Jenna Little, Head of Growth & Marketing at Whoosh, discusses steps that club leaders can take to ensure that their members are receptive to the new forms of technology a club is using.
By Jenna Little, Head of Growth & Marketing at Whoosh
Many clubs are realizing the legacy software they’ve been using lacks the ease-of-use and innovations of newer software on the market. As clubs continue to modernize and improve their services, selecting new and improved technology solutions is becoming increasingly important.
Yet, even with the best technology, if members are not properly informed and trained, it may not be adopted and utilized to its full potential.
So, how can you ensure your members are receptive to new technology and embrace it fully?
While launching to your membership may seem intimidating at first, I have learned a few repeatable best practices that will make newer and better technology a welcome change for your members.
Tell Your Members Early, Often, and Everywhere
First and foremost, it’s crucial to give members advance notice of any changes that are coming to their club experience. This can be achieved through a cadence of updates that include initial announcements, official launch dates, and reminders leading up to the rollout. These updates should be communicated in various ways beginning with e-mail and in-app notifications in your current club app.
In addition to modern communication methods, you should also use traditional tactics. I suggest printing flyers and placing them in high-traffic areas such as locker rooms, pro shops, dining areas, the spa, and any other location where members are likely to see them. This ensures members who may not check their e-mail or use the club app regularly still receive the necessary information. One creative example of this was The Country Club of Mobile staff creating check stuffers with the app QR code to drive awareness and adoption of the new member booking app in the dining room.
Develop a Variety of Resources
It’s also critical to develop a variety of resources for your members as people learn in different ways– some by reading, some by seeing, and others by doing. Given this, I recommend developing resources in different modes and including step-by-step instructions by both print and video. This caters to the spectrum of ages, abilities, and learning styles that make up your membership. By providing resources in different modes, you increase the number of members who can access and understand the information. I have received great feedback, specifically from older members, who appreciate the video walking them through the booking process.
In addition to this, giving members the ability to test drive the technology before it is fully launched is another valuable way to ensure all members feel comfortable while the stakes are low. One way clubs have accomplished this is by launching a “view-only” version of the technology a week or so ahead of the official product launch. Doing this allows members to explore the interface and ask questions, and enables them to familiarize themselves with the new technology and build confidence in using it. This helps build excitement and anticipation for the full launch.
Identify “Influencers” Who Will Help Drive Adoption
In addition to top-down communication strategies, identifying and engaging “influencers” within your club is a powerful method of driving adoption. Club professionals (such as your golf or tennis pro) are great people to leverage and drive excitement about the coming changes. Additionally, committee members, who are often respected and influential members of the club, can serve as valuable influencers. At the end of the day, anyone who has direct contact with your members can have a meaningful impact on member adoption.
It’s critical to arm your influencers with talking points about the technology’s benefits and why the club is excited about the change. Additionally, ensure they are well-versed in using the technology so they can answer questions and show members how to use it.
Arm Your Staff
I strongly believe positive member experiences stem from meaningful staff interactions. With that, it’s especially important to ensure your staff is well prepared for the new technology ahead of launching to your membership. Prioritizing staff training and ensuring they are able to answer frequently asked questions — such as how to create an account, reset their password, or move a reservation — enables them to answer member questions as they arise and increases their empathy with members who are learning how to use it. It also creates a meaningful impression that your team is aligned and prepared, putting members at ease during a time of change.
About the Author
Jenna Little is the Head of Growth & Marketing of Whoosh, a modern club operations software company recently recognized as one of the most innovative technologies in the club industry. She is a marketing and operations expert with a mix of startup and corporate experience. Jenna can be reached at [email protected].
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