Don’s Diary
–
Marketing
Freemasonry – after sales selling
When the Secretary re-enters the lodge room and reports to
the WM: “Mr xxxx is in attendance, has
signed the necessary declaration, paid the prescribed fee, and is in the hands
of the Tyler”, that does not mean that the deal is completely done.
A competent marketer will have identified the profile of the
lodge, including its members, and assessed the profile of the new candidate and
the likelihood of their being a good fit.
Even if the lodge and the candidate are a good fit he may then encounter
the broader masonic organisation and environment including the existence of,
and omnipresence of Grand Lodge, all of which could cause alienate and
therefore the organisation needs to be properly designed and managed. Entering a society with secrets has potential
problems and he will anticipate unknowns but his expectations may not be
realised.
His entry into the lodge room on the first occasion may be
likened to subscribing to a wine or book club and receiving the first dozen or
the first book of a series and the buyer having to decide, after going through
a learning and appreciation phase, whether or not it is what he wants or
needs. So as the “after-sales selling”
and “after-sales servicing” goes on in retailing, so it should in Freemasonry
after Initiation; or the “subscription” is likely to be cancelled.
In Freemasonry the “after-sales selling” has to demonstrate
that it does indeed constitute a happy, harmonious society of good men who are
useful to society. That our principles
are sound and that our norms, although perhaps a bit different, are justified. Hopefully he will have role models. He has to be made very aware that he is
wanted, welcomed, valued as a member, and that his contribution and opinion is
necessary to the organisation. His
awareness of the opportunities for a role and for his development need to be
awakened and then over time his needs need to be satisfied: everyone will have
different aspirations, and these needs will vary over time and as circumstances
change. Individual leadership is
needed. He needs to have confirmed that
his joining decision was sound: this is a standard marketing action.
The buyer will be most unlikely to recommend the “product” to
a friend until he is completely satisfied and he is sure that he himself is
staying a “customer” just in case he thinks that he may decide to leave. You can tell when you have been successful
when he becomes a contributor and he starts to introduce his mates as
candidates, and when he regularly brings his wife or partner to Masonic
functions. It will be when he extends
his contacts with his Brethren to times outside lodge events.
Problems with retention cannot fairly be seen as the sole
responsibility of Craft Lodges as they are not totally in control: they have
the responsibility but not all the appropriate authority – this is an
organisational weakness in terms of command and control. However Craft Lodges do have a major role in
the successful induction of candidates.
As with any “product”, particularly ones that have been bought largely
sight unseen, there will be some buyer dissatisfaction. Before we judge ourselves too harshly we
should know from statistical evidence, the likelihood, by member categorisation
and lodge type, of him becoming a long-term Freemason. We should be told from research what causes
Freemasons to depart and if possible eliminate those causes. That is what good marketers would do: improve
the product and the service as necessary, and in our case especially, removing
any grounds for alienation in the whole organisation.
Yours fraternally,
Don Paterson
