Enhancing Membership Development Strategies in Chorus Organizations: Tips and Tools from “Singing Is Life”

1. Membership Development ClassCOTS Presentation Slides - 2006 Quentin “Q” Gates 1 Sparrow Court Bellingham, WA 98229 (360) 527-3142 qgates@juno.com

2. Welcome! • First hour - The “BIG PICTURE” • Second hour - Recruiting Ideas - I • Third hour - Recruiting Ideas - II • Fourth hour - Orientation • Fifth Hour - Retention Ideas • Sixth Hour - Joint Session - Mkt & PR • Seventh Hour - Planning A Guest Night • Eighth Hour – Goals & Planning

3. Chapter Administration • President • Membership Development Vice President • Music & Performance Vice President • Secretary • Treasurer • Marketing & PR Vice President (25+ Members) • Any Other Officers that Chapter Desires (Program VP, YMIH, etc.)

4. Chapter Officer Roles and Relationships • Know Your Job Responsibilities • Know Other Chapter Officer Duties • Importance of Sharing and Teamwork

5. Four Tips for Teamworking • Review other jobs… look for overlaps. • Share your plan and schedule with others. • Suggest a “Retreat” to coordinate plans. • Communicate your plan and ask for help.

6. Membership Development VPJob Description Responsibilities - Membership Development • Recruitment Plans • Orientation • Maintain Prospective Member Lists • Non-renewed Member Follow-up • Chair, Chapter Membership Committee • Appoint Committee Members • Interact with District Membership Officer

7. Membership Development VPJob Description (cont’d) Provide Chapter Leadership for Membership Growth, Orientation & Retention • Set the Example • Demonstrate Commitment • Be Knowledgeable • Delegate • Understand the Needs of Those You Lead • Support Our Shared Values

8. Membership Development VP Society Resources • Society Operations Manual • Chapter Management Guide • Chapter Secretary Manual • Music Leadership Team Manual • Society & District Web Sites • District Membership Development Officer • Chapter Counselor • Chapter Bylaws and Chapter Handbook • Each Other

9. Remember this . . . . • If you think you can... you’re right. • If you think you can’t... you’re right. • Henry Ford

10. ~ Membership Development ~ Let’s Get Ready To Recruit! “Singing Is Life!”

11. What are you asking someone to join? Does Your Chapter Have an Appealing Product? Good Singing? - Chorus & Quartets Active Chapter Programs? Good Administration? Fellowship and Activities? Are meetings Fun? Do your current members likewhat they have?

12. Getting Started - Five Steps • Develop a Recruitment Team • Develop a Recruitment Plan with Them • Coordinate Your Plan with Others • Train Your Team to Recruit • Then… JUST DO IT!

13. Sources of New Members • Member Referrals • Friends / Relatives / Neighbors • Business Associates, Customers, etc. • Church Choir Members • Music, Fraternal & Business Organizations • Others?

14. Develop comfortable questions to engage prospects. Who do you know that enjoys singing? Did you sing in school? Have you had voice training? You have a good voice…Where do you sing?

15. Personal Contacts • Create A Prospective New Member Data Base • Organized contacts will yield potential members, ticket and ad sales, sponsors, and support for your chapters. • How To Contact prospects... • In Person • Letter • Telephone • E-mail

16. Other Recruiting Options • General Advertising • Radio and Television • Local News Media • Targeted Marketing • Musical Experience • Expressed Interest • High School/College Yearbooks • Show patrons/Sponsors • Other

17. Correspondence • Use Chapter Letterhead • Professional Appearance for Letters & Cards • Include Chapter Name, Meeting Address, Contact’s Phone, Mail & E:mail Address • Offer Transportation and Map • Refer to the Society & Chapter Vision Statements • “We enrich lives through singing.”

18. Recruitment Aids • “Singing Is Life” Video • Chapter Management Guide • Chapter 3, Page 13 • Chapter 9 • Other Paper Aids • Recruitment Messages You Can Share • Sample Newspaper Ads • PK’s Top Recruiting Tips • More New Ideas

19. More Recruitment Aids • Society & District Web sites • Chapter Web Site • Brochures • Stationery • Artwork • Cards • Manuals

20. ~ Membership Development ~ Taking Recruitment to Whole New Levels

21. When a guest visits the chapter. • Welcome Guest: • Sign the Register • Provide Name Tag • Assign a “Buddy” • Provide Guest Song Book • Introduce Guest before Break • Get Guest Involved in Singing • Members Interact with Guest

22. Level 1 Recruitment Tips • Chapter Mailing lists • Yearbooks • Speak at events • Keep The Whole World Singing • Former Member Letter

23. More Level 1 Tips • Open House • The good old-fashioned Open House still brings in the prospects and makes 'em feel at home. • Share Your Prospects • Just imagine ... Every man getting referred to the chapter which fits his personal needs best. Wow! • Who Do You Know? • Sometimes we need a little prompting to remember all the people whose paths we cross in a given day.

24. Even More Level 1 Tips! • Storefront Display • Use a storefront display to attract attention to your chapter. • Turn Your Radio On • Make use of the exposure local radio can give you. • Wanna Sing? • The “Wanna Sing?” program is designed to get potential members to attend a regular chapter meeting, and can be used in conjunction with the Auditions for Admissions, traditional guest nights, open houses, or any other recruitment program.

25. Level 2 Recruitment Tips • Fair & Convention Booths • Local fairs, conventions and community expos can be a great place to spread the word about your chapter and chorus. • Speak at a Community Event • How can you recruit if no one knows your chapter exists? Get out there and speak to the dozens of community groups which are always looking for a special program!

26. More Level 2 Tips • Analyze Irregular Attendance • Recruit at Performances • Use Women to Find Men • Appeal to Young Singers • Get Guests/New Members Singing

27. Even More Level 2 Tips! • Holiday Chorus • Create a Community Men's Holiday Chorus and bring in singers for a short-term project. A lot of fun, and a great way to "soft sell" your chapter to potential members. Download the full four-page Men's Holiday Chorus brochure (stock #4202). • United We Sing • Built on the same concept as the Holiday Chorus with the focus on patriotic songs and community singing opportunities

28. Share the Dream “There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.” John F. Kennedy

29. Membership Development The Successful Orientation Program • Chapter Expectations of Members • Prospective Member Expectations • Ongoing Orientation • Dues Programs

30. 35% of our new members don’t rejoin after their first year of membership. Why? • Retention starts the moment your prospective new member first hears about your Chapter. • Image is everything and that first impression tells the whole story. • Quality Singing attracts Quality Members. • Orientation keeps them involved in the process. • Orientation = Retention… It’s that simple! Why is Orientation Important?

31. Orientation… Key to Retention • Tells the new member what he’s joined. • Gets him on an equal footing with the rest of the chapter members. • Offers him a chance to become fully engaged much more quickly. • Encourages him to share his new-found hobby with his friends… to Recruit!

32. Successful Orientation • Tells it like it is… • Don’t promise things that aren’t possible. • Don’t paint pictures that aren’t accurate. • Have a written process or procedure and follow it. • Provide handouts about the Society, District, Chapter Chorus. Bring new members up to speed as quickly as possible, without affecting the group.

33. What does he need to know? • His Voice Part • Music Basics • Qualification Procedures • Schedule of events • When he can sing in public • Chapter, District & Society Organization & History

34. Music Orientation Program • These classes can be done weekly prior to rehearsals. • Will vary depending on the size and experience. • When a new member meets the qualifications or standards of the Music Team he is recognized. • Society Music Leadership Team Manual outlines a Basic Music Orientation & Education Program for new members.

35. They Joined to Sing… Music Orientation/Education Program • Vocal Placement / Audition • Warm-up Exercises • Basic Craft Classes • Sight Reading, Vocal Technique, Woodshedding • Repertoire Learning (Make sure they have all the music.) • Teaching Tapes/CDs • Individual Taping while Chorus Sings • Individual Presentation Coaching • One-on-One Section Leader Training • Quarteting / VLQ Experience

36. EASY DUES PROGRAM • Easy-Dues Auto-draft: Convenient, low monthly payments. • Easy-Dues Installment : New members join for just $10, and get 6 months free! • Easy-Dues Annual Payment: Simple & Straightforward. • Easy-Dues Escrow : • A "Pay-As-You-Sing" Chapter Option. FOUR EASY WAYS TO PAY DUES

37. Constructive Input • Don’t wait for him to leave to find out that you have a problem. • Use new members to track how you are doing. • How can you improve their musical experience? • What will help them enjoy their hobby more? • Don’t let... “This is the way we’ve always done it”… be the reason for not making needed changes..

38. DOES ORIENTATION END? • How can your veteran members benefit? • Do you keep your members updated? • Schools & Clinics • Other Chapter Shows • Conventions and Contests • New web sites of barbershop interest • New Society and District Programs • Outside Chapter Coaching & Vocal training

39. Orientation Resources • Member card • Initiation Ceremony • Complimentary Convention Registration • New Member kit • Re:Members • Other Chapter Programs

40. What Else is Available? • District schools • District conventions • Quartet opportunities • Harmony College • International & Mid- Winter conventions • BHS Web services • BHS Staff services

41. Remember this . . . No one ever came to a chapter meeting to make a deliberate mistake. When we take time to orient, we eliminate mistakes, establish the value of the organization and ensure that our members will never want to do anything else when they could be barbershopping. We fulfill our obligations to them. Ev Nau

42. ~ Membership Development ~ Retention “Luv ‘em… or Lose ‘em!”

43. Retention • Why Do Members Leave? • What Can Be Done About It? • What Resources Are Available?

44. Anticipate Potential Losses • Members Complain • Miss Chapter Meetings • Miss Performances • Don’t Volunteer for Duties

45. Reasons For Leaving • Available Time to Learn New Music • Work Commitments • Not Having Enough Fun • Expensive Hobby • Other?

46. Do we know why we lose members? • Nearly 35% drop in the first year of membership • Seven-year itch • 20-years – time to go • 40% are inactive

47. Lost Member Analysis • Die - 3% • Move Away - 5% • Wooed To Another Interest - 12% • Product or Service Failure - 15% • Of these, 65% are lost to Poor Service.

48. What To Do About It • Determine Member Wants/Needs • Mission Statement • Preference Survey • Evaluate What Changes Would Help • VP-CD Chapter Evaluation • Contact Missing Members • Increase Personal Recognition • Get Members Involved • Find Ways to Improve Chapter Meetings

49. More Keys to Retention • Thorough Orientations & Periodic Updates • Singing! Less talk more harmony. • “Lifeblood” Chapter Meetings - Variety • Performance Opportunities • A Chapter Job - Get Them Involved • Coaching - Individual & Group • Recognition - Reward Extra Effort • Facilitate Learning - Learning Tapes

50. Recognition resources • Lapel pin • Man of Note • Big Ten Award • BOTY • Hall of Fame • Awards