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New Member Orientation - The Club's Best Communication Tool

It is no major revelation that when an individual is accepted for membership and is making the transition from a prospective member to a new member, the most effective way to welcome and induct the new member into the club is through an "New Member Orientation". However, the power and significance of this step in the membership process is often over-looked and under-estimated.

There is a wide variety of applications of the New Member Orientation: some clubs approach this as primarily a social event by hosting "New Member Wine/Cocktail Receptions." Other clubs approach this process by hosting more active events, such as with lunches, dinners, banquets, golf events, etc., coupled with an orientation presentation including introductions and welcome speeches. Others take a more formalized approach, inviting new members to attend a more personalized one-on-one session.

Some clubs approach the orientation comprehensively, covering a wide array of club aspects in detail, yet some glance over the club's amenities and services with an assumption that the new members already know most of what the club has to offer or that they will find out on their own over time and though trial, error and experiment. Some clubs leave the task of orientation to the Member Sponsor. For the purpose of this article, I am going to focus on the more formal, one-on-one new member orientation session.

Over more than a decade of conducting member focus groups and member surveys, we have found several common issues with regard to the variety of orientation approaches:

• First: When there is a Membership Director on staff, the members rate their new member experience much higher, usually citing good personal communications, good follow-up and an effective new member orientation.
• Second: When a club does not conduct new member orientations, our survey results, mainly in the form of narrative comments, indicate overall dissatisfaction with their level of understanding of the club's amenities, service, bylaws, rules, how long it has taken them to get to "know the ropes," and in not being able to "break into" certain member groups (i.e., Senior's, 18 Holers, Card Groups, etc.)
• Third: These comments generally involve not knowing that the club has certain programs, events and services available until weeks or even months after they have joined. Many complain that they didn't know about certain hours of operation in the dining room, fitness room or the practice range. And, many members express frustration with not knowing who to ask questions of, where to go to get information, not feeling like they fit in, not feeling like they can get the right tee times, not comfortable enough with their own familiarity with the club to bring guests, and a plethora of personal situations with regard to becoming familiar with the club.

The New Member Orientation Session is one of the most effective communication venues a club has available.  It is the best opportunity to explain the membership benefits, privileges and responsibilities are bestowed upon a new member and to go beyond the basic knowledge that a new member will need to begin using the club.  Club industry research has clearly established that the primary reason for member resignations is "Lack of Use." If new members do not fully understand the full breadth and depth of their membership, they most likely will not use or enjoy it to its fullest and, thus, will not derive full value.

A new member orientation involves, not only a physical orientation of the club's amenities and services, but also a cultural orientation. A club is association of people with like minds, similar interests, gathered together for a common purpose. Clubs miss out on a major opportunity to integrate the new member into the club's culture if they do not use the New Member Orientation to cover several critical cultural aspects:

• What are the club's current initiatives and goals and how the members are being asked to participate and support them?
• What are the club's challenges and what the club is currently doing to address the?
• Why do certain bylaws and rules exist, especially the more recently adopted ones?
• How the club sustains itself through member sponsorship and referrals (MBIO) and that this is an important responsibility shared by all members.
• What are the club's most important aspects, its distinguishing characteristics?
• What club programs and events will fit most closely with their interests and who they should talk to get started?
• Encouragement for bringing guests to the club.
• How to engage the entire family in club programs and activities (if it is a "family club").
• What is the club's stated mission and what is its "core purpose?

The new member orientation session is as important for the club as it is for the new member. In a formal sense, this is the time to get an acknowledgment  and commitment to abide by the club's rules and regulations, to embrace the club's overall goals, and to help strengthen the membership roster through referral and  sponsorship. The club, in turn, should commit to service the member's needs and interests, and maintain the image and standards which attracted the member to the club in the first place. Additionally, the club benefits from early use of the club, through dining room sales, guest fees, event sign-ups, lessons, merchandise sales and cart revenues. This is a win-win situation, as early use is also best for the new member as well. Beyond operational revenues, just think of the value to the club if this new member is encouraged to sponsor his friends to join as well!

Membership marketing is all about creating and sustaining relationships. At the beginning of each new membership sales cycle, the Membership Director established a relationship with each prospective member. During the orientation session, this relationship is enhanced, or elevated. It is at this point in time that the Membership Director has the full audience from the new member.  New  members have just entered the club with a whole new sphere of influence with their friends and associates and what better time than when they are excited about using their new club and, at the same time, feel like surrounding themselves with their friends and associates.

About the Author

With more than 25 years experience in the private club industry, Bob Bodman has been involved in nearly every aspect of club management, development, acquisition, planning and membership marketing. Prior to forming CLUB RESOURCES, Bob founded Pacific Century Clubs, Inc. in 1991 to provide Membership Marketing and Strategic Planning services to clubs under development and ClubSurvey.com which he founded in 1998 to deliver Membership Focus Groups and Surveys to many high-end clubs including Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Cordevalle, and Los Altos Golf and County Club. Earlier in his career Bob served as General Manager of Burning Tree Country Club (Greenwich, CT), and The City Club of San Francisco, which was part of the largest private club management company in the world. Additionally, Bob is the author of Standards of Operation and Performance for Private Clubs and Establishing a New Membership Director Position, and co-author of the The Guide to Membership Marketing. Club-Resources.com

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