A membership manager is a person who oversees the marketing, recruitment and memberships of a club. To succeed at this career, an individual needs to possess both interpersonal and leadership skills. In addition, he must be able to adapt to the unique needs of whichever club he is managing. Some primary job duties of a membership manager include recruiting new members, keeping membership records, monitoring budget, participating in club meetings and working on club improvement.
Perhaps the most important part of being a membership manager is continually recruiting new members. In order for a club to thrive, it usually requires the perpetual acquisition of new individuals. As a result, a membership manager must develop effective marketing strategies to attract potential members to his club.
Some possible techniques might involve word of mouth recruiting, social media, online marketing, newspaper ads and classified ads. Once he obtains a potential member, he must persuade the person to join his club. Being successful at this usually requires a membership manager to have an approachable demeanor and excellent communication skills.
After acquiring a new member, a membership manager must also keep accurate records for that member. The specific information will often vary from club to club, but will typically include things like the member's name, address, membership anniversary and any fees or dues paid. In most cases, this information will be stored electronically in a computer database for easy retrieval. This aspect of the job calls for a membership manager to have organization and computer skills.
To keep a club afloat and maintain financial stability, it's important for an individual in this position to also monitor the budget. This usually involves keeping track of each member's fees and payments, marketing expenses and activity costs. Consequently, a membership manager should be fiscally responsible and proficient at math.
Along with this, most managers will be required to participate in club meetings. During these meetings, the manager may discuss topics like recent member additions, upcoming activities and any other points of interest. In some cases, he may lead these meetings and give presentations, so he should be able to effectively build rapport with others.
Additionally, a membership manager must consistently work on improving his club. No matter how well organized or popular his club may be, there is almost always room for improvement. Consequently, he may develop new activities, branch out to other organizations or create more effective club policies. This part of the job calls for a person with creative and innovative ideas.
