What YOU can do to
help recruit members

Find Potential Members

  • ALWAYS be on the lookout for potential members no matter what you're doing
  • Don’t limit yourself to too small a geographic area. Advertise and look for prospects in neighboring cities.
  • Carry a small "stock" of business cards or postcard or brochures or flier for the chorus in your purse
  • Always have a pen & notepad available to take down a potential member's name and contact information
  • Always keep a positive attitude regarding the chorus in public settings & at rehearsals

For more tips, see:
Appendix A – Ways to Lure New Members
Appendix B – Personal Recruiting Tips
Appendix C – Tools You Can Use

Invite People to Come to Rehearsal

Be proactive about contacting people who might be interested. Send letters or e-mails. Make phone calls. Post fliers in your office or church, or hand them out individually to prospects.

Be persistent. Ask new prospects, as well as those who may have said no a few months or years ago. Remind them that this is something FUN that you should do for YOURSELF.

Follow up with your contacts. If she shows any interest, call or contact her the week and/or the day before the rehearsal to make sure she's still available, answer questions, or find a ride to rehearsal.

Make it easy for them to say YES.

  • Offer to carpool with them – and pick them up at their house.
  • If they have small children, help them find a babysitter.
  • Offer to make a dinner for her family on the first night she comes to rehearsal so that she doesn’t have to.
  • Sell the benefits of Sweet Adelines – how much fun it is, how you can make lots of friends, that you don’t need prior musical experience, etc.

Be knowledgeable about your chorus. Be prepared and willing to answer questions about the chorus before potential guests come to rehearsal.

For more tips, see:
Appendix D – Sample Letter to Guest

Greet Guests at Rehearsal

Introduce yourself to guests & be friendly. Ask them about themselves, and give them your undivided attention - without smothering them, that is!

Make an effort to remember the guest's name, where she lives, and what part she sings; and try to make sure you're pronouncing or spelling her name correctly

Smile. Even if you're just passing by the guest not talking to her, make eye contact, tell her hello, and thank her for coming.

Always offer to answer the guest's questions. Be honest in your answers, but try to always keep a positive slant on the conversation. If you don't know the answer to a question, take the guest to a person who does.

Be accommodating toward guests both on and off the risers.

  • Help her find her music.
  • Help walk her through any four-part warm-ups.
  • Ask if she can hear her part okay where she's standing.
  • Ask her if she’s carpooling to rehearsals—if she’s not & she’d like to, try to set her up with one.
  • Invite the guests out for any post-rehearsal social gatherings

For more tips, see:
Appendix E – First Impressions
Appendix F – When Members Talk with Guests

Follow Up After Rehearsal

If someone you know comes to rehearsal, call or e-mail or speak to her the next day to get her first impressions, answer her questions, and let her share her rehearsal experience with you

Make sure someone else "visible" in the chorus (usually the Director or President) also contacts that guest during the week to thank her for coming and invite her back the next week

If the guest doesn’t return the next week, follow up with her again to let her she was missed & invite her to return.

If the guest still doesn’t return & you can’t get a hold of her in person, send her a letter letting her know she’s always welcome at rehearsals and inviting her to attend your next show or other performance

Rookie Integration Ideas

Wear your chorus nametag every week—otherwise new members will never learn your name!

Hold special choreography classes for new members, perhaps prior to rehearsal.

Involve new members in any chorus performances as soon as possible after she joins so that she understands what the chorus rehearses so hard to do

Give the new member a learning tape of the chorus' repertoire and her own copy of all current chorus music as soon as they join.

New members are given their own riser position as soon as they join

Section leaders or other designated members are assigned to help the new member learn her music

Big sisters/mentors are assigned to help inform the guest of all the little things about Sweet Adeline life.

Survey the new member after 2 or 3 months of membership to see how things are going for her

Give new members small jobs on committees within the chorus to get them involved

Have the director/assistant director give one or more PVIs to the new member in her first year

Recognize all the little "milestones" in her first year of membership. Do this in front of the whole chorus, giving her a round of applause each time:

  • Getting her official chorus nametag
  • Getting her membership card from International
  • Getting her costume(s)
  • Her first show
  • Her first coaching session
  • Her first Christmas party/installation dinner
  • Her first competition

Retention

The key to keeping your members is to keep the lines of communication open, make sure they feel like they’re a valued part of the chorus, and to meet their needs as a singer.

On an individual level, probably the best way to keep yourself happy in the chorus and to help your fellow chorus members also be happy is to abide by the 6 "commandments" of chorus membership:

  • Go to rehearsals every week (and get there on time!)
  • Know your notes and words
  • Listen to your director
  • Be nice to each other
  • Care for each other
  • Relax and have fun!

Appendix A – Ways to Lure New Members
Adapted from page 1-4 to 1-6 of the Ready, Set…Grow manual

When looking for a musical outlet, today’s woman wants something that is challenging, rewarding, and worthy of her valuable time. While looking over the following points, think about why YOU joined the chorus, why you have stayed, and why others would want to be a part of that musical experience.

  1. Bring up singing when talking with others.
  2. Market the chorus to men as well, knowing that men know potential women members.
  3. Show pride when speaking about the chorus and the organization.
  4. Use every opportunity to market the chorus using business cards, brochures, postcards and other material.
  5. Wear membership jewelry or outfits that invite comment; hang chorus pictures in your office and carry one in your wallet; do other things that might invite a conversation.
  6. Commit to the membership drive with enthusIASM… "I Am Sold Myself."

Appendix B – Personal Recruiting Tips
Adapted from a Membership Handout by the
SPEBSQSA Membership Department in order to fit Sweet Adelines.

Set a personal goal: "Today, I will mention Sweet Adelines to five people. No matter what it takes."

Dial a wrong number: "Oops, I’m sorry, I was calling my friend about our Sweet Adelines chorus… Say, do you know anyone who likes to sing? Have you heard of Sweet Adelines International?"

Wear a ridiculous button: The more outrageous, the better. When they ask… hook ‘em!

  • "Will sing baritone for food."
  • "They’ll get my pitch pipe when they pry it from my cold, lifeless hand."
  • "Hit me!… or sing with me."

Post announcements on electronic bulletin boards: Add "Sweet Adeline singer" to your e-mail signature.

Play barbershop music at work, or when you’re on the phone: Interrupt yourself to say, "Oh, wait a second – this is the good part!" Turn up the music. Ask the caller if they like to sing.

In restaurants, leave a membership brochure or business card with every tip.

Whistle while you work: Someone will ask, "Why are you always whistling?" Explain to them how much music means to you. Ask them if they know anyone else who likes music.

Call radio talk shows: When the host asks, "What are you doing?" tell him or her you’re working on music for your chorus rehearsal tonight. Invite folks interested in singing to come hear you rehearse.

Start an e-mail campaign: Write an e-mail talking about the chorus and why you love being in this hobby. Mention your chorus guest night and include a link or address to a site that has more information (www.sweetadelineintl.org or www.region22.org) Send the e-mail to all your friends and family and ask them to forward it to anyone they know who likes to sing and might be interested in singing barbershop – male or female.

Appendix C – Tools You Can Use

Hopefully by now you’re finding yourself getting excited about recruiting new members and you’re just itching to tell other people about your chorus. Now’s the perfect time to arm yourself with chorus recruitment materials. These tools can help:

Business cards. These are inexpensive to purchase for a chorus, and are easy to carry around in your purse and leave at restaurants with tips, exchange with new acquaintances, leave on your desk at work, and any number of other spur-of-the moment promotion opportunities. If the chorus as a whole doesn’t have business cards, add a line to your personal business card saying "I sing with Sweet Adelines. Want to join me? Call…" Business cards should include your rehearsal location, time, a contact name/phone number/e-mail, chorus web address (if applicable), and if room, directions to rehearsal.

Chorus brochures/fliers. Most choruses have some form of brochure or information sheet describing who they are, what Sweet Adelines is, why it’s fun, and how you can join them. Have these on hand to provide to anyone who inquires about the chorus and/or send them with a letter of invitation to any friends you’d like to invite to rehearsal.

Membership Drive Fliers. If you’re having a specific guest night or time of year when you’re recruiting members, the chorus should make some fliers advertising the date(s) of the guest night and inviting women who love singing to attend. Make these as eye-catching as possible! Post them in your cubicle at work or in the local grocery store or Wal-Mart or anywhere people will see them.

Send a letter. In Appendix D, you’ll find a sample letter of invitation that you can personalize and send to potential members to invite them to rehearsal. Send them to anyone you can think of – a former member, a show patron, a new friend, an old friend, someone who sang with you in a choir years ago, etc.

Web site. Many people these days are relying more and more on the Internet for information. Even if your chorus doesn’t have a web site, point people to the International web site (www.sweetadelineintl.org), and or the regional web site (www.region22.org), both of which contain contact information for your chorus. The regional web site also has a picture of the chorus.

Ads and articles. Your chorus PR people are likely hard at work trying to promote the chorus in newspapers, on the radio, and any other available media. If you know when you’ll be publicized on the radio, give your friends and family a heads-up and tell them to tune in. If there’s an article or ad in the paper, cut it out and post it at your desk or show it to those who pass by.

Appendix D – Sample Letter to Guest

Dear ______________,

Hi, how are you? Hopefully you’re in good health all is going well in your life. The reason I'm writing to you today is to invite you to come and visit the chorus I sing with. I know that you’re a musical type of person, so I wanted to tell you a little bit about us and see if you’re interested in coming to one of our weekly rehearsals with me. I think you’d be a great addition to our group!

First, let me tell you a little bit about my chorus. Our name is __________, and we’re a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, which is an organization of 30,000 women who sing 4-part a cappella harmony in the barbershop style. The chorus has __ members hailing from ________________________. We’re one of more than 700 Sweet Adelines chapters worldwide.

There’s all sorts of reasons why I enjoy singing with the chorus. I joined because I love to sing and perform. However, the friends I’ve made and the fun I have with the chorus is just as important to me. Singing is a great stress reliever, and the women I’ve met in Sweet Adelines are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever known.

Members of our chorus range from first-time singers to trained musicians – so you don’t need any previous musical experience to join the chorus – just a love of singing and performing! The chorus has a great director, and we’ll provide you with music, learning tapes, and plenty of vocal instruction to help you along. Singing a cappella may seem a little daunting at first, but trust me – you can do it, and it sounds really good once you get the hang of it!

So what do you say? Our chorus is having some special activities for guests who visit us this [fall/winter/spring/summer], and I’d love to have you be one of those guests. We could even carpool together to rehearsal. The chorus rehearses every _______ night at the ____________________ in ________________ from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

If you have any questions about the chorus, let me know—I’d be glad to answer them. You can also visit our web site at _______________________ if you want to find out more about us. Otherwise, I hope you’ll join me at rehearsal—perhaps next week? Give me a buzz and we’ll set something up.

In Harmony,

[sign your name]

___________ Chorus Member

Appendix E – First Impressions
Adapted from pages 2-8 to 2-10 of the Ready, Set…Grow Manual

What should you do once the guests/prospective members come to your door? Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression!

  1. Arrive early so that you’re there to greet and chat with any guests around you.
  2. Wear your name tag so they don’t have to wonder what your name is.
  3. Make room on the risers—move over!
  4. Don’t discuss any controversial business about the chorus in front of guests.
  5. Be up-front and honest with guests, but don’t overwhelm them with too much information at one time – unless, of course, she asks you.
  6. Be aware of your and the chorus’ image, especially at rehearsals. Think about how rehearsals must look through the eyes of a guest.

Appendix F – When Members Talk with Guests
Adapted from page 3-5 of the Ready, Set…Grow Manual

It’s break time at chorus rehearsal and you notice a guest standing alone. You know you should talk with her and try to make her feel welcome, but what should you say? Many people feel awkward approaching a guest. Here are a few ideas that may help:

Use the guest’s name, and offer yours – even if you are wearing your name tag. Make an honest attempt to remember her face and connect it with her name. Trying to remember at least one small detail of an intial conversation helps us remember names and faces and gives us a place to start a conversation the following week.

Avoid offering too much information about your chorus, unless she asks specifically. A little information is helpful, but a lot at a time is frightening. The membership committee is probably providing some literature each week. Elaborate a bit if the guest asks you to tell her more, but be careful not to make it sound overwhelming or negative. For instance, guests often express concern about learning all the songs and choreography. Assure them that they’ll be given help and that they’ll have time to learn everything at a reasonable pace.

Many people are concerned about the time commitment. If that fear is expressed, acknowledge it. Each individual needs to examine the organization with her schedule in mind. You might explain that many of the activities are optional and that although regular attendance at rehearsals is expected, individuals may participate at whatever level fits their schedules. (It’s amazing how many people often realign priorities to fit chorus activities into busy schedules once they are "hooked", but we need to allow them to do that on their own, not by pushing.)

Do a lot of listening. It’s much more important just to stay near the guest, or not to leave her alone, than it is to talk. All you really have to do is say, "Hello," and introduce yourself. Ask a question or two about how she happened to learn about the chorus, and listen carefully to the answer. Then just be near. Don’t make the mistake of talking just to fill space. The space is okay.

 

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