Recruiting new members can be a lot easier
Offering the right service to potential members:
When a potential member shows interest in your club or your services, the first thing you need to do is work out the next step to recruiting them. Offer a committed membership and they may be scared away, offer them some more information and a loose invitation to join and they may never return. Assessing what the member needs are is key to converting leads into paying members. Here are a few tips on offering the right amount of support to your potential new members.
1) The ex-member or friend referral
First of all, you have your potential members that are ready to go. It’s likely that they have previously been members or have been referred by a friend; they know about your club and want to be a member. These people are ready to join but may need a little reassurance they are making a good decision but here you can go straight to helping the member choose the right type of membership for them. These are good members to upsell to, they already want the membership and it’s a good opportunity to give more information about other services or products you can offer.
2)The intrigued member
Then you have the potential members that maybe know where you’re based and what services you offer but are not sure that that’s what they’re looking for. Having a few reservations about committing to a membership right away, it’s probably best to offer a paid trial here. It’s also good to start a conversation and try and answer any questions they may have, they’ll feel a lot more comfortable coming to try a lesson and hopefully sign to a committed membership.
3) The on the fence member
We then have the people that are not so sure. Maybe they know they want to join a club like yours but don’t really know where to start. Remember, you’re an expert in your field and these people are starting at zero. They’ll probably lack confidence and need that support to get the confidence to come to a class. Starting a conversation, whether in person or online, is the best way to start with these members. Discuss their goals and provide information on why your club will work for them and ensure your website has as much information about your club as possible. A free trial or invitation to view the facilities will be what these members need to move forward with the process of becoming a member. These potential members will take a lot of time and effort, especially in comparison to people who walk in and are ready to sign straight away!
4) Everyone else
Then you have your general public. People that maybe have no idea your business even exists. These are the hardest people to convert into paying, committed members and you’ll often see the most time, effort and money here – and that’s because it’s needed. These people have a long way to go before they decide to hand over their bank details, but it’s possible. Some simple advertising using your social media and having a presence in your community is the best place to start and build that brand awareness that reaches them. Whilst this is worthwhile, remember to spend some of your time, effort and budget on your loyal members – it’s much easier to keep members than recruit new ones!
Utilising a software database with tracking and or method of contacting these prospects will ensure your process for recruiting is streamlined. For the “everyone else” type of members, social media advertising will allow you target specifically to the area and types of attributes you want or see in a member of your club. It’s then about catching their eye and being appealing to their needs. Running multiple ads tailored to these different types of members will yield better results than one blanket campaign. The most useful tool you need is an automatic way of capturing these members’ details once they’re interested. Simply Collect provides a platform that links to your social media ads and instantly contact them, you and puts their information into the database. We can then track and contact them directly from one central system.
It is clear that to attract new members we need to look at the category they fit into and then address their needs and tailor our sale techniques to them.
As always if you would like to explore how Simply Collect can guarantee to improve the sales/ recruiting processes please just contact us on the below.
enquiries@simplycollect.co.uk.co.uk
0330 223 3152