Slides

Dave: All right. Welcome to yet another PropFuel client roundtable. This meeting is all about you guys. We do, as it turns out, tend to do most of the talking, especially me. I would love it if you turn on your camera. This isn’t meant to be a webinar as much as an interactive discussion, even if you're eating lunch or just getting out of a workout. Seeing your faces helps us realize we’re talking to real people.

The topic today is member acquisition. Each month, we try to highlight something interesting or a trend we’re seeing across our clients. Today, in addition to insights and member acquisition stories, I’m excited to announce that we’ve just released the first version of our SMS communications channel. Cam will give a quick overview, and if you’re interested, we’re hosting a deeper dive demo tomorrow. Bri, can you share the registration link in the chat? If you want to know more, you can register there. Otherwise, we’ll do a brief demo at the end of this session.

So with that, let’s kick off the member acquisition conversation. How many of you are using PropFuel for member acquisition right now? Feel free to use the reaction button or just raise your hand on camera. Good. Did it exceed expectations for anyone? Maybe I shouldn’t have asked that.

Denise: We’re too early in the process to know.

Amanda A.: Same with us. We’re still figuring it out.

Dave: Yeah, it’s a completely different ballgame. Member acquisition means putting on a sales hat, and response rates are often lower than what we’re used to in member engagement campaigns. It’s important to set expectations accordingly.

So today, Megan, Melissa, and Ashley from our Client Success team will share insights about member acquisition. They’ve broken it into four stages:

1. Identifying the needs of the contact.
2. Asking them directly to join.
3. Deepening the relationship.
4. Identifying the resistance to joining.

This is an iterative process. Often, associations hesitate to send too many emails, but I’d argue that a long sequence—maybe even 8, 10, or 12 emails—is sometimes necessary. The team will show some examples before we check in with Cam on SMS. Megan, take it away.

Megan: Thanks, Dave. I’ll share my screen. We’ve structured member acquisition into four parts, which can be customized, stretched out, or repeated based on what works best for your organization.

The first stage is Ask, Capture, and Act on individual needs while connecting them with your value proposition. I call this the softer approach—finding out what’s top of mind for them. Why did they engage with your organization? Are they looking to further their career, gain industry knowledge, or network? Based on their response, we can show them how we can help and lead into a membership ask.

It’s crucial to consider the source of your leads. Some associations receive lists from the state or schools, while others have lists from event attendees or webinar participants. Some contacts may have never heard of your organization, while others have engaged in some capacity. That context should shape how you phrase your outreach.

Dave: Let me add something here. Historically, we made assumptions about why people were interested. Now, with PropFuel, we can ask them directly. We don’t have to dump all our membership benefits on them at once—we can tailor our messaging. Also, think about what you would say if you were standing in front of them in person. This helps shape your questions and follow-up responses.

Megan: Thanks, Dave. The second stage is the Direct Ask. This is where we ask them outright about their membership intentions. Are they interested in joining? If they say yes, we can guide them to sign up. If they say no, we can remove them from future messages. We can also place “yes” respondents into a nurture campaign that follows up with them in a few weeks if they haven’t joined yet.

Melissa: Now, moving into the third stage—Deepening the Relationship. If they’ve expressed interest but haven’t joined yet, this is where we engage further. We can ask:

• What’s most important to you in your business this year?
• How valuable is this topic to you on a scale of 1 to 5?
• What industry issue keeps you up at night?

This is a chance to connect their interests with your membership benefits and even introduce non-dues revenue programs like events, online courses, or advocacy efforts.

Ashley: Finally, the fourth stage is Identifying Resistance. If they still haven’t joined, it’s time to ask why. What’s holding them back? Are they hesitant about the cost, time commitment, or employer support? These questions help us refine our messaging and remove unqualified prospects from the campaign.

Megan: A few additional tips:

• Have check-ins come from a real person with a name, headshot, and email signature.
• Acknowledge the source of your leads in the outreach.
• Don’t underestimate the value of a “no”—it helps you focus on more engaged prospects.
• Use branch questions to dig deeper into responses.
• Automate follow-ups with nurture campaigns.

Dave: Nurture campaigns are critical. If someone expresses interest but doesn’t immediately join, we should continue engaging them. Use the conversational inbox for personal follow-ups and pick up the phone when needed. Persistence is key—don’t assume silence means a hard no.

Melissa: If the volume of responses is too high for personal follow-ups, automate nurture sequences. Also, use branch questions to refine responses and provide even more tailored messaging.

Ashley: Let’s look at a couple of client examples. The Nurse Practitioners Association segmented prospects based on interest level and placed them into a nurture campaign. Over time, they saw a 19% conversion rate, which is impressive for a long-term engagement campaign.

Dave: The takeaway here is that this is a long game. Some prospects convert right away, but many need ongoing touchpoints. Even a 1% response rate in a broad acquisition campaign can bring in valuable new members.

Amanda A.: How do we handle short-turnaround reinstatement campaigns? We usually have only two months.

Melissa: Two months is plenty of time! Just shorten the sequence and send emails every one to two weeks. Also, include a check-in asking, “Did you know your membership lapsed?” You’d be surprised how many people simply forgot and are willing to renew immediately.

Dave: Agreed. Immediate follow-ups are key. Treat lapsed members like acquisition targets, but also ask why they lapsed. Many times, a simple reminder is all they need.

Cameron: Now, let’s talk about SMS. We’ve just released one-on-one text messaging in PropFuel’s inbox. This allows you to have real-time conversations with members through text. Campaign-based SMS is coming next, but for now, you can engage prospects and members individually. If you want to learn more, join the SMS demo tomorrow.

Dave: SMS is a game-changer, especially for events and direct outreach. Also, before we wrap up, we’re launching a referral program—if you introduce us to a new client who signs on, we’ll send you $500 or donate to a charity of your choice.

Thanks, everyone, for joining today. Let’s continue the conversation, and don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for support!

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