109 - Marketing Rotary for Non-Professionals - Market Segmentation - Potential Member Segment

In this series, Rotary refers to the enterprise of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation.

Please review Marketing Rotary for Non-Professionals 107, 108 and this Marketing Rotary Schematic.  This Rotatorial discusses attracting members to existing clubs.

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Rotary membership is a niche market; it is not for everyone.  To believe that a Rotary club can be all things to all people within their local social fabric is ludicrous.  Please examine the graphic.  Is it even realistic for Rotary to expect clubs to strive to get people with different demographic, psychographic, and behavioral characteristics; all with different needs and wants in one local organization that meets weekly?

   It is no secret that most people join civic organizations to network i.e. to meet the type of people with whom they want to connect and associate.  It is the organization's responsibility to let potential members know its primary objective, the type people with whom they will be connecting, and what the organization expects of them prior to them filling out an application for membership.  A popular Rotary urban legend is that half of the members inducted leave in their first year.  No doubt this has happened in some clubs and/or districts because of past recruiting/recognition-at-interim-cutoff-date practices and in some start-up clubs, but I suspect accurate data would not lend this legend broad-based authenticity.

   Many clubs during the recruiting drive years eliminated Information Meetings (Fireside chats, Orientations) prior to members joining.  When asked why, one club president replied, quote, "If we told them what we expected, they might not join!" unquote.  Another club, at the last club meeting before the interim cutoff date, speedily inducted eight new members so it would qualify for the Governor's Award and Presidential Citation.  None of the eight ever attended another meeting.  It is a serious mistake for clubs not to require prospective members to attend an Information Meeting, after which they may or may not fill out a membership application.  And that's okay.  Membership in a Rotary club is not for everybody.  Some clubs are choosing to return to a more restrictive classification system.

    After examining a limited amount of data, I am of the opinion that clubs should expect to have an annual new-member retention rate of 97% or better.  Official new-member annual retention rates less than 97% indicate that new members' expectations are not being met. This rate can only be accurately measured and recognized by utilizing official semi-annual report data.  To be fair to all concerned, and to have reliable recognition information available during a given Rotary year, membership achievements should be based solely on Semi-Annual Invoices.  

  

110 - Marketing Rotary for Non-Professionals - Market Segmentation

Creating New Clubs

108 - Marketing Rotary for Non-Professionals - Market Segmentation Existing Member Segment

In this series, Rotary refers to the enterprise of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation.

Please review Marketing Rotary for Non-Professionals 107 and this Marketing Rotary Schematic.

Rotary and its member clubs have two market segments from which to sustain membership - existing members and potential members.  Similarities exist, but each segment must be treated differently.  Two issues of prime importance in doing so is recognizing that:

1.  Rotary membership is a niche market; it is not for everyone.

2.  Both segments are motivated by personal desires.

   For marketing purposes, each primary segment must be separated into four secondary segments - Behavioral, Demographic, Psychographic, and Geographic. 

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   To improve retention rates, it is vital that Rotary and its member clubs understand that existing Rotarians, particularly those who have been members for three or more years, are loyal Rotarians.  Loyalty is a Behavioral characteristic and is gained, not because of what Rotary or clubs do, but because of the satisfaction Rotarians receive by being members of local clubs.  Data indicates that Rotary and its member clubs have between one and three years for new Rotarians to evolve into loyal Rotarians.  Issues like the time Rotary takes and how being a Rotarian affects their family, business, and/or personal activities are important.  The recognition, prestige, honors, and other benefits accorded them, particularly in their local settings, helps them justify to themselves and others the reasons for their loyalty.

  Demographic segmentation addresses members' age, race, religion, gender, political affiliation, family size, ethnicity, income, and education, all of which closely tie to members' wants and needs.  When clubs center on members' wants and needs, it is easier to retain them.  It is a serious marketing breach to believe that each demographic has the same Psychographic profile.  They don't.  Demographic differences often affect members' Behavior.

   Psychographic segmentation addresses members' personality traits, values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles.  This is perhaps the most difficult of all segments for Rotary to address. Rotarians (and clubs) participate in activities and attributes according to their interests and attitudes.  Conflicts frequently arise within clubs because members have different specific interests, attitudes, traits, and understandings but almost always want to improve their lives in general.

   Geographic segmentation addresses land masses and transportation distances.  Geographic issues are of minimal importance in retaining Rotarians, but are quite important in creating new Rotarians.

The characteristics of each secondary segment continually interact to some degree in all Rotarians.  Rotary and its member clubs should tailor their attributes and activities to deliver value satisfactory to all Rotarians regardless of their years in Rotary.  And the only accurate measure of whether or not clubs are effective at doing so is their ability to retain and create loyal members!

109 - Marketing Rotary for Non-Professionals - Market Segmentation

Potential Member Segment

102A - Marketing Rotary for Non-Professionals - 'THEM' - The Supporters

In this series, Rotary refers to the enterprise of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation.

Please review Marketing Rotary for Non-Professionals 101 - Introduction

Rotary must have 'THEM'.  Call 'THEM' members, customers, patrons, Rotarians, supporters, stakeholders, donors, clients, or whatever is acceptable within your mindset and social fabric, but without 'THEM' Rotary's gear stops turning.    'THEM' pay the salaries and benefits Rotary employees enjoy.  'THEM' pay the expenses of Rotary's officers, directors, trustees, coordinators, district governors, district committees, etc.  'THEM' are the people who populate almost 35,000 Rotary clubs scattered over the world striving to advance the Object of Rotary.

Marketing Rotary must begin by addressing this question:

Why would a group of 'THEM', all with enterprising minds, want to be called a Rotary club?

    Many local groups are identified by some unique descriptive noun or nouns i.e. Women's, Men's, Zonta, Toastmasters, Kiwanis, Junior League, Lions, Sertoma, Garden, Shriners, Entrepreneurs, Greenpeace, Impact 100, Football, Night, Comedy, Liars, Friars, Beantown, Dulcimer, Alumni or hundreds more.  What is so unique or descriptive about the word rotary?  Google rotary and up pops Rotary.org.  Its opening page says, "We are neighbors, community leaders, and world citizens uniting for the common good."  Unique?  Every human is a world citizen.  Almost every human is some human's neighbor.  Most humans are united in some group for their common good - survival.  What is unique about being in a group that uses Rotary as its descriptive noun?  Why should groups of 'THEM' pay homage to use the word Rotary?  Groups now have unlimited access to information and knowledge. Of the estimated 7.2 billion world citizens, industry estimates that almost 6.1 billion have cell phones, tablets, or computers and can connect to the Internet.  This means that groups, especially those with enterprising minds, that want to make impacts in their spheres of influence can find many ways to do so without following hierarchical, top-down, self-sustaining rules.

     Marketing Rotary is a challenge, and it must begin internally.  Embedded bureaucracies with established departmental silos have extreme difficulty recognizing and/or accepting the concept that organizations are 'THEM' driven; that products and services are attributes that help retain and attract 'THEM'.  In the Rotary world, 'THEM' have psychographic and behavioral characteristics all humans do not have.  Rotary already has a wonderful, worldwide horizontal delivery organization capable of growing Rotary by building stronger relationships.  Internal Marketing must center on helping all Rotary associates understand what is unique about Rotary, who 'THEM' are, and creating and delivering attributes that help 'THEM' become more influential in their local social fabrics.  They also must understand that 'THEM', not Rotary, determines whether or not the attribute is beneficial.  If being called a Rotary club does not deliver attributes 'THEM' consider beneficial, then Marketing Rotary externally is wasted effort.

Building relationships advancing the Object of Rotary catapulted Rotary into the respected worldwide organization it is.  To have any hope of returning to a steady 'THEM' growth rate, Rotary must accept that "The development and continuation of activities and programs addressing 'Them' must remain the association's highest priority", and Market Rotary with that priority and intensity.

Next is Marketing Rotary for Non-Professionals 102B 'Them' - Present and Future

Value Rotarians and use Attributes

Happy New Year.  

This time of year, many people take a bit of time to review, and sometimes reestablish, where they place their values.  

Perhaps it is time for Rotary to do the same.

To read Jim Henry's Rotatorial on how where Rotary places value has a critical affect on membership, click here.

Are Rotary's Actions Hindering Diversity?

Proposition:  

Rotary's addiction to the elixir served up in Rotary's Diversity Grande has actually hindered diverse representation and contributed to our overall membership stabilization.   

To gain a greater understanding of this proposition click here:

Are Rotary Clubs Connected to their Members?

A Rotary Club should be interconnected with the gravitational pull of its STAR like our Earth is interconnected with the gravitational pull of its STAR.Is your club interconnected with its STAR?




To read why interconnection is necessary to have a strong local identity, and how a club and STAR could interconnect, please click here . . .

Are P.E.T.S. Focused on Presidents-Elect?

ARE P.E.T.S. FOCUSED ON 
PRESIDENTS-ELECT?

In North America, the now eighteen-year drop in membership, and the over twenty years of organized Presidents-Elect Training Sessions (PETS) is too close of a relationship to be considered a mere coincidence.  From this observation, two propositions could be debated:

            1:  PETS slowed the rate of our membership decline.

            2:  PETS contributed to our membership decline.

To read more about P.E.T.S. and PEs, click here... 

If you are afraid to think about present and future Rotarians, do not click here! 

Or here if you are afraid to improve your club's MEMBERSHIP RETENTION HEALTH!

Rotary in North America - Part IV

For eighteen years, Rotary In North America has been mired in the captivating ruts of declining membership!  

Other Rotary regions should be wary and steer clear or they, too, will be captured by similar travails.  

Together We IN NORTH AMERICA Can GET OUT AND STAY OUT!

           

To get out, and to stay out, Rotary clubs must be on roads paved with leaders 
. . .to read the final Rotatorial of Jim Henry's Rotary in North America series . . . click here

Who Knew How Many Rotarians Were Walking Out?

Annually, More Than 157,000 

Rotarians Have Been Walking Out Clubs’ Doors Taking With Them Over

US$7,500,000 

Of Rotary International's Dues Revenue.
To read about what could and is being done about it, please click here.

Rotary In North America - Part III

Rotary's Public Information

If Rotary's public information contains substance, is it being digested by those most likely to support your local Rotary. . . to continue reading, click here 

Rotary In North America - Part II

Rotary's Image and Public Information!  

A LinkedIn discussion regarding Rotary’s image raises two vital questions:  What is Rotary’s Image?  To whom should Public Information be directed?  To read Jim Henry's Rotatorial discussing these questions, please click here. . .

FOUR STEPS. . .

Who is Rotary?  RI Director John Smarge
If anyone can become a Rotarian, there is no reason for anyone to become a Rotarian.  Four Steps . . .

Click here to read Four Steps . . . Jim Henry's final Rotatorial as Zone 34's Rotary Coordinator

Inactive Rotarians - A Hidden Resource

Would you write off 20% of your newer clients or customers every year without discovering why they were leaving?  Read Zone 34 Jim Henry's latest Rotatorial.

ROTARY'S PROGRAM-PROJECT PROPHECY

Rotary's Program-Project Prophecy - This prophecy sounds like a self-fulfilling journey to the Promised Land of Membership Retention and Growth.

BUT, it will only come to pass . . . . To continue reading, please click here

So the question should be "WHO IS ROTARY?"

"What is Rotary?" We frequently ask ourselves this question as we attempt to explain our commitment to Rotary. But the question to which we should determine the answer is "Who is Rotary?"

Click here to read or download Zone 34 Director John Smarge's groundbreaking Membership speech delivered to over 1,200 District Governors-Elect, spouses, and Rotary International leaders from around the world.

Leadership in Rotary is not for TIMID!

Leadership in any organization is a challenge. But in most organizations the customers, suppliers, and in non-profits, beneficiaries, are relatively clear. How do we gain a better understanding of these concepts for our Rotary organizations?

Click here to read the entire article written by Zone 33 RC Bevin Wall & Zone 34 RC Jim Henry.

Strategic Plan Starting Point!

“What is the base upon which to build a District Strategic Plan?” was the major question at the recent Zone 34 Membership Seminar. The attendees decided it was necessary to answer this question before they could begin creating effective plans. First, the RI Code of Policies, 17.010.1 states, “The activities and organization of a Rotary district shall exist solely to help the individual club advance the object of Rotary. . .” Then attendees, all of whom were district leaders, decided that they should treat individual Rotary clubs as customers. Then the attendees concluded that to create an effective plan, it would be wise to define what their customers’ (clubs) needed to accomplishing their objective.

To see their creative base upon which to create an effective strategic plan, click here!

Will Rotary Learn?

Can Rotary Learn From General Motors?

A new look at Membership - A Chilling Analogy

Click here to read the new look.

What helps a Rotary club succeed for the long term?

Who is your club's customer? Who is it that your club has to serve in order to stay a viable club? What is a Rotary club's sole purpose? Why continue to Advance the Object of Rotary? Why establish an Interact club? Why have a Community Corp?
These are just some of questions that must be understood by club and district leaders before attempting to create a realistic strategic plan.

For answers to these and other questions, click here: