Strategies for a Successful Outreach to Prospective Members
Consider the following suggestions for planning an effective new member recruitment and orientation campaign, to maximize your chapter resources and ensure that the benefits of membership are fully communicated to all eligible students.
1. Planning is the key - plan your membership campaign around an organized timeline. Consider your student population and be sure you are effectively reaching out to all students.
2. Reach out to all students. Your goal for chapter membership is inclusivity - a fellowship of scholars representative of the entire student body. Phi Theta Kappa welcomes all students meeting the academic standards of members regardless of gender, race, class, economic status, ethnic background, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, and cultural and religious backgrounds.
3. Be visible! Encourage members to wear Society t-shirts and Golden Key Membership Pins. Cover the campus with the society's promotional posters.
4. Plan and publicize the chapter's leadership, service and scholarship activities incorporating fellowship among members. Enthusiasm is contagious!!
5. Use the Member Benefit Brochures - these are supplied by Headquarters without charge, and are proven, effective communication tools designed to inform prospective members about Phi Theta Kappa and the benefits of membership.
6. Try new ways to approach prospective members such as recognizing them or distributing invitations during class and open house parties (using creative themes to publicize Phi Theta Kappa membership).
7. Review your letter of invitation to students who are eligible for membership. If you have been using the same letter for several years, it's time to review and make changes! Consider having your college president or dean sign the invitation letter. Prospective members immediately perceive the importance of membership when they receive letters signed by a high-ranking administrator.
8. Create a phone tree! Divide the list of students eligible for membership and call each one of them, extending a personal invitation to attend an orientation. The personal touch works!
9. Ask the college faculty to announce the date, time and place for the orientations in all of their classes.
10. Try mailing follow-up postcards to prospective members who do not attend the initial orientation for eligible members.
11. Be sure that current members fully understand the benefits of membership, to be able to communicate these benefits to prospective members. Review the New Member Orientation Slide Presentation included on the Good as Gold Chapter Resources DVD.
12. At the orientations for prospective members, be sure to show the "Good as Gold" New Member Recruitment Video and New Member Benefits Slide Presentation. Emphasize the benefits that research indicates are most important to members: 1) 35 million in scholarship opportunities, 2) the opportunity to wear the honor regalia at commencement and 3) the privilege of wearing the Phi Theta Kappa membership key.
13. Schedule the orientations for prospective members around the needs of your campus. If your campus has a number of evening students, schedule a daytime and evening orientation. Consider adding a weekend orientation for the many eligible students who are employed and may not be able to attend an orientation during the traditional five-day work week.
14. At the orientations for prospective members, stress that participation is voluntary. While many opportunities are available for members through the Society programs and service initiatives, members are only required to maintain a grade point average stipulated by the chapter.
15. Explain how the chapter uses membership fees to benefit the members. Emphasize that chapter, regional and international fees are paid only once (rather than annually).
16. Invite an alumnus of the chapter to speak at the orientations for prospective members and tell how membership helped them.
17. Involve your college administration in your recruitment efforts. Ask an administrator to speak at the orientations for eligible members, as well as at the Induction Ceremony.
18. If your college has multiple campuses, hold orientations for prospective members at each campus, and designate a place at each campus where membership applications can be obtained and returned.
19. Establish a scholarship fund to discreetly help students pay membership fees in case of financial need.
20. Schedule inductions for both the fall and spring terms. This will increase visibility and will provide opportunities to induct new members. Some chapters also conduct an informal induction ceremony during the summer term to allow prospective members to be inducted and participate earlier (rather than waiting for the fall induction).
21. Include a link to your chapter's page on the Phi theta Kappa website. It is a great way to showcase your contact information, chapter resources and recognitions.
22. Use Phi Theta Kappa promotional posters to publicize the time, date and place for your orientations for prospective members. Select high-traffic areas to make sure your materials stand out. Include a telephone number that students call for information. If possible, record a message that will be accessible 24/7.
23. Establish an Enhanced Member Program and be sure that prospective members understand that this program rewards extra participation.
24. Follow up with those students who did not accept membership or did not attend the orientations for prospective members. Extend the deadline if possible to accommodate them. Remember - new members can be reported at any time with PAM immediately upon receipt of their applications and fees, rather then waiting until applications and fees have been collected from all potential new members.
25. Use local media on campus and in your community. Submit articles to the campus and community newspaper, and ask for meetings to be announced on the campus and local radio stations.
