04/16/2024

Onboarding New Members

Adding a personal touch to the process can go a long way

When members join an association, they pay their dues by clicking a few buttons and presto, they’re officially a new member. But after making their only payment, there are no balloons and streamers, and no one to give them a smiley handshake and offer a tour. Instead, they’re left with the “proud member” tag, facing the front page of a website with an overwhelming number of menu options and rabbit holes to go down, but no clear path.

In 2022, at the CSO Center, a membership group within ASIS International, we realized new members were not feeling a part of the organization quickly enough. They knew they were a member but didn't experience the belonging for which we strived.

We discovered this, anecdotally, when we asked members why they were not renewing. We found that for those that were members for less than two to three years, they didn’t find a connection with the organization, and had a difficult time understanding and accessing membership benefits.

Please select this link to read the complete article from ASAE’s Center for Association Leadership.