Nothin’ Good About Good-Bye

At last the time has arrived and we must now part with our unpaid members. There is nothing “good” about saying good-bye to members. Not only are they helping to fund the amazing programs we offer, they literally are the reason the association exists in the first place. Still, there comes a time when the relationship must end – at least for a while. Here are some suggestions of what you can include in a drop notice letter to your unpaid members:

Dear _______,

As a valued member of the _______we wanted to contact you regarding your membership. After reviewing our records we noticed that you did not renew your membership for 2014. We greatly regret your decision not to renew your ______Membership, which recently expired. If we have made an error in this regard or your renewal is in the mail, please contact us. Otherwise, unfortunately, we are required to drop any members who have not paid their membership dues.

As a [industry specific] professional you recognize the changes that our industry is facing and the challenges that those changes may bring. _______is dedicated to preparing our members for the future. As a person that plays an integral role in the [industry specific] profession in [state], you recognize the importance of supportive relationships with others in our industry. The _______ sincerely appreciates individuals such as yourself and your peers that work to bring the industry to the highest standard.

Enclosed you will find a copy of your membership dues invoice for your convenience. Please review it and if you choose, mail it back to us so that we can continue to serve you.

A letter such as this should come from the President or another board member. This final drop notice also gives you the opportunity to include one or two benefits that the member will lose because they’ve chosen to not renew at this time.

Don’t forget – after a couple of months, reach out to the members you dropped and ask them to come back to the association. Your previous members are some of your best prospects!