As an association manager, one of your biggest and most important goals is to convert prospects to members. This metric drives your bottom line and ensures association stability. After you’ve attracted a prospect, it’s time for them to apply. What does the membership application process look like? Was it built with the member’s perspective in mind? Today we’re talkin’ tips on the application workflow – how to build an application, simply the process and ensure member happiness.
Back in April, I wrote a post on simplifying your membership form. As I did some research, I found that many associations have arduous applications. They ask for too much information and squeeze every necessary field onto one long scrolling page. They lack an integrated form, meaning a member must download, print, fill out and mail in a paper copy – way too much work in this day and age.
If this sounds like you, the first item on your to-do is to create an online form. If your current system doesn’t allow online applications, consider transitioning to another AMS.
Member Application – Length
After you’ve gone digital, walk through your form from a members perspective. Is it long? Is it overwhelming? How many fields are there? What is required of them to fill out? “If you try to include all collection fields on one page, it can be very overwhelming for an individual and look time-consuming (even if it isn’t). Eliminate the friction by only including the necessary fields and strategizing the amount of fields on each page.”
Member Application – Data Collection Fields
As you move through your form, notice the way you collect data. Is every box a text field? If so, it may be time to reevaluate the way you collect information. For one, collecting information through a text field complicates how you organize data. For example, let’s say you provide a text field for “industry”. One applicant notes “healthcare”, another writes “health” and the other fills in “healthcare and wellness”. Now, every time you pull reports on this data, you must account for each variation. Avoid this tedious work by creating a drop down list so members have choices and all data is consistent.
Post Application Workflow
What’s next? A member submits their application. Their information is entered into a queue for further admin evaluation. What are they instructed to do next? Be sure to clearly outline the steps post application. If their application moves to pending mode, ensure them that you will respond in xx amount of days with their results.
If applications are automatically approved, send them a welcome email with instructions on how to log in, use the member portal and connect with other members. Show your excitement and enthusiasm for joining.
Member’s Welcome
Now that you’ve officially accepted a new member, what kind of experience do you want them to have? To ensure they have the best onboarding process, set up a welcoming committee or connect them with an active member who can show them the ropes. Provide resources and give them opportunities to join in the community. “It’s important to remember that the journey toward membership does not end once they’ve clicked submit.”
AMO comes with a built-in member application, broken down into multiple pages for an easy, simple membership process. Wanna learn more? Give us a call at 866-381-9951 today!
