Want to grow your Rotary club or business? Here's a simple but powerful approach that has stood the test of time. This method, developed in the earliest years of Rotary's development, recently helped Long Beach Rotary grow by more than 40 members in a single year.
Here's how it works:
First, make a list of your community's most successful business leaders in segments that would strengthen your club. These are the people who make things happen in your town.
Next, group these leaders by their business type. Maybe you have healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and banking. For each group, pick the top ten businesses.
Now comes the smart part: rank the businesses in each group from top to bottom. This helps you know exactly who to approach first.
Here's where it gets interesting. You invite the top person from each group to lunch or dinner. But here's the key - you tell them: "You are our top choice. We'll only ask you this one time. If you say no, that's fine - we'll simply move on to the next person on our list."
At the meal, you share all the amazing things your club is doing. Talk about your service projects, the friends you've made, and how Rotary helps both the community and its members grow.
When Rotary first started using this method they got a "yes" from more than 70% of the people they asked? That's amazing when you think about it - this was before anyone even knew what Rotary was!
Why does this work so well? It combines three powerful things:
- It focuses on community leaders who value ethics and integrity and who already care about making a difference
- It creates a sense of exclusivity (only asking once with a fear of missing out)
- It shows clear value through your club's achievements
The best part? This method still works today. Whether your club is brand new or has been around for decades, these simple steps can help you grow and bring in fresh energy to serve your community even better.
Remember: great leaders want to be part of great organizations. Your Rotary club is doing important work - don't be shy about inviting others to join you in making a difference.
This assumes the club is doing the types of projects and activities that these high-profile, or any person, would want to be associated with. Clubs have to provide a product that interests the community before it can expect to attract potential members and keep them The product is paramount.
In my District, we attract a very high number of new members, yet we lose an equal number and about half are newer members. Many of our clubs' offerings are lacking.