Recruiting For Croquet

The Need For New Recruits

Every year an established club 'loses' 15% to 20% of the membership.

If you don't recruit then costs per member rise, there is less social interaction, and slowly the club dies.

People join clubs for -- what?

If you stop providing the opportunity for -- what? Then people will leave.

The WHAT Factor. Consider your members:

• Social
• Friendly play
• Competition
• Serious Competition
• Golf / Association / One Ball / Short /.
• Opportunity to contribute
• Opportunity to organise
• Opportunity to improve playing skills.
• Opportunity to use skills; carpentry, painting, food prep. etc.
• Somewhere to go

Identify what the club has to keep existing members and to attract new members.

How Many Recruits Do We Need / Would Like?

Factors To Consider

1. A Budget should deliver Fixed and Variable Costs.

From this one can calculate the costs/member with different membership numbers. Will people pay £x?

Can the costs be reduced?

• Substitute members efforts for external costs
• Renegotiate costs
• Bargain hunt (within reason!)
• Are there alternate sources of income?
• Fund raising
• Tournament Income
• Grants
• Commercial Events
• Sponsorship
• Alternate use of facilities.

2. How many Members / Players can the club accommodate?

3. How many new recruits can we accept each month / year?

4. Set a budget for recruitment.

5. Who is responsible for recruitment in the club?

Set realistic targets

Why Market A Croquet Club?

Marketing is very simply defined as 'Matching the right product to the right customer in the best possible way'

Potential of Marketing:

• raising funds
• recruiting new members
• retaining current members.
• ensuring the club is well perceived by others
• maintaining loyalty of current members / friends

SMART Marketing

SPECIFIC increase X group membership

MEASURABLE target numbers published

AGREED by all involved / responsible

REALISTIC targets stretching but achievable

TIME LIMIT a time has been set

MARKETING MAKES SENSE.

SWOT Analysis of the Club

Strengths:

• Quality coaching
• Good Facilities
• Offer competition local / national for all levels

Opportunities:

• Council Youth development Program
• Potential sponsor
• Sports Promotion Program

Build on 'good points' in publicity and marketing.

Weaknesses:

• Low youth membership
• poor performance from teams
• poor administration

Threats:

• Neighbouring club is strong
• Competing leisure activities
• Other sports

Are the 'best' people in the key roles?

Identify the USP (unique selling points) of the Club

Ways in which your club is special

• different and better than the competition
• unique

For example:

• Your club is open 12 months
• Qualified / experienced coaches
• Offer a safe sport and environment
• Designated Centre of excellence
• Club open to all ages
• Both sexes compete on equal terms
• Range of competitions
• Teams at all levels
• Social Program
• Entry costs reasonable
• Equipment costs low (mallets available for use of novices)
• Welcome for newcomers including own competitions
• Good licensed Bar / restaurant
• Members include National Champions
• Club Teams have won regional championship

Focus on USPs that appeal to the target audience

Find The Target Customer

Target Groups Are People Who;

share a common factor e.g.
Gender / Occupation / Age / Educational Background / Professional Background / Location / Other Leisure
Activities / Amount of Leisure Time Available / Age of Children / Live within catchment area
Travel time / Access to Club / Media Distribution Area / ...

Marketing for each target group;
Which media is best?
Which promotional material would be relevant
(Promotional Material - An effective message will do four things AIDA):

• gain Attention
• hold Interest
• arouse Desire
• elicit Action

Start Marketing

Marketing Checklist

• Objectives
• Target Groups
• Assess Own Organisation
• Involve Other Members
• Market Effectively
• Manage Resources
• Maximise Publicity
• Measure Degree Of Success
• Refine The Plan For Next Year

Further Help

• Smart Marketing, ISBN 0-947850-08-2
• Finding The Funds, ISBN 0947850-13-9 (Out Of Print, Try The Library)
• But Is It Legal? Fundraising And The Law. ISBN 0-7199-1221-0
• Complete Fundraising Handbook ISBN 187-386-1218
• Goal-Setting (Tape & Booklet) ISBN 0-947850-69-4
• Sport Marketing ISBN 087-322-4493
• The Role Of Voluntary Organisations (available free from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.) Tel: 0171-713-6161
• For information on prize draws and raffles, contact your local authority who will be able to advise on Betting and Gaming licences and how to apply

© 2006 The Croquet Association - www.croquet.org.uk