MoT #2: New Member Orientation

2. Why Have a NMO?

One common weakness that clubs often* have (weak or strong) is that they don't have an active program to make sure a new member's first thirty days are productive. This can often lead to members that join and soon leave, and a club that finds itself constantly scrambling for new members while they have a giant leak that isn't getting fixed.

The first thirty days of a member joining is critical, and often can be the difference between members continuing with the club or not. As with First Impressions, if a new member has a negative first thirty days and feels largely abandoned, they're dramatically less likely to turn into repeat members. While NMO is just one factor in that (I've had a club take a few months just to process my paperwork and check before), it is a critical one in helping a new member understand how your club and Toastmasters works. Your club should strive to conduct NMO within a week and a half of a member joining.

A club that conducts effective NMO not only has the decided advantage of retaining more new members, but also reduces the learning curve for them. This in turn lets new members fill roles sooner, which provides more variety and reduces role burnout.

* Based on several club officer training surveys over the years, many clubs don't have formal NMO or at best, intermittent NMO.