Understanding Typical Member Retention Rates

What are your current retention rates?  Do you know?

If not, that's the first thing you need to do to understand your membership and where your money comes from on an annual basis.

Let's review the basics, 90% retention, 80% retention, 70% retention can make a huge difference in your recruiting strategy.

If you're at the 90% retention level, great, consider yourself lucky, because most chambers are nowhere near those numbers.

You've heard the old saying, engagement increases retention.  Yes, and maybe no!

The bottom line is you want to recruit members who believe in what you do (your mission) and they're called "Altruistics."  They will support you no matter the issues of the day that your Chamber may be dealing with at any given time.

For more information on different types of members please visit YTheyJoin.com or HERE.

An "Altruistic" by definition, believes in what you do and will not change their mind in supporting your chamber over any contentious issue that may arise from time to time.

They believe that you want a strong economic environment for not only the business community but also the general public and that's why they will support you, even if they don't believe in any one specific issue that they may disagree with you on.

Those are the members we want!

Why chase members that you have to please every day vs the "Altruistic" that will be with you every day, week, month and year because they believe in you and the greater cause?

Find the "Altruistics" in your community and recruit them today.  They will support your efforts in building the future of your organization and your community.

For a previous blog post on membership equations go HERE.

Good luck! 

Tips for Creating Programs with a Strategic Purpose

When you're creating a program or event, are you thinking about how it relates to your strategic plan?

Or are you just worried about whether it's promoted properly?

Or are you hitting your numbers for the amount of attendees you budgeted for?

At the end of the day, that's the wrong way to look at this process.

Instead, think about whether this program or event directly relates to your strategic plan/mission and does it make money?  For more information on a blog post I did about program-based budgeting go HERE or about making money go HERE.

The reality is that only 15% - 20% of your members actually attend your events.

As stated in the Horizon Initiative: Chambers 2025 report you need to base your recruiting on the mission and not your organizations events.

Bottom line, let's get out of the special event business and get into the advocacy business.  I know, I take hits all the time when I mention this concept at different venues across the country, but at the end of the day, you need to be the advocate for your members not the special events coordinator.

Consider getting out of the ribbon cutting business, the golf tournaments or the fireworks shows!

For more information on the Horizons Initiative: Chambers 2025 report by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) go HERE.

Good luck in changing the focus of your chamber from one of events to one of being the leader in the community through advocacy and community development programs.

Until next time!