Hi, Lori --

The general and regional economic situation is likely
a factor and there is not a huge amount you can do
about that, other than promote a membership as a cost
savings for repeat visitors.  With the price of
gasoline skyrocketing, more remote areas of the U.S.
are apt to see a drop in summer vacationeers this
year.  I'd imagine business travel will also be
curtailed.  People will either stay at home (good for
museums, etc. in major population centers) or take
shorter trips.


It might be worth checking with the Minnesota
department that handles tourism as well as the Duluth
area Chamber of Commerce to see what they are
forecasting.  It's also worth checking with similar
organizations in your region to see if they are
experiencing the same downturn you are describing.

I cannot tell from your message whether you are
primarily concerned with non-renewals or new
memberships.  You might like to clarify this as there
are different ways of dealing with these two aspects
of membership and you get replies better suited to
your situation.  

Another important consideration -- are visitors to
Glensheen primarily residents of the Duluth area (apt
to make repeat visits and take advantage of special
events), or are they people who are in the area on
vacation, business or other temporary reasons (i.e., a
visit to Glensheen is a one-time event)?

Some organizations offer different membership benefits
to each group.  Out-of-town visitors won't be able to
take advantage of free future visits or special events
and unless they can shop at a member discount online, 
they might be interested in joining because of a
magazine for members they would continue to receive,
or another premium that would appeal to them. 

Visitors who live in the area might be encouraged to
join if the admission fee is waived when a membership
is  purchased at the time of the visit.  This might
also appeal to out-of-towners depending on how the
cost of a single visit compares to the cost of a
membership.

Many museums and sites tend to push membership at the
end of a visit rather than at the start It is almost
as though they expect visitors to see the site or the
exhibits before deciding to join.  Consequently, the
free visit would be the next visit, not the current
one.  Most people, though, would be delighted to get a
reduced (or free) admission on that initial visit, if
they could purchase the membership immediately.  

If your admissions staff can present it as a way to
minimize the cost of the visit, they might feel more
comfortable offering a membership as an option.  

If the problem is the admissions staff not making
visitors aware of the membership option, have you
tried offering a bonus or a gift or some sort of
recognition to the admissions person who signs up the
most new members in a given period of time?  

What is the staffing situation at admissions -- it's
hard to take the time to encourage and sign up a new
member when there's a line of people waiting to get
in?  Maybe, separate admissions windows for members
versus non-member visitors would help?

Another possibility would be to partner with other
Duluth area organizations (museum, zoo, historical
society, parks district, etc.) to offer a
multi-membership package.  This would appeal to
someone vacationing in the area as well as residents. 


Judy Turner
Whitefish Bay, WI


--- Lori Melton <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> Our historic site's membership program needs some
> invigoration:
> 
> It was launched a little over a year ago and offers
> pretty standard perks.
> The membership levels seem to be in line with what
> similar venues are
> offering... but they just aren't selling.
> 
> Our front-line staff is reluctant to "make the
> pitch," but we do have
> membership information available and displayed at
> several locations
> throughout the estate.
> 
> What has worked for you? Any tips for encouraging
> staff to sell memberships
> without making them feel like they are selling? Any
> incentives that seem to
> work?
> 
> Thank you, in advance, for your help.
> 
> _____________________________
> Lori C. Melton, Director of Marketing
> Glensheen, the Historic Congdon Estate
> 
> 218.726.8921 * phone
> 218.726.8911 * fax
> [log in to unmask]
> www.glensheen.org


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and 
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).