New Member Orientation - The Club's Best Communication Tool
by Bob Bodman
It is no major
revelation that when an individual is accepted for membership and is
making the transition from a prospective member to a new member, the
most effective way to welcome and induct the new member into the club is
through an "New Member Orientation". However, the power and
significance of this step in the membership process is often over-looked
and under-estimated.
There is a wide variety of applications of
the New Member Orientation: some clubs approach this as primarily a
social event by hosting "New Member Wine/Cocktail Receptions." Other
clubs approach this process by hosting more active events, such as with
lunches, dinners, banquets, golf events, etc., coupled with an
orientation presentation including introductions and welcome speeches.
Others take a more formalized approach, inviting new members to attend a
more personalized one-on-one session.
Some clubs approach the
orientation comprehensively, covering a wide array of club aspects in
detail, yet some glance over the club's amenities and services with an
assumption that the new members already know most of what the club has
to offer or that they will find out on their own over time and though
trial, error and experiment. Some clubs leave the task of orientation to
the Member Sponsor. For the purpose of this article, I am going to
focus on the more formal, one-on-one new member orientation session.
Over more than a
decade of conducting member focus groups and member surveys, we have
found several common issues with regard to the variety of orientation
approaches:
First: When there is a Membership
Director on staff, the members rate their new member experience much
higher, usually citing good personal communications, good follow-up and
an effective new member orientation. Click to Continue Article
