Communicating with your members

In times of uncertainty, it’s critical that you retain the trust of your members and their confidence in your business. Because of this, it’s helpful to proactively reach out to your clients to address any concerns they may have about your business’ temporary closure.

This is best done with an email sent to your members – preferably before the closure of your location – that adheres to the following guidelines.

Get to the point quickly (with tact)

If your business is closing due to a larger issue, like a natural disaster or pandemic, your members may already have an idea of the news your email will contain, as well as many stressors and worries of their own. Don’t try to avoid the hard news of your business’ temporary closure, but instead address it directly with confidence.

Lead with the value message

Once you’ve clarified the reason for your email, it’s time to jump straight into what your business is doing for your customers during this time. Lay out the additional benefit you’ve added, and address any concerns you feel your members may have (ex: “Don’t worry – our regularly scheduled classes will continue to be offered via livestream, so you can participate from home”).

Include a call to action

If you’ve established any online resources like a private Facebook group, include links to those resources in your email and ask your clients to engage with those resources. These added benefits should be as easy to access as possible, to remove any potential barriers for your members.

Give your members options

Despite your best efforts, some members may feel anxiety over keeping up with a recurring payment when their financial own future may be uncertain. It’s important to acknowledge these concerns by providing your members with options for moving forward.

There are multiple ways to approach this, and the method you choose should strike a balance between retaining the business' revenue and sufficiently addressing your members' concerns.

• Keep memberships as they are, and emphasize the value added through remote services.
• Offer a commitment discount, like a 10% discount on a year-long commitment (This option is best for when you don't already have set commitment options in your contracts).
• Allow members to cancel their current membership in exchange for a discounted "online only" membership, while emphasizing that they'll be able to switch back after the temporary closure.
• Offer members the choice to suspend their membership during the temporary closure.

If you'd like the freedom to approach each client on a case-by-case basis, you can include an open invitation for clients to contact your business directly with any questions or concerns. However, this option will result in a much higher volume of inquiries, and take more of your time. If you choose this option, be sure to provide your business' current contact information, including phone number and email address.

In the end, your goal should be to address your members' concerns with clear solutions, and provide options for them to choose going forward. This will help prevent your members from feeling trapped by a recurring payment, which could compel them to cancel or suspend as a preventative measure.