One Group's Testimonial
Susan Smylie
Floresville, Texas, USA
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 35 No. 6, December 1999-January 2000, p. 138
This is a real-life story
of how promoting membership (subscription) has worked for our Group.
We have gone from being a Group where most of the members were Leader
Applicants or long-term members to one where almost everyone who attends
a meeting becomes a member. Many mothers join at their first meeting
and almost all join by their third meeting. A variety of approaches
has contributed to our success.
Probably the most significant
change and the one that produced the most dramatic results was the way
we promoted membership. We stopped promoting membership as a benefit
to the member and started promoting it as a benefit to LLL. We still
let potential members know what membership offers them, but the heart
of our appeal is the benefit membership provides to LLL. Although the
exact phrasing changes from month to month, our appeal sounds something
like the following:
LLL is here to help all women
who are interested in learning about breastfeeding and membership is not
required; however, LLL could not be here without our past members. Membership
is what sustains LLL as an organization. If you believe that you have
been helped by LLL and would like to ensure that LLL is here to help other
mothers in the future, we ask that you consider becoming a member. Please
talk to our Treasurer (her name) at the end of the meeting if you are
interested in becoming a member.
- During our membership
appeal, we include a description of all the benefits to the member,
and show a copy of NEW BEGINNINGS.
- We have a sign-in sheet
that has all the members' names and addresses typed on the form. All
members have to do is check off their name and list the children they
brought to that meeting. There is a column on this form that states
"Are you interested in becoming a member?" This column is
already filled in for members with the word member. It is apparent
to non- members that many women have chosen to join our Group. The
final column on the form lists the members' renewal month, which makes
it easy for both the member and the Group Treasurer to keep track
of this information. We have received many renewals because the sign-up
sheet acts as a reminder.
- New members are recognized
at the meeting following the one in which they joined. They are given
a packet that includes a name tag (blue felt with their name written
in fabric ink, fastened with a diaper pin), a pocket calendar purchased
in bulk from LLLI (732-16), their membership card, and a dollar-off
coupon good toward the purchase of THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING
or WHOLE FOODS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. This coupon is good only through
our Group, and the discount is taken off the member price. We present
this packet immediately after talking about membership, and we thank
the mothers for joining. Because we have at least one new member almost
every month, we are almost always able to make this presentation,
which again shows others that women are choosing to join our Group.
We have to make an initial,
small monetary investment for purchasing the items to include in
the packets, but it has paid off in increased memberships. We purchase
our books in bulk, so even with the dollar-off coupon, we still
make money, and the coupons have resulted in increased sales!
- We limit our Group Library
to members only. This was the hardest decision to make, and it was
not made as a way of promoting membership. We simply were losing too
many books due to non-members not returning. We have probably sold
a few memberships because of our decision, but more importantly, we
have kept more of our books in the library!
- We include the “Membership
Matters" flyer in every New Mother Packet. This gives the mothers
more information to read at home, so they can think about membership
after the meeting.
I know some Leaders are reluctant
to fully promote membership, because they are afraid the mothers attending
the meeting may not be able to afford membership. I think that Leaders
need to present membership, talk about why it is important and then leave
the decision to the mother. Several single mothers who are college students
have joined our Group and one stay-at-home mother paid her membership
during a time when her husband was unemployed. She was willing to spend
their money because she felt LLL membership was an important investment.
I have found that mothers like the feeling that they are part of something
bigger than themselves; they are helping mothers worldwide to breastfeed.
We are offering mothers the opportunity to support the cause of breastfeeding
that they feel so strongly about. Promoting membership should not be an
unpleasant task, but rather something to celebrate! As I often say at
meetings, "By joining LLL, you are helping women in your community,
in Texas, across the US and around the world!"
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:31:26 UTC 2007.
