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																																										x Situation Response No Response 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. They say “Thanks” or give a short reply Keep it light. Glad to hear from you! If you ever feel like connecting locally or coming to something, just let me know — always happy to help. They express interest in meeting people Move gently toward a next step. That’s great — there are a few members in your area. We sometimes do casual meetups (coffee, lunch, etc.). Would something like that interest you? Optionally: Suggest a specific event Offer to help coordinate They ask about events Keep it simple and clear. Avoid sending too much information at once We have a few upcoming events — here's a link to our website's calendar. [Event] is often a good first event, and I'll be attending [Event] and would love to meet you there. They’re nervous about attending Normalize the feeling and reduce uncertainty. Totally understandable — a lot of people feel that way at first. If you decide to come to something, I’d be happy to meet you outside and introduce you around. They say they're too busy Respect that and keep the door open. That makes sense — schedules can get busy. If things ever open up, or if you just want to connect locally, feel free to reach out anytime. They say they're not interested in events Acknowledge and pivot. That’s completely fine — not everyone is looking for events. If you want to stay connected in other ways (newsletter, online groups, webinars, etc.), I’m happy to help. They ask about other members nearby Facilitate connection carefully. Note: Respect privacy. Do not share contact information without permission. You can direct members to the Membership Directory on the National website. There are a few members in your area. If you’re open to it, I can help connect you or coordinate a small meetup. When you don't know the answer It’s okay to say so and then follow up. That’s a good question — I’m not sure, but I can find out and get back to you. Offering a first meetup Being specific about time, place, and expectations can make it easier for someone to say yes. I'll be at [location] on [day/time]. If you'd like, we could meet there and attend together. I'm happy to meet you outside and walk in with you if that would make things more comfortable. 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