Reaching the Hard to Reach Through the Easy to Reach
December 06, 2011
We often hear wellness managers complain about the fact they get the same participants over and over — as if this is a bad thing. True, you want to reach as many people as possible, but those repeat participants will bump into a lot of nonparticipants. And if you treat them well they’re going to spread the word about your quality programs and services — the easiest way to attract new people.
Some ways to make repeat participants feel special:
- Write personal “Nice to see you again” notes on registration confirmation notices
- Go out of your way to introduce new staff or outside providers to loyal participants
- Call repeat participants after they attend a new service or program to get their feedback — even if you’ve distributed a written survey (and you should)
- Send a New Year’s message to loyal customers — wish them the best and let them know you look forward to seeing them again in the new year
- Seek the advice of regular participants on how to attract and retain new customers
- Forward “sneak preview” announcements to frequent participants before promoting to the general population
- Send links to articles on health issues loyal participants are interested in, along with an FYI note
- Call or email congratulations on promotions or recognition regular participants receive on the job or in the community
- Host an annual breakfast and brainstorming meeting for repeat customers to share their ideas on programming for the next 12 months.
