Value of membership
Jill Calabria
Jill is a recent staff member – started just before the Toronto conference
Top reasons to be a member:
- networking
- learning
Made a survey: persons who had not renew last summer (not sure about that part)
50% forgot to renew
17% no longer in the field
Play: “what do you say when a prospect says…”
- “I’m approaching retirement and cutting back on my professional activities”
Possible answers: “have you seen a retired librarian? Or one who stops growing?” “there is a retirement caucus and a retired member rate. There are retired members running for office too.”
-“The events are too far away to justify costs and travel”
“do you go to the regionals, winter or summer conferences? Do you go to your local events of your chapter? Do you participate in the listservs, or CoP? Do you participate in the webinards?”
- “I don’t know if I’ll join again. I’m not much of a joiner”
“why did you join originally? Would you like to get more involved to make it more interesting? What can we do better to interest you?”
- “I was unemployed for six months and had no money. I just started a new job and will renew in a few weeks.”
“Congratulations, that’s the right answer!” Remind them on the new dues structure. Offer mentoring, carpool, special chapter help may be available, etc.
- “When I paid for membership and didn’t hear anything for the whole year from my chapter.”
“I’ll check with HQ. Do we have the correct address? Did your employer think our publication was junkmail? How would you like to be involved?”
- “I think I got overwhelmed with paperwork; I didn’t mean to not renew”
“How can we make it easier for you?” Sent the form again, help them renew online. Follow-up. “Do you have your credit card or checks with you? You can renew for 3 years now too.”
- “I left my job and left the country to travel. Now I’m unemployed.”
Mention unemployed people get discount for membership. The conference has a career center. Plus access to the career center on the website. Ask them where they traveled and mention you could feature them in a unit publication.”
- “My library is going to be closed down by the new owner of my company. My job will be outsourced”
“Why would you leave your job to fate? SLA could help with training for new skills and trade ideas with other professionals. You will keep updated in your skills and network if you ever go back to librarianship.”
- “I don’t intend to make my career in special librarianship”
“You could go back in the future. Some other members are not special librarians as well but SLA has things to offer you anyway.”-“I can’t go to conferences so the dues are too much”
“Go to the website, there is a lot of content there already. Look at the publications too. Local chapters have a lot to offer too.”
- “I can’t afford the membership”
“Could your employer help you? Other associations that you are a member of that may not be as relevant? Mention new dues structure. List all the benefits. Maybe some units offer help as well. “How can you afford not to be a member?”
Conferences
Higher fees for non-members, lower for members ???
(then it went very quick, so I'm missing some parts)
Chapter and division meetings
- do you invite prospects to your events? Do you ask them to identify themselves?
- Are non-members participate in your discussion list (maybe allow 3 months followed by an invitation). Same for bulletin.
Resource sharing (polling capabilities; posting documents; web site link sharing)
Training (Click-U, new adjunct faculty programming, etc)
Conclusion: "We are all SLA champions!"
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