notices anymore because it’s too costly. I would challenge them to look at how much more costly it will be when they send out an email that never reaches that member’s inbox and the member never renews.
Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish. Research shows that paper mailings are still the number one method of success for soliciting membership renewals. A member won’t renew if they aren’t asked. Utilize a variety of communication methods including mailings, personal e-mail, e-blasts and phone calls and map out when and how these communications will be sent.
- Think of your Renewal Communication as a Marketing Campaign
Take a marketing approach to your renewals communication. Our members are busy people just like us - focusing on their businesses, professional development and personal lives. The association and its benefits are not always top of mind to members, so remind them at every opportunity.
When they get that renewal dues invoice, they have a choice to make. Help them make that choice by clearly and succinctly reminding them what the return on investment is for their membership. And, whenever possible, quantify that ROI.
- Make it Easy for Your Members to Pay Their Renewal Dues
When is the last time you looked at the renewal process from the member’s point of view? How many steps do they have to take in order to renew? Is it difficult for them to log in, upload Continuing Education Credits, pay their dues and get a receipt? Do you give them the opportunity to use a variety of payment methods or payment plans? Does your staff provide top notch customer support and are they accessible to help your members renew over the phone?
Make time to walk through the renewal process from beginning to end to experience it as your members do so you can head off points of frustration and inefficiency. Automate as much of the process as you can for a smooth member experience. A cumbersome process, inept database or difficult to navigate association website can be just enough to make that member choose not to renew. And don’t forget that as association professionals we are in the people business. Accessibility of friendly staff to answer questions and assist members is a must.
- Stick to Renewal Deadlines
It’s likely that your association bylaws or policies & procedures outline requirements for membership including time frame for renewals and procedures for handling non-renewed members. If you don’t…you should.
Don’t be afraid to follow these guidelines and terminate members for non-renewal in a timely manner in accordance with your policies & procedures. As association professionals, we sometimes are afraid to put parameters and timeframes on renewals for fear that we won’t reach our target renewal rates.
Associations might allow non-renewing members to continue receiving member benefits well after the renewal deadline, or may never terminate those non-renewed members at all. This is a mistake. When you do this, you devalue the benefits of membership in your association and send a message that renewal is not a priority. And let’s face it, without a clear deadline for renewing that is actually enforced, we take away any sense of urgency on the part of the member to renew. Enforce your policies and terminate non-renewed in a timely manner.
Bottom line, don’t lose focus on the members that you have. Establish a formal, multi-pronged approach that will help you will reach your goals and maximize membership renewals.
