Back to the Basics: 6 Keys to Increasing Membership

Sometimes, the best way to grow membership is to return to the basics. That’s what we did at the Building Owners and Managers of Atlanta. By focusing on six steps, we achieved an overall retention rate of more than 90% and increased membership 12% in a single year. Our membership plan was not complex, but it was effective. Below are the keys we used to successfully recruit and retain members.

Create a Shared Vision. Effective membership campaigns have buy-in within all levels of the organization. Ideally, strategic priorities come from the board of directors and are implemented by committees and staff. At the start of the year, BOMA’s board of directors set specific objectives for the Membership Committee. It was then left it up to the committee to determine how to best accomplish the goals. This creative freedom was essential to our success. Because committee members were empowered to develop their own ideas, they were enthusiastic about membership recruitment throughout the entire year.

Achieve Operational Excellence. Operational excellence within an association means you do what you say you will do. It means following through and meeting deadlines. And it means valuing each member enough to return e-mails and phone calls promptly. At BOMA, we strive for operational excellence. Regarding our membership campaign, our dues billing statements were mailed on time for the first time in recent memory; we followed up quickly with all prospective members who contacted the association; and staff encouraged Membership Committee members to follow through on their assigned responsibilities.

Make a Personal Connection. The foundation of any membership campaign is retention. During the renewal process, members should be reminded of the value of their membership. At BOMA, we communicated the benefits members receive through education and networking and the value companies receive through government advocacy and industry data. We also made a personal connection with members. After our final dues invoice was sent, the Membership Committee made phone calls to each member who had not yet renewed their dues. The calls facilitated peer-to-peer communication, reinforced the value of BOMA membership, and provided a meaningful, personal connection between members and the association. As a result, we retained nearly 97% of our core members, and achieved an overall retention rate of more than 90% among core and allied members combined. It is amazing how many people will join or re-join an organization simply because they are asked by a peer.

Deliver Value. Providing meaningful programs for members is critical to the success of membership recruitment and retention. Prior to implementing our membership campaign, BOMA conducted an extensive review of its programs and services. As a result, nicer venues were selected for association events; our government advocacy program became more proactive; new benchmarking data was compiled and distributed; and new educational courses were developed and offered. These changes provided increased value to members and attracted new members to the organization.

Increase Visibility. The true value of an association is often not recognized unless it is either experienced directly or communicated effectively. Therefore, we increased our internal and external communications efforts. We re-branded the association, created a media relations program, re-launched our website, created an e-mail newsletter and developed a plan for marketing our programs and accomplishments. Our efforts resulted in a substantial increase in visibility for the association, both internally and in the news media. The additional visibility generated increased awareness of BOMA and assisted us in our membership efforts.

Celebrate Success. Rather than waiting until the end of the year to celebrate success, we celebrated milestones throughout the year. Members were recognized for their recruitment efforts at each BOMA luncheon; committee members were recognized during meetings; and the association president recognized the Membership Committee in his magazine and newsletter articles. Staff also played an important role in celebrating success. As a staff member, a kind word, saying thank you, and recognizing members for their efforts often means more than we realize.