The Journey
         A newsletter for Phi Theta Kappa chapter advisors, chapter officers, and regional officers.  

The Last Word
     By: Mike Watson, Associate Director of Phi Theta Kappa
     

A Tale of Two Chapters

It was the best of times;
it was the worst of times.

At College A, Alpha Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa was inducting record numbers of members. New inductees were highly motivated and immediately became involved in supporting chapter activities. But at College B, plenty of students were eligible, but few were accepting the invitation. Fewer inductees meant fewer members to share the workload, less financial resources for the chapter, low morale and no support from the administration.

If Chapter B sounds familiar, your chapter members may have forgotten some basics about member recruitment. Most of us accepted membership in our chapters because we felt comfortable with the people we met at the orientation, and yet were challenged and inspired by the opportunities for development in the Phi Theta Kappa Hallmarks. How does your chapter rate in member recruitment? Following are examples of worst-case and best-case scenarios. Use them as a guide to see if your chapter recruitment process needs refinement. Let's face it: Even though Phi Theta Kappa offers more benefits to its members than any other campus organization, no one will accept the invitation to membership unless they are made to feel welcome.

GETTING ELIGIBLE STUDENTS TO THE ORIENTATION

Worst: An eligible student needing information about the Orientation called three chapter officers - the Secretary, the Vice President for Membership, and finally the President - and left messages for all three. No one returned the phone call.

Best: A potential member called the chapter contact name. The phone call was returned in less than 24 hours. In addition, information about Phi Theta Kappa, and directions to the Orientation, were faxed to the inquiring student.

Goal: Make it easy for prospective inductees to get in touch with your chapter and to find the Orientation location. Corporate executives often call their own companies anonymously to see how well customer service really works. Why not do the same for your chapter? Review the telephone response (even if it is a recording on the chapter telephone) and also the directions provided to the Orientation.

GREETING PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS

Worst: From the time the prospective member arrived and until the meeting started, not a single member said hello.

Best: The chapter officers/executive committee were lined up outside the meeting room and greeted everyone. Members and prospective members were greeted with equal enthusiasm. As a result, people were pumped up and raring to go even before the gavel hit the lectern.

Goal: Make your prospective members as comfortable when they visit your chapter as you would when they visit your home. Does your chapter greet everyone at an Orientation and make sure they are comfortably seated?

INTRODUCING PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS

Worst: Totally unprepared, the Chapter President said, "I see a lot of unfamiliar faces. Who are you people?

Best: A member had been preassigned to one or more prospective inductees. The President then called on the members to warmly introduce their assigned guests, telling each one's major and perhaps hometown.

Goal: Assign a member as host for each prospective inductee. Engage in small talk to get enough information to introduce the guests to the chapter members. Find out their names, how to pronounce them, why they came to the meeting, their majors and perhaps some hobbies, interests and personal data about families. For future reference, find out what factors influenced their decision to attend the Orientation. Now you are prepared to give a warm and interesting introduction.

EXPLAINING THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP

Worst: None of the benefits of membership in Phi Theta Kappa were explained at the Orientation. Prospective members had to depend on handouts passed around, and because the hosts ran out of handouts, guests were forced to share.

Best: Each benefit was carefully explained, with different chapter members and advisors taking different topics. The chapter's fee structure was also discussed, so prospective members would get a clear understanding of the international, regional and chapter fee structure, and what programs each type of fee supports.

Goal: The more we understand something, the more comfortable we are with it and the more likely we are to participate enthusiastically and confidently. The Orientation is often your only chance to inform eligible students of the reasons for accepting membership. A scientific survey of students who did not choose to become members indicated that a lack of understanding about available benefits was a major factor in their decision. Chances are, if these students were informed about the scholarship possibilities and other valuable benefits, and understood that members are not required to actively participate, their decision would have been different.

ASKING FOR QUESTIONS

Worst: No prospective members were asked if they had questions or comments. The Orientation ended and everyone went home.

Best: A specific time was set aside for Q&A. To help get the ball rolling, a chapter member was assigned to ask a question brought up at a previous Orientation. Also, students were asked for their comments, both pro and con, about the Orientation and about Phi Theta Kappa.

Goal: Create a safe environment so prospective members will feel comfortable enough to comment or ask questions. We can learn a lot from the opinions of prospective members, and also find out if a student is planning to accept the invitation to membership.

GETTING PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS TO JOIN

Worst: Right after the Orientation, several chapter officers pounced on one guest, the epitome of a well-rounded student, and urged her to become a member. Clearly the chapter officers were focusing on one student, even though every prospective member attending had the same qualifications.

Best: Each prospective member was individually approached by a chapter officer or member, who extended a cordial invitation to become a part of Phi Theta Kappa. Special care was taken to make all attendees feel part of the group, especially those students whose age, gender or ethnic background placed them in a "minority."

Goal: Conduct an Orientation so dynamic and exciting that students will want to become Phi Theta Kappa members right away!

HELPING ELIGIBLE STUDENTS BECOME NEW MEMBERS

Worst: A student interested in becoming a member of Phi Theta Kappa was not able to pursue that option at the Orientation, because no one seemed to be able to find any Membership Applications. No one seemed to know exactly what the fees were, or where or when the Induction Ceremony for new members would be held.

Best: All prospective members who attended the Orientation received a Membership Application and details about the date, time and place of the Induction Ceremony. The deadline for turning in the Membership Application and the membership fee was prominently posted as well as announced and included in a handout.

Goal: Be prepared for an enthusiastic Orientation resulting in students wanting to become Phi Theta Kappa members right away! Have all the information ready, and make it easy for them to attend the Induction. If your group includes traditional day students and employed evening students, schedule an alternate Induction time. Be sure to invite families to help celebrate this special day. Offer child care services on site during the Induction. Schedule light refreshments for those students whose time between school and work is limited.

FOLLOWING UP

Worst: No one bothered to get names, phone numbers or check for correct addresses of the students attending the Orientation, so no one from the chapter could make follow-up calls reinforcing the invitation to accept membership.

Best: After making sure the chapter's information on the potential inductees is accurate and complete, the chapter president sends a brief note to each, thanking them for attending and encouraging them to become members. This is followed by a phone call from a chapter member, to invite the eligible student to the Induction Ceremony.

Goal: Let all eligible students know that they will be welcome additions to the chapter. If a student wants to become a member but cannot accept at this particular time, don't give up! Try to arrive at a workable compromise (i.e., allowing members to pay fees in three installments), or stay in touch with the eligible member until the next Induction. A prospective member program allows eligible students to gain firsthand experience by attending meetings and assisting with programs and activities prior to their actual Induction.

If you recognize any of these areas as one in which your chapter or members could do better, get everyone involved in making improvements. Make it every member's responsibility to ensure that guests at your Orientation are comfortable. Invite your prospects warmly, have fun and treat them well, and many of your membership challenges will disappear.

Mike Watson is Associate Director of Phi Theta Kappa. Contact him at 1.800.946.9995 ext. 521.

Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society
Center for Excellence
1625 Eastover Drive
Jackson, MS  39211
800.946.9995