Maximising membership renewals

Renewals are a sign of member satisfaction. Those that renew are happy with what they are getting from being a member. Those that don’t are in search of more. There will always be members who fall into one of the following:

• Moved – have changed email or postal address and have not advised you.
• Busy – have forgotten about renewing and haven’t had time to get to it.
• Undecided – have not gotten what they wanted from their membership and are unsure.
• Dissatisfied – have had negative experiences with your club and are not going to renew.

To maximise the likelihood of retaining your members each year you should have a number of ways to renew – telephone, email, post, internet or in person. Allowing your members to pay by direct credit will increase your retention rate as the person has to take action in order to not renew.

Tips for sending out renewal notices

• Ensure your database is up to date prior to renewal time.
• Consider segmenting your renewal forms based on your membership categories. This way you can remind people of the value that their membership provides them with.
• Use a simple mailer with as much information pre-filled out as possible.
• Start sending out renewal notices three months before the membership lapses.

For example:

• 1 April: Renewal notice “Renew now for your membership discount”
• 1 May: Reminder notice “Don’t forget your membership is due”
• 1 June: Urgent reminder “Have we done something wrong?”
• 1 July: Resigned notice “Your membership has lapsed, contact us right away to have this reinstated”

Remember: if the member doesn’t renew it is a good idea to find out why and follow up with them at a later date. For many, the decision to renew or not to renew is made before renewal time based on their experience throughout the year. It is better to be proactive rather than reactive!