Recruiting Lions and Building Clubs: the Right Way!
by Jimmy M. Ross
President, The International Association of Lions Clubs
 
I’m pleased to report I exceeded my personal goal of organizing 15 clubs this year and I’m now on my way to reaching 20 or more new clubs by July.

When forming these clubs, some of the Lions I worked with were initially hesitant and uncertain that clubs could be formed as easily as I had been telling them. They were, of course, pleasantly surprised when we met with success, often remarking: “I never thought it could be done, but it’s really not that difficult to successfully recruit charter members for a new club. Almost all of the people I approached said ‘yes.’ ”

Let me share a few insights on how it works. To begin with, it’s a matter of having pride and confidence in being a Lion and in what you are trying to sell. And building that confident mindset is easy when you understand that most people naturally want to be part of a successful group and that most will be willing to join if approached the right way.

In approaching potential members, it’s important to keep in mind that people want three things out of belonging to a group. We’re social animals, so we want to be around like-minded people. Secondly, we want to be part of a project or mission important to our peers. Thirdly, we want that project or mission to be successful. No one wants to spend his or her time and energy on something that will fail. The beauty of all this is that a Lions club fulfills all three of these conditions.

The next secret to successful recruiting is to identify the right people. We should be targeting influential, successful people in our communities. I’m thinking of entrepreneurial or educated people such as realtors, insurance agents, bank officers, school principals and administrators, pharmacists, small business owners and others. As you recruit a handful of these successful and visible people in a town, there will be many others who will want to follow.

Typically, when organizing a new club in my part of the world, I will go into businesses and banks and ask to see the owners or head managers. I tell them we are organizing a new Lions club in the area, ask them if they know about Lions, and then succinctly tell them that Lions are the people who use their talents and abilities to bring hope and service directly to people in need. I then directly ask them, “Is this something you would like to be part of?”

When they say “yes” (and most of them do), I then immediately hand over a sign-up sheet for their signature and also tell them we are collecting the charter fee today. It’s amazing how often people are willing to make a commitment then and there. The sign-up sheet can also become a helpful tool because the next people you approach may commit even faster when they see other important people in their community have signed up. And from there, the momentum only builds and builds until, before you know it, you and a small team of fellow Lions have recruited 25 to 30 charter members in one day.

If you still think forming new clubs is difficult, I’m proud to say in the last few months more than 25 districts in North America have formed 24 clubs and 9 club branches using this approach. It works!