MoT #1: First Impressions

Before the Meeting

By now, you should have performed an Online Audit to streamline your club's online touchpoints. If prospects find your websites, Facebook groups, and so on difficult to understand, out of date, or otherwise creating negative first impressions, make it a priority to fix these. 

The same applies to other forms of advertising you are doing. If there are flyers, brochures, etc. out there that are confusing, not good quality, or otherwise create bad first impressions, get those cleaned up.

Having solid e-mail and phone call answering skills and discipline is also essential. Your point(s) of contact should be able to answer questions and be sure to encourage the prospect to attend your next meeting in a positive way. If it's a phone call, you should get their name and e-mail address to add them to your guest mailing list. If it's an e-mail, be sure to follow up (or forward to someone who can follow up) within 24 hours, if not sooner.

Your local library should have multiple books (or audiobooks) on customer service that can help with these skills.

At the Meeting

In the official MoT program, TI lists these factors:

• Guests greeted warmly and introduced to officers and members
• Guest book and name tags provided
  
• Professionally arranged meeting room
  
• Convenient meeting location
  
• Guests invited to address the club
  
• Guests invited to join
  

These are all good, though it's also suggested that:

• You have a new guest packet (discussed in a subchapter), both in digital and in physical form that every new guest receives
• Guests are included in the program (if nothing else, by recognizing they came, and asking for their feedback). This can also be done by including them in table topics if time allows and they're okay with it