New Member Integration
Many new members are lost in the first year or two of membership. There are a number of factors that cause this to happen including:
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Less commitment – New members are less committed as they have less experience and less knowledge of your services.
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The “gym” phenomenon – Many new members have all the good intentions of getting involved – but other things take priority and before they know it, it is the end of the year and they “didn’t really use the membership”.
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The “fear” factor – As with any newcomer entering into a group, there is always a settling in process. The first step in that process is for the new member to get to know new, unfamiliar people. This can involve scary things such as walking into a room full of strangers. This kind of activity opens them up to rejection – therefore many never take that first step.
In order to prevent these factors from having an impact on your retention levels it is a good idea to develop a special program for first year members. A good program can have an impressive effect on renewal rates as it increases their loyalty and their perception of the value of their membership.
It is important to have a range of strategies and tactics that engage new members in order to both fulfil and exceed their expectations. A well structured program will ensure your new members renew, and continue to renew, year after year.