1. The Importance of Regional
Participation in Personal Selling Your
Association Membership and a Way to
Approach It
Or…
Selling Membership doesn’t mean
having to say “You’re Sorry”
Erik Schonher
Vice President
Marketing General Incorporated
(703) 706-0358
February 2013

2. 1
A Quick Note from Erik Schonher…
This presentation is an adaptation of one being made to a client’s regional
leadership. Mostly volunteer, these individual’s struggle with the
responsibility of “new member sales” for the association. As not all of
them are “out-going” by nature, this is obviously a challenge.
However, I hope that this presentation will help by showing how important
their personal experience is and that the process is really based upon
having a little fun and talking about something they feel has benefit to
them…their membership.

3. What is our goal..?
TO GROW MEMBERSHIP
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4. It’s a Process.
The Membership
Five Activities Lifecycle
Awareness
Recruitment
Engagement
Renewal
Reinstatement

5. What are the most effective recruitment marketing channels you have used? (Top
10 listed)
Word-of-mouth recommendations 58%
45%
Direct mail 40%
33%
Association website 35%
35%
Email 35%
43%
Cross-sell to non-members who buy your products or attend your conferences 20%
20%
18% 80% or above (n=192)
Chapters
20%
Less than 80% (n=168)
Association-sponsored events 15%
13%
Promotion to/at your own conferences/conventions 14%
18%
Local events/meetings 10%
10%
Exhibiting at other conferences 8%
10%
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6. What’s the best way
TO GROW MEMBERSHIP?
“WORD OF MOUTH”
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7. What is the number one reason “Why People Join an Association?”
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8. What do you believe is the ONE TOP reason members JOIN your organization?
(Top 10 only)
Networking with others in the field 18%
20%
Continuing education 16%
6%
Access to specialized and/or current information 10%
13%
Accredidation or certification 8%
5%
Advocacy 8%
10%
Association publications 6%
5%
Learning best practices in their profession 6%
8%
80% or above (n=192)
Advancing in their position 4%
2% Less than 80% (n=168)
Prestige of belonging to the association 4%
5%
Access to career resources 3%
1%
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9. What is common between “Word of Mouth” and “Networking”?
PERSONAL INTERACTION
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10. Has anyone ever told you their
story as to why they became a
member?
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11. Why did you became a member?
10

12. WHAT IS KEY TO THE STORY?
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13. What the member received, or…
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
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15. 14
Features
Benefit
Value

16. SHARE…THE BENEFITS
COMPARE…THE VALUE
BECOME MORE AWARE
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17. 16
Value Message: What does the research show that members value?
Presented here was confidential data obtained
through a comprehensive research project of the
associations membership.

19. DISCUSSION
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20. THANK YOU
Erik Schonher
Vice President
Marketing General Incorporated
(703) 706-0358
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