“Failures don’t plan to fail; they fail to plan” – you’ve heard it said in many ways, but it always rings true. Coined by syndicated columnist, motivational speaker, and best-selling author, Harvey MacKay, it means that by setting goals, determining specific courses of action, and carrying out the steps to attain those goals, you are more likely to achieve success than if you had not done so. Whether you are trying to shorten your club’s sell list, lose weight, or learn a new language, a little planning goes a long way. Now that we’re on the brink of a new year, consider this the perfect opportunity to set your goals for a fresh start in the new year.
Let us focus on creating a member activation marketing plan as an example. The best planning happens when you understand the background: your marketplace, your club’s position within the marketplace, the demographics and profile of your “average member.” Without this knowledge, your plan will merely be guesswork. A member activation marketing plan does not need to be a lengthy dissertation, but it should include several vital components that are all built around the framework of relationship building; knowing as much as you can about your members will help you understand how best to get their attention.
Begin by setting a realistic overall goal in support of the club’s mission and vision statements. Our overall goal will be “to create and generate word-of-mouth marketing by making every member and guest experience at the club an outstanding one.” Think about creating a sense of pride that is contagious. Now, list several objectives that will help achieve the overall goal:
- Personally connect with ten members per week to foster stronger relationships and increase member recognition.
- Inform and engage front-line staff to spread the word on club events and membership opportunities through informative weekly meetings.
- Continue to build pride and increase awareness of club events through weekly eCommunications and monthly eNewsletters which clearly reflect the club’s brand and are targeted towards members’ individual interests.
- Join community groups and leaders and attend regular meetings and events on behalf of the club to build awareness of your club within the marketplace.
- Involve fellow managers, membership committees and/or boards of directors in the conversation, where necessary, to help ensure success while also keeping in mind that you can create and execute parts of the plan on your own. A budget for each objective should be included where applicable, although most of the above objectives can be implemented with no additional cost whatsoever, just a bit of commitment and effort.
For each objective, determine a timetable, track results, and periodically review outcomes. If, for example, we meet our objective of connecting with “ten members per week,” we will have personally connected with 500 members over the course of one year (less a few weeks of well-deserved vacation, of course!). By charting your weekly “connects,” you can easily see where you stand compared to your plan and can adjust if you fall behind so that the objective is never overwhelming. Think of it as solving one piece of the puzzle at a time, instead of trying to complete the whole thing at once. Reaching out to everyone all at once is much less effective than connecting on a personal level with each of the 500 one at a time over the course of a year.
During your periodic reviews, you may find that a change of course or the addition of another objective is necessary. That is perfectly acceptable; this is a living document and should adapt to ensure the best possible outcome. If an opportunity arises that will help move the plan toward a positive outcome, by all means add it to the mix. Conversely, should one objective not mesh or become a detriment to the overall goal, delete it and move on. At the end of the plan’s cycle, review and memorialize your results, determine your next goal, and begin the working on your next cycle of success.
While you may think I’ve oversimplified things, the fact I hope I have illustrated is that the entire process can be as involved – or simple – as need be. If the above plan fits your needs, by all means STEAL IT! After all, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Now think about it for a moment – how will you plan for member activation success in the new year?
About the Author: Jill R. Melbye is a Principal and Certified Marketing Professional with MAI Business Services. She has worked within the private club industry for 15 years and conducts seminars and provides marketing support to the hospitality industry. She is also the publisher and author of “Membership & Marketing: From A to Z”, MAI’s quarterly eNewsletter. For more information, please contact Jill at jill@melbye-assoc.com, or visit the website www.melbye-assoc.com. Follow her on twitter! www.twitter.com/jrmelbye
Thanks and have a great day!
Ed Rehkopf
This weekly blog comments on and discusses the club industry and its challenges. From time to time, we will feature guest bloggers — those managers and industry experts who have something of interest to say to all of us. We also welcome feedback and comment upon the blog, hoping that it will become a useful sounding board for what’s on the minds of hardworking club managers throughout the country and around the world.
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