Your 2013-14 District 5790 Membership Team*

David Hurt Arlington 817-821-0326 Ross Paterson Keller 817-874-6161Nancy Smith Abilene 325-232-2505Dave Hodges Wichita Falls 940-322-8575Lance Winter Weatherford 818-594-9902 (102)Don Ferrell Past District Chair 817-401-2500District Assistant Governors & District Governor

*This committee identifies, markets, and implements membership development tools and strategies that will result in membership growth.

District Leadership Seminar

Where Are We Now?

Membership GrowthHistory of the Growth of Rotary

®

Membership Trends

Membership Retention

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Area of Rotary

Existing member

retention rate

New member retention rate

% Lost After <3 years of membership

Rotary Worldwide

73% 78% 50%

North America 70% 73% 50%

Percentage of Rotarians lost within 3 yrs.

R.I. Regional Membership Webinar Key Points 3/20/2013

Rotary is in declining numbers, both in new member growth and retention rate.

3 year RI goal is to grow 3%...1,300,000 members.

Encouraging members is not enough.

A “How-To” implement plan is needed.

Membership Retention

Why do you Stay with Rotary?

To positively impact my community

Friendship and fellowship

Professional networking/business development opportunities

To have a positive impact globally

Potential for personal/professional recognition

Development and training opportunities

10%

0%

30%

20%

Membership Retention

Why did you initially Join Rotary?

To positively impact my community

Friendship and fellowship

Professional networking/business development opportunities

To have a positive impact globally

Potential for personal/professional recognition

Development and training opportunities

10%

0%

30%

20%

How Do We Improve

District 5790Three-Year Membership

PlanAugust 13, 2013

District 5790 Three-Year Membership Plan Highlights:

1. Fully documented plan for the new Membership Chair2. Addresses both retention and new member development3. Specific easy-to-implement tactics4. Logical and practical long-range membership plan5. Training tips to improve skill level in “Telling Your Story”6. Sample “club information” page for the membership packet7. Example of “invitation-to-join letter8. Quick 1-page summary of plan and team leader job9. Successful track record10. Electronic copy: davidwhurt@sbcglobal.net

Membership Retention

Four tactics to improve retention.

1. PUT THESE IDEAS TO WORK

Important:

•Find leadership roles for new members right from the start?

•Open service projects to prospects at least 4 times a year?

•Look beyond title to a prospect’s mindset for membership potential?

2. Use Charts to Retain Members

Display 2-3 Charts at Every Meeting

1. Telling Why One Joins Rotary

2. Telling Why One Stays in Rotary

3. Welcome to Each New Member

Charts have a proven impact on gaining new members and keeping existing members!

3. Tell “Your Story” At Club Meetings

At least on Visitor Day, have someone tell their story!

Practice to “Connect” with the Visitors…. 1. Why you joined Rotary

2. Why you stay in Rotary

BE INSPIRING

Convey hope, enthusiasm, goodwill, and passion.SOUND: Upbeat Hopeful Visionary BUT NOT:

Hyper Zealous Impractical

OUR VOICE

THINK ABOUT HOW YOU COMMUNICATE

4. The Buddy System

Slowing down our exiting membership

Improving RetentionWith this three-year plan, the primary strategy for club retention is the use of the “Buddy System”…..a group of 4 members….staying in touch and supporting each other. Members will be paired up with one close buddy…and the membership chair will assign a minimum of two or more other buddies to make a team, and appoint one as the team leader.

The team leader puts together an occasional get-together, coordinates joint calls on business leaders, and tracks performance.

Remember to establish a visitor focus day each month to bring visitors to our club. Visitor dynamics are much improved with multiple visitors.

Implementing the “Buddy” System

• Have “Buddy” Teams of at Least Four Members*

• Survey Members Top Two Buddies

• Membership Chair Finalizes Team & Selects a Team Leader

• Buddies Stay in Touch With Each Other and Report Illnesses

• Team Leader Organizes a Get Together Every 3-4 Months

• Team Members Work Together To Get New Members

* Number of Teams to Equal Club Goal for New Members

Adding New Members

A Five Step Process

1. Buddy pals: Qualify Candidate, Connect, Tell Your Story, and Invite potential Rotarian candidate to a Club Meeting

2. Membership Team: Provide Rotary/Club Membership Packet

3. Board of Director Meeting after club meeting to screen potential member

4. Club President: Within 10 days, send formal invitation-to-join letter

5. Phone call follow-up

The Presidential Citation

Required Activity:

“Attract and/or retain members to achieve a minimum net gain of at least one member between July 1, 2013 and march 1, 2014.”

SURVEY RESULTS

Never Heard of Rotary

Know Name Only

SomeFamiliarity

Identifying Qualified Candidates

• Experience as a professional position

• Community leaders

• Live or work in the club area

• R.I. Foundation Alumni

• Owners of service companies

• Club classification not over-represented

The KEY: Sharing Your Rotary Story

• Why did you join Rotary…Why do you stay?

• Feel It….Practice telling it:

1. within the club to other members

2. when inviting guests to “a free meal”

3. to club visitors

BE INSPIRING

Convey hope, enthusiasm, goodwill, and passion.SOUND: Upbeat Hopeful Visionary BUT NOT:

Hyper Zealous Impractical

OUR VOICE

THINK ABOUT HOW YOU COMMUNICATE

Recent Training• I have attended two International Webinars on this subject in

the last two months…..

• August 3rd I was in Round Rock for a Multi-District Multi-State Training Program…..

• I have listened to past district membership chairs and other brilliant minds and have concluded….

Rotarians could learn from Fishermen about how they land a fish!

Fish Cupcakes

Secrets for Catching Fish

1. You have to want to go fishing.

2. You must be smarter than the fish.

3. You have to put your hook in the water.

4. You get a fishing buddy to Share the experience.

A Rotary “Go Fishing” Plan

First you need to visualize what you are going to do!

Then develop a plan…What is the best time to get there?

What kind of fish do you want to catch?

What equipment will you need?

Know “how to” fish a body of water so you don’t spook a fish

Know “how to” attract, play, and land a fish.

Tips for Handling Objections

• Concern: I just don’t have time:

• Response: Other than eating Rotary asks for about 2 minutes a day…1 hour per month

• Concern: I just don’t have the money:

• Response: Other than meals, Rotary cost less than a dollar a day.

Be Opportunistic & Ready to Share Your Story

Tell Your Vision of Rotary

Add Your Experience

Share it with a Meal Invitation!

Communicate Membership Value or

“What’s In It For Me???”

Ideas…What to doVisualization…tell your story

or

Informative, but passive Life related parallels, active, passionate

CurrentProposed

I’d Like To Tell You A Story• This true life amazing story is about one of the most successful

humanitarian efforts in the last 100 years.• It is about 4 businessmen, who had little time because of their business,

getting together over a meal and becoming friends.• Along the way, as their bond grew stronger, they saw a need in the

community and acted on it…and asked others to join in.• Today there are over 1,250,000 business and professional leaders from

all walks of life and in all parts of the globe doing the same thing…developing friendships, doing good in their community, and in the world.

• I’d like to offer you that opportunity…To break bread (meal is on us) and learn some more about Rotary.

Telling “My Story”….I can only say being a Rotarian has changed my life and I feel good about being involved in a world-wide humanitarian effort to help others. I never in a hundred years thought:I’d have this much fun giving back…I’d make so many good friends…I’d be part of a team effort to eradicate a global disease..I’d learn so much about local community activities…I’d have an opportunity to dine with a UN Ambassador…I’d have Bill Gates join my Rotary team…I’d feel so good being a part in addressing global issues.

In the Process of “Giving Back”…

Rotary adds joy to your heart….

peace to your mind…..

added purpose to your life.

KEY ELEMENTS FOR SUCCESS

1. Think & be prepared for membership “opportunities.”

2. Invite a qualified candidate to a club meeting & follow-up.

3. Don’t try to explain the details about Rotary.

4. All members make visitors feel welcome.

5. Don’t let visitors leave without a membership packet.

6. Send a timely invitation letter to join within 10-14 days.

In a nutshell, most people join Rotary to give back and to add purpose to their lives. Networking should be a secondary reason.

Rotary creates that opportunity…and in the process of giving, we receive more than the recipient…that’s our value of Rotary!

Summing it Up!

Our job…every single one of us…is to tell our story about Rotary to a community or business leader in such a way as to encourage them to take a look at Rotary and receive the gift of giving back.

One Last Thing to Remember……

Thank Thank You!You!Your District Membership Team

Questions?