Page 6 - 2019-09-Rotary-on-the-Move-Newsletter-Zone-8

‘ONE-TO-ONE’

Article by Dr Bharat Pandya, RI Director, Zones 4 and 7, from Rotary News

Oh no! Not again. I can almost hear you say. Not another article on membership. Haven’t we read
and heard it all before? But let me ask you a question on the biggest issue facing Rotary in the next
decade. I’ve heard the same question over 30 years since I joined Rotary and the answer has been
Membership. Membership is not just about numbers; this growth is the momentum of our
organisation. It increases our human resources, develops leaders and when we attract and retain
members it’s a great testimonial to the value of Rotary membership.
So why does this issue come up again and again? Maybe because we haven’t done as much as we should have or
should be doing. August is Membership and New Club Development Month, a time to do a little more to keep the
Rotary wheel turning. I ask you to think of someone you know who is a Rotarian in deed and action, and tell that
person about Rotary. The secret of Membership Growth lies in one word — Ask. Don’t be disheartened by a ‘No’.
Don’t wait for someone else to do the asking. Begin now and with yourself. There is an old saying “The best time to
plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is Now.” It applies perfectly to Membership. Today is the best
time to introduce a friend to Rotary.
Retention is of prime importance; and the best time to ensure it is when a potential member is identified. The best
way to retain is by engaging and involving members by focusing on their talent, not just their time. Instead of asking
members to give their time, ask them to lend their talent to your Rotary club. Make it a personalised approach. We
talk a lot about quality or quantity. To my mind quality means — quality induction, quality fellowship, quality
assimilation, taking quality care of the family which will result in assimilation and retention. We need a quantity of
quality in our clubs. And of course there is a lot of potential, many unserved areas in our zones where new clubs are
needed.

Membership is the future of Rotary and that is in your hands. Let us begin the change. Change the trend, bring
a friend, retain that friend. Enjoy Rotary, Enjoy yourself.

‘GROWTH IS THE ONLY CONSTANT’

Article by Kamal Sanghvi, RI Director, Zones 5 and 6, from Rotary News

Our mantra for 2019–20 is Grow Rotary. So, let’s allow our members to choose their own
experience; a full-on engagement; or, specially for younger members, what best suits them.

Let’s attract new members and ensure loyalty by providing personalised opportunities and focusing
on multi-generation outreach. Let’s not limit our target to only the Millennials. What about GenX,
and Baby Boomers. The youngest of these are now in their 50s, and part of the workforce. But it’s important to
nurture a relationship with every age group in Rotary.
STRATEGIES TO ATTRACT THESE GROUPS:
Baby boomers respond better to traditional techniques, may not understand social media marketing and tend to
respond to phone conversations and face-to-face meetings. To reach them, create live, in-person events with
opportunities to network and mingle.
Generation X is more rules-oriented and appreciates an accepted set of engagement rules. They love humour.
Focus on building a relationship through human interactions, via live events and emails.

Millennials appreciate the Internet and build authentic relationships through social media. They trust reviews,
love supporting a cause and live on their smartphones. For them, create content that looks great on smaller screens.
Offer sharable digital experiences.
Gen Z and Rotaractors are the masters of social media, lured to video mediums such as Snapchat, Instagram and
YouTube. Like the Millennials, they are mobile-first, and expect content with a mobile viewing experience. Gen Z
has short attention spans and places a premium on getting information quickly and easily. Focus on providing
innovative and intuitive tech experiences.
NEW TRENDS TO ATTRACT NEW MEMBERS:
YouTube has been around for over a decade but less than 9 per cent use it. It still has over a billion or a third of
Internet users. Your target members should be here; and you as well. Those who prefer Facebook to YouTube should
know a video on social media generates 1,200 per cent more shares. People enjoy video because it’s snackable, easy
to consume, and visually-engaging. Create videos of your activities and post them on YouTube, Facebook, etc.
Start incorporating these trends now to remain competitive with other organisations, improve your member
satisfaction and reduce churn.

Rotary on the Move September 2019 Page 6