Retaining Members – Part 8

  • Ask their opinion
  • Incorporate activities outside of toastmasters
  • Have them write down their goals
  • Encourage them to work on the leadership track
  • Establish standards for responding to members
  • When conducting focus groups at meetings, invite attendees who are not leaders to participate.
  • Send mini-surveys that can be done quickly (via fax or email).
  • When a new member joins, e-mail congratulations from an organizational leader that same day.
  • Post results of meetings and conferences on social media
  • Increase meeting attendance by featuring an interview with the meeting’s keynote speaker in the publication that comes out a month before the meeting.
  • List new members on your Web site.
  • Combine and coordinate all forms of member communication to support membership recruitment and retention efforts.
  • Have a special list serve and/or special section of the Web site for first year members.
  • Partner-up members for progress
  • Give members points when they participate in any activity, like frequent flyer points. They can spend their points in the District bookstore or for another award.

Retaining Members – Part 7

  • Have a strong mentoring program
  • Have guest speakers
  • Have interclub meetings (do a banner raid!)
  • Have social activities
  • Variety in meeting format
  • Individual name tags or place cards
  • Executives speak to members personally
  • Recognize progress
  • Make friendships
  • Senior members set good example
  • Present toastmaster pin when the icebreaker is delivered
  • Encourage commitment
  • Solve conflict promptly and fairly
  • Motivate and teach
  • Thank-you notes for special jobs
  • Give awards for attendance
  • Send an audio file as an informal annual report.
  • Establish a  Member Service Centre for “one stop shopping,” a website or website page where they can receive all information and products/services they need

Retaining Members – Part 6

  • Encourage members to achieve educational goals
  • Get them to attend a district conference
  • Use the successful club series
  • Use the better speaker series
  • Use the moments of truth
  • Plan ahead four to six weeks
  • Have a backwards meeting
  • Have a brainstorming session if you’re short a speaker
  • Positive and encouraging environment
  • Call them when they’re absent
  • Put the member on the agenda
  • Recognize each member
  • Reward achievements
  • Fun meetings
  • Theme meeting
  • Find out the individual needs of the members
  • Attend officer training
  • Have educational sessions

Retaining Members – Part 5

  • Have well-organized meetings
  • Show that you care
  • Give the members responsibility
  • Don’t pressure new members
  • Always insist on manual speeches
  • Change of pace in the meetings
  • Continuity
  • Re-invite inactive members
  • Make them feel important
  • Get them working on a goal
  • Use them as mentors. Talk up the benefits of toastmasters
  • Be an audience
  • Annual award ceremony or recognition day
  • Send out postcards
  • Have an orientation meeting
  • Praise them
  • Treat others with dignity and respect
  • Encourage growth
  • Have a mystery night
  • Non-threatening atmosphere
  • Break up the routine

Retaining Members – Part 4

  • Produce materials that clearly show what the company/employer gains by joining and participating in your organization.
  • For members recruited during a membership drive, ask them to add at least one extra contact during their first year of membership.
  • During functions, suggest that officers look for new members and spend time with them. Make sure new members’ name tags indicate their status.
  • Scan industry, professional, and community publications, as well as the Internet, for ads by members. Try to get them to use the association logo or some sign of affiliation
  • Recognize best practice traditions in your club and recognize those that uphold them.
  • Put individual e-mail addresses of key leaders on your Web site.
  • Over the hump ceremony when the sixth speech is given
  • Induction ceremony – include sponsor
  • Be more open to new ideas
  • Comfortable meetings
  • Listen
  • Use each member’s specific skills
  • Be warm and smile a lot
  • Get to know each member individually
  • Use humour – “Don’t quit or we will die!”
  • Learn to laugh
  • Foster a social, yet learning, atmosphere
  • Executives delegate to members