Responding to Members

Words of Wisdom

You don’t need the perfect response.

You just need to make members feel welcome be being

• Friendly
• Clear
• Available

What Success Looks Like

• Members receive timely responses
• Conversations feel welcoming
• Questions are answered or routed appropriately
• Members feel heard and respected
• Members know their next step

Best Practices

• Respond promptly when practical
• Match the member's tone and level of engagement
• Answer the question asked
• Keep next steps simple
• Be warm and concise

Common Pitfalls

• Sending long, information-heavy messages
• Too many links or options
• Pressuring attendance
• Taking silence personally

Purpose

Provide guidance for responding to member questions, comments, and outreach in a welcoming and helpful way.

The goal is to make responses feel natural, conversational, and supportive—not scripted or overwhelming.

The Basic Structure

A good response usually includes:

1. Acknowledge what they said
2. Respond or answer their question
3. Offer a simple next step (optional)

Not every message needs all three.

Tone Tips

• Write like you speak
• Use complete but simple sentences
• Avoid overly formal language
• Be warm, but not intense

Common Outreach Scenarios

Use these examples as starting points. Adapt them to your own voice and the specific situation.

Situation	Goal	Example Response
No Response	One follow-up, then stop	Just checking in in case my previous message got buried. No need to respond—just wanted to make sure you knew there's someone local if you ever want to connect.
Short Reply ("Thanks")	Keep the conversation open without pressure.	Glad to hear from you! If you ever feel like connecting locally or coming to something, just let me know.
Interested in Meeting People	Offer a simple next step.	That's great — there are a few members in your area. We sometimes do casual meetups. Would something like that interest you?
Asking About Events	Keep it simple and clear. Avoid sending too much information at once.	We have a few upcoming events. [Event] is often a good first event, and I'd be happy to meet you there.
Nervous About Attending	Reduce uncertainty.	Totally understandable — a lot of people feel that way at first. I'd be happy to meet you outside and introduce you around.
Too Busy	Respect their situation and leave the door open	That makes sense — schedules can get busy. If things ever open up, feel free to reach out anytime.
Not Interested in Events	Explore other ways to connect.	That's completely fine. If you'd like information about newsletters, online groups, or webinars, I'm happy to help.
Asking About Nearby Members	Facilitate connections while protecting privacy. You can direct members to the Membership Directory on the National website.	There are a few members in your area. If you're interested, I can help coordinate a connection or small meetup.
You Don't Know the Answer	Be honest and follow up.	That's a good question. I'm not sure, but I'll find out and get back to you.
Offering a First Meetup	Make it easy to say yes.	I'll be at [location] on [day/time]. If you'd like, we could meet there and attend together.

When to Escalate

Most member questions can be handled by the Membership Officer.

However, some situations are better handled by another volunteer or officer.

Learn more: Membership Officer - When to Escalate or Hand Off Communication

Related

• Welcoming New Members
• Making It Personal
• Member Engagement
• Membership Officer - When to Escalate or Hand Off Communication
• Supporting Remote Members