Associations need to use multi-media, personalized, targeted, communication through various channels to retain members in today's tough environment. This presentation suggests a number of ways to do that as well as a case study of an association that had success doing so.

1. Improving Membership Retention
Through Consistent
Communication
Scott Oser
Scott Oser Associates

2. Agenda
• About You!
• Things to think about
• Case Study: Tech Council of Maryland
• Q&A

3. How Are You Renewing Members?
• Direct Mail
• Email
• Phone
• Direct Mail and Email
• Direct Mail, Email and Phone
• Other combination of activities

4. How Many Renewal Efforts?
• 1
• 2-3
• 4-5
• More than 5

5. Who is participating in renewal
activities
• Membership
• Other staff
• BOD
• Other volunteers
• Accounting

6. How are you tracking renewals?
• Source codes by effort by renewal group
• One source code for all efforts
• Tracking? What’s that?

7. How many times per year do you
simply check in with members
without asking them to do, or
purchase, something?
• Once
• 2-5 times
• More than 5 times
• Why would I want to do that?

8. QUESTIONS

9. “Associations with overall increases in
membership over the past year, as well as
those with renewal rates higher than 80%,
are more likely to attempt more renewal
contacts. . . These increases in renewal
rates appear after seven contacts.”
(2010 MGI Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report)

10. ”Personal contact appears to be a key
ingredient for increasing renewals.
Associations with renewal rates of 80%
or higher are significantly more likely to
use personal approaches such as peer to
peer member contacts to help with
renewal efforts.”
(2010 MGI Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report)

11. QUESTIONS

12. Case Study: Tech Council of MD
• About TCM
– Brief History of Organization
– Staff Size
– Membership Categories
– Membership Numbers and Trends

13. Case Study: Tech Council of MD
• Past Membership Retention Strategy
– Anniversary date renewal
– 2 renewal notices
• 1 phone call
• 1 invoice by direct mail
– 3 Months after expiration before ceasing
benefits
– All retention handled by Part-time
Membership Coordinator

14. Case Study: Tech Council of MD
• Results of past strategy
– Membership was disorganized
– Members didn’t receive any consistent
communication targeted to them
– Revenue was being given away because benefits
were being received without cash in hand
– Members were being trained that there really was no
penalty for renewing late
– Membership retention was a concern!
….and an opportunity!

15. Case Study: Tech Council of MD
• 3 Step Process
– Talk to key staff and volunteers
– Review past materials, past results and
processes
– Review financial, technical and human
resources

16. Case Study: Tech Council of MD
• New Retention and Communication Process
Goals
– 365 Day Communication Strategy
– Multi-media Approach
– Targeted communication
– Outreach to members when not asking for
money
– More interpersonal communication
– No free membership benefits due to process

17. Case Study: Tech Council of MD
NewRenewed Membership Process Time Line (Example)
– Weekly newrenewal welcome call: due by June 10 (Executive
Directors)
– 4 weeks of joiningrenewing welcome email: July 2 (Membership
Manager)
– 90 days newrenewed of joining handwritten check in letter:
September 2 (Executive Directors)
– 6 month newrenewed check in call: December 2 (Membership
Manager)
– 120 day check in call: February 2 (Membership Manager)
– 90 day invoice letter: March 2 (Finance)
– 90 day follow up invoice email: March 9 (Membership Manager)
– 30 day final notice call: May 30 (Executive Directors)
– Expire invoice letter
– 30 day final notice email: May 30 (Finance)
– 30 day post expire letteremail script: June 30 (Membership
Manager)
– 60 day post expire call script: July 31 (Executive Directors)

18. 90 Day Renewal Letter

19. Case Study: Tech Council of MD
30 Day Renewal Script
Hi (first name),
This is ******* calling from the Tech Council of Maryland. I am calling
to remind you that your membership in Tech Council of Maryland expires
this month and we have yet to receive your renewal payment. Are you
planning on renewing your membership? If so you need to do that
immediately so you continue receiving all of the benefits that we provide
to you as a member. We have already put a final invoice in the mail to
you that you can use to renew. If you don’t want to wait for that you
can always go to our website at www.techcouncilmd.com and renew your
membership online. Of course I am willing to take a credit card over the
phone if that is easier for you.
***If someone says they aren’t renewing ask them why***

20. Expire Letter

21. Sample Invoice

22. Post-expire Email
Dear (first name),
My name is Todd Hayes and I am the Member Relations Manager for the Tech Council of Maryland. According to our
records, your membership dues are 30 days past due. To reinstate your membership and continue to enjoy the
many benefits of the Tech Council of Maryland renew today!
You may renew online, by going to this link https://techcouncilmd.com/members/renew.php, or send in the original
invoice with payment. For your convenience I have also attached a copy of the invoice with this email.
Through the support and services that we provide to our rapidly growing 500 member companies, TCM is the vital
contributor to the growth and success of the Mid-Atlantic region’s technology businesses. We have grown to become
the largest Technology Association in the region with thousands of member contacts and participation.
With your renewal and the support of members like you, it gives TCM the opportunity to provide value-added
programs and quality services to the membership. In turn, this helps them grow and be more compatible in the
marketplace!
We are also very excited about the variety of opportunities for you to network, further your professional
development, and expand your business portfolio. We are getting our volunteer committees refocused, and are
offering a number of industry specific committees to provide you and/or members of your staff the opportunity for a
peer-network group to gather information and share ideas. These industry specific committees include
telecommunications, capital formation, government contracting, human resources, general counsel and many more;
and are offered as a member-only benefit.
I am confident that the unique benefits that we provide have proven to be valuable to you multiple times over the
last 12 months. If you do not renew immediately, they will no longer be available to you. Renew now!
We look forward to your renewal and support of TCM and the tech community.
Sincerely,
Todd Hayes
Todd Hayes
Member Relations Manager

23. Case Study: Tech Council of MD
Weekly welcome call script
Hi (first name),
This is (Your Name) calling from Division, a Division of the Tech Council of Maryland.
I wanted to be the first person to welcome you as a member of our association.
I am the Title and it is my job to make sure that membership in Tech Council
membership meets all of your expectations. If at any time you do not feel we are
focused on serving your needs do not hesitate to give me a call.
I also wanted to personally invite you to attend our next event. It is being held (fill in
here).
Do you have any immediate questions or concerns that I can help with? ***If yes,
answer them. If no, “thank you again for joining and I hope to meet you soon.****

24. 90 Day Check-up

25. Case Study: Tech Council of MD
• The Good News
• Membership retention increased from
74% to 79%
• 70% pay by their renewal date
• 30% pay ahead of time
• Members have given positive feedback
regarding the constant contact about
their needs
– “Thank you for the handwritten letter, it’s nice to know you
care about more than just my money.”
– “My membership in TCM is very valuable and I appreciate
your call to make sure everything is going well. If I need
anything in the future I know who to contact.”
– “I am very happy with our membership. You guys are doing all
the right things, like this phone call to make sure we are
happy with TCM. Thanks for checking in.”

26. Case Study: Tech Council of MD
• Lessons Learned
– Membership is everyone’s job
– Strong processes and procedures help
everyone
– Targeting messages to audiences helps
retention
– Multi-channel marketing is critical
– Communication must be regular but not
always about money-driven transactions.

27. Very Little Difference Between
Non-Engaged Members and Lapsed Members
Members “who are not involved lie perilously close to former members
in the overarching assessment of the value they derive from
associations. If former members are thought to be dead, the uninvolved
are close to comatose”
(The Decision to Join, p 4).

28. THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING!!
Scott Oser, Scott Oser Associates:
301-279-0468 scott@scottoserassociates.com