It All Starts With Membership.

Joining an organization is something you do if you; One, believe in the group’s mission, or Two, share in the group's passion. Joining an auto enthusiast club like the Mercedes-Benz Club of America (MBCA) is done because of the passion members share because of their automobiles, or in many cases with events that the club holds which members enjoy participating in.
 

A new member joins the club, right then and there!


Once joined, the key is to keep members engaged so they stay as club members.  MBCA members join for a number of reasons, one is the award winning STAR Magazine, published bi-monthly, and the other are the events the club holds, be they  local Section, Regional or National events.  Retention of members is an important part of growing MBCA.  Like any business you want to keep your customers. It is easier to retain a member, than to go out and find a new member.

The MBCA National Business Office has put together an incentive program to get the section leadership to encourage members of that section to renew.  The “Hang on to Homer!” Contest was announced last week and will run from August 1, 2011 to January 31, 2012.  This is a unique opportunity for Section Officers; Presidents, V-P’s, Secretaries, Treasurers and Membership Chairs to be active in retaining members and grow the section.

SL's on the Field at the Amelia Concours d'Elegance in 2011.

In February 2011 the NBO will award the five sections with the highest percentage of membership renewal, the grand prize of a trip for two to Pebble Beach California, August 16-20, 2012.  Just in time for the world famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance  http://www.pebblebeachconcours.net/ on Sunday August 19.  This is an all expense paid trip with an approximate value of $3500, including round trip airfare for two, four nights lodging, car rental, and VIP tickets with parking at the Concours. Ten sections will win a Hilton Hotel & Resort gift card worth $150, and 25 sections will win an MBCA Directors Chair.

A friendly smile is a welcome remembered!

What does your Section have to do to win?  Contact your section members who are due for renewal from August first of this year until January 31^st 2012 and encourage them to renew their MBCA membership.  A friendly phone call, a note, or just talk with them at an event!  Something that will let them know that you are thinking of them, and hope they renew their MBCA membership so they can continue to benefit from all that MBCA membership has to offer.


What can I do to get members to renew?  Be creative and reach out to all your section members who have a renewal date coming up, make a list of those members, send them a post card with a special note, also call them and encourage them to renew.  You may want to include a note on their copy of the section newsletter, thanking them and reminding them to renew!  You will be surprised what a simple “Just wanted to let you know we are thinking of you” will do!

Happy members renew their membership in MBCA!

So if my section wins, who gets the prize?  The winning sections will choose from the Section Officer, Membership Chair, who did the most to encourage the members to renew, and they will award the prize.  So share with your fellow officers all that you have are doing to encourge your section members to renew their MBCA membership. 

And once you found out how easy it is to encourage members to renew, your section will be doing this all throughout the year with all of its members.Members enjoy the attention.So make some calls today!

By your showing that you want them to renew their membership, this will encourage them to do just that! You welcomed them into the club, now encourage them to stay and enjoy all the benefits of MBCA membership for years to come.

For more information on membership in the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, see www.mbca.org  To join the club, http://www.mbca.org/join-today