Recruiting Through Messaging

Successfully recruiting volunteers requires spending the time to wordsmith your message for a flyer or face-to-face discussion. Here are some tips for making your recruiting message more effective:

Sell it With Words

Words are important! Don’t use words like plugged-in, volunteer, servant, need, or desperate. They often cause a negative reaction by the reader, who will immediately stop listening to what else you have to say. Being plugged-in, being a volunteer or servant, and filling a need (even desperate ones) is a by-product of recruiting, not a selling point. Instead, focus on what the benefits of joining up, such as making a difference, becoming part of a team, or exercising specific skills or talents.

Remember that you are competing with the attention of cell phones, TV, iPods, console games, work, home, family, and hobbies. Although It isn’t wrong to sell to potential volunteers, as long as you are truthful in what you say. The words you select will help you cut through the noise and clutter to help those in your church find the place where they can serve.

Meet Their Needs, Not Yours

One of the easiest ways to convince someone to join what you are doing is to understand what motivates them. Often, this may be a search for community, friendships, or being part of something that makes a difference. Other times it could be a specific profession or hobby that interests them, allowing them to reapply existing skills.

So, how do you learn what their needs are? Get to know them! Spending the time to interview a candidate, or even building relationships with those in the church you haven’t met before, can go a long way when recruiting.

Put in a Time Limit

A final thing to consider is including a time limit. Church members may be leary of signing up if they think this is a long-term commitment. Set a time limit of 3-6 months or until you reach some pre-determined milestone. Give them the opportunity to renew their commitment or step out, without hurting anyone in the process.

So, be careful how you put together the message to your audience. Also, be aware of what you are saying and how it is perceived, as that can go a long way toward convincing someone to join your team. Now, how will you improve your recruiting message?
[tags]volunteer recruiting, recruiting volunteers, church marketing, church leadership[/tags]

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