TEPSA Membership Recruiters
- Serve as key contacts in their district, region or geographic location for recruitment activities.
- Actively recruit new members.
- Identify well-respected TEPSANs in their area to serve as ambassadors for the organization.
- Distribute TEPSA membership materials at district events.
- Identify key communicators in their area who can open doors for TEPSA recruitment.
TEPSA Prospects and Members
- Say personal invitations/recommendations are the top reason they joined.
- Name children as their top reason for staying in the profession. TEPSA makes all decisions based on what is best for students and members. (See Decision Points)
- Are not put on hold when they call the office with questions – 1-800-252-3621.
- Have 24/7 access available via our website.
- Value time as much (or more than) money.
Why People Join
- People want to find solutions to a problem. Show them how TEPSA provides resources to meet the challenges they face.
- Use the three C’s – Community, Credibility, Content
- Community – By joining TEPSA, you tap into an inclusive network of your peers and make vital professional connections. Through TEPSA, you’ll meet your next collaborators, mentors, job referrals and lifelong friends. More than 75% of Texas elementary principals are members.
- Credibility – TEPSA is well-respected throughout the education community as a professional organization. Membership defines you as an education professional dedicated to achieving success for your teachers and students.
- Content – Quality information that is easily accessible. Workshops and conferences help develop your professional skills. Publications keep you up-to-date on education news, trends and research.
Making Phone Calls
Things to think about before you call . . .
You are a credible TEPSA source because you: do the same job, work in the same environment, and/or believe in the same cause. Think about your answers to the following questions. This will prepare you to confidently answer questions prospects may have about membership.
- Why is TEPSA worth the money?
- Why is TEPSA worth the time?
- Why did you join TEPSA?
- What has TEPSA done for you?
- How have you excelled as a result of your membership?
- How have your campus, teachers and/or students benefited as a result of your membership?
- What are your TEPSA experiences? Share them with prospects.
When you call
- Be assertive and polite.
- Be factual (call 800-252-3621 if you have any questions).
- Find out educator’s professional priorities or concerns. Point out the resources we provide in these areas.
- Share TEPSA’s philosophy and goals.
- Explain how membership has benefited you personally.
| Reasons people find for not joining: | Responses: |
| Too much money | Return on investment – Less than $1/day Compare that to an hour with an attorney starting at $150. |
| Employer won’t pay | We can provide literature for supervisors; worth the investment. |
| No time | How do you define too much time? Five minutes to join. After that, you determine the amount of time and the number of CPE credits you’re earning. |
| Doesn’t do anything for me | The voice for Texas PK-8 school leaders |
| Policy/issue disagreement | Join and make a difference; can’t help otherwise |
| Too many other associations/Get benefits from other groups | We are the only association with Texas PreK-8 school leaders as our focus. |
Turnaround the turndown (your opportunity to empathize)
Use feel, felt, found sentences:
- “I know how you feel.”
- “I felt the same way.”
- “I found joining TEPSA was the best decision because . . .”
A Few More Tips
The secret to successful membership recruitment is to involve all your current members in finding new prospects. Your members know best who they would like to associate with, and nothing convinces like a personal testimonial.
- Ask your members for prospect names. Include a hot prospect form in your newsletter and make them available at meetings.
- Distribute TEPSA materials at new-employee orientations or leadership meetings in your district. Many school districts have a meeting in July or August. This is a great time to sign up people for payroll deduction. (Remember that they must send a copy of the application to TEPSA and to their central office.)
- Focus your retention efforts on first and second year members. It takes five times more effort to recruit a new member than to retain a current one.
- Don’t forget central office employees, such as directors of instruction, curriculum, early childhood or personnel directors. As supervisors, they are eligible for membership. Supervisors tell us they join in order to stay current with PreK-8 issues.
- Send a letter to school district superintendents. This has been an effective membership recruitment tool in the past. One superintendent copied the letter to encourage all principals in the school district to join.
Send your prospect lists to Elizabeth in the TEPSA state office. We are your state membership development partner.
