Are you short of new members again at the end of the year? I'm sure you know the feeling. But don't worry, you're not alone. Many clubs have problems attracting new members. In this article, we would like to explain from a psychological perspective how people decide to join a club. Here you will find tips and tricks from the field of psychology to convince a potential member to join your club.

The adaptation of sales psychologies to clubs

This article is based on the application of well-known sales psychologies, which we put into a context suitable for clubs. The core question is how a potential member decides from a psychological perspective whether to book a course or become a member of an association. And for what reasons do interested people actually drop out? Joining a club is also a decision that is based on a foundation. It starts with individual problems and challenges. There are purchases that are made spontaneously and those where interested parties look at and compare offers several times before making a purchase decision. The key question is: What kind of person are you dealing with when you are considering joining a club?

Is the person already familiar with the sport? Then the person needs to be approached differently than in situations where there is a need for explanation.
If the person is interested in the sports club because of a back problem, the primary goal is to get rid of the back pain. This means that the focus is not on the sport, but on health.

Die Komponenten des KaThe components of the purchasing decision processufentscheidungsprozesses

The purchase decision process essentially consists of three components:

There must be a trigger that sets the purchase decision and action processes in motion. In terms of the club, this is the main trigger for club membership.
The interested parties need sufficient motivation - they must be willing to act.
Prospective members must not encounter any obstacles that make membership difficult or impossible.

The triggering stimulus arises in people when a feeling of lack prevails. If someone has had back pain all day, they want to get rid of this feeling of pain. If someone feels uncomfortable when looking at the scales, this also creates a triggering stimulus that motivates the person to act. However, joining a club can also be based on a social motivation (sense of belonging, socializing). This is because clubs have the positive characteristic that people with similar interests come together in one place and interact together.

Internal and external triggers that lead to the purchase decision

There are basically two types of triggering stimuli:

External trigger
Internal trigger

The external trigger always arises when an external influence is exerted on a need. In this case, the person wants to have or own something of which they were previously unaware. Advertising, the press and marketing provide certain stimuli that encourage positive purchasing decisions. However, an external trigger can also be simple: it's raining and you buy an umbrella at that moment, even though you have several at home. We want to focus less on external triggers because small and medium-sized clubs can only set up marketing campaigns to a limited extent.

The feeling of scarcity as a factor for quick purchasing decisions

Internal triggers are much more interesting for associations because they are always rooted in the individual. Back pain, for example, is so annoying that it gives feelings and emotions power. And this power creates strong effects! Feelings of discomfort can arise in the following ways, among others:

Boredom: “I simply have nothing to do after work or school”.
Insecurity: “I'm not fit enough”.
Frustration: “I need sport as a balance and I want to release my anger”.
Pain: “I have joint pain and swimming or yoga relieves my pain”.
Loneliness: “I've just moved house and am looking for like-minded people”.
Stress valve: “I need to really work out”.

People want to get rid of such negative feelings as quickly as possible and this generates actions - usually very quickly, without giving it much thought. You are probably very familiar with so-called impulse purchases, such as spontaneously grabbing a chocolate at the checkout. The inner stimulus and the associated discomfort triggers a strong need to act. And at these points, people also become interesting for clubs.

Motivations that influence purchasing decisions

In addition to the feeling of lack, there must also be motivation for a positive purchase decision. Motivation can be equated with the willingness to act - it consists of a rational and an emotional part. Here is an example of each:

Rational: I need a racing bike for sport. There are good new bikes in a price range between 1,500 and 2,000 euros - used bikes are already available for less than 1,000 euros. I decide on one of the racing bikes I find because a model in the lower to medium price category is enough for me to start with.
Emotionally: I buy a road bike for 8,000 euros because I enjoy technology and special components (the lightest or fastest road bike) are important to me, and I want everyone to talk to me about my new road bike.

There are many motives for buying and, as a rule, several influencing factors must be present in order to achieve a high probability of a positive purchase decision. Each person's motives are different. The buying motives are important for your club so that you can put them in the right context. Some motives are more important and some are less important.

Purchase motive 1: Reputation and prestige

Membership recruitment: Membership recruitment is by invitation only or involves a high initial premium - example: equestrian sports, golf, personal trainer, sailing.
Exclusivity: VIP box seats or VIP tickets for sponsors or patrons.
Trend Unique cards: Only selected customers receive the unique cards and only a few can afford them.
Limited editions: The course is only available once a year for 10 people.
Word choice: Exclusive, one-to-one training, unique, high quality. The offer differs from the rest and appeals to prestige-focused users.
Advertising colors: Professional advertising agencies often use black and dark purple tones.

Purchase motive 2: Health and well-being

Member recruitment: Preventive and health sports in the context of yoga, swimming, Nordic walking or weight training.
Motivational factors: Health into old age and a preventative effect to avoid illness and accidents. It relieves and decelerates the stressful life with computers and smartphones.
Choice of words: All for the benefit of health, feeling 10 years younger.
Measures: Ideally, you place before-and-after pictures on the website and have members report on the change process.
Colors: The advertising industry often uses green and warm yellow colors here.

Purchase motive 3: Safety

The motive of safety refers to a potentially right or wrong decision. This also applies to registering for a course or joining a club.

Solution: Offer trial training sessions, taster courses or special cancellation rights for new members. Other options also help.

Reviews from course participants,
Testimonials from members,
Guarantee promises,
The identification of qualified instructors (certificates, licenses, etc.),
Online registration processes that keep the member up to date (confirmation and welcome emails).

Purchase motive 4: Relief, convenience and comfort

Easy entry: If membership registration is complex, this has a negative impact on the entire club and tends to deter people from joining.
Couch potatoes: The first few weeks of exercising are the hardest. Make it easy and comfortable for people - structured training plans and step-by-step instructions avoid overwhelming them.
Information flow: Communicate proactively and don't just respond to requests. This makes it easier for potential members to find information.
Choice of words: “Easy as pie”, “suitable for beginners”, “newcomers are welcome”.
Color choice: Dark blues and browns are often used here by the advertising industry.

The motive of safety is certainly not the main criterion in sports clubs, which is why the previous tips should be used sparingly.

Purchase motive 5: Enrichment and profit

We always mention that permanently low prices are only good for clubs to a limited extent, because it does not do justice to the actual value of such an organization. Nevertheless, clubs can advertise discounts on tracksuits for new members.

You can work out how much money a training session costs for the member. This often comes out to between 1 and 3 euros. And then the trainers also have a C or B license? Well, where can you find that? Of course you can advertise the club with figures like that.

Words such as “inexpensive”, “discount” or “cheap offers” are helpful - but we recommend being careful with such wording, because a club is not a junk product.

Purchase motive 6: Curiosity, urge to discover and play

This refers in particular to trend sports such as padel tennis, futsal and ultimate frisbee. Young people in particular want to be at the forefront of trends. So highlight what is new or better about the offer and create a low entry threshold. Learning quickly and having fun right from the start are decisive factors here. In your language, you should include words such as “try it now”, “be surprised” or “new course” or “new offer”. Homemade videos, an open day or a club party help to arouse curiosity and make it easier to get started.

By the way: Children (aged 5 to 12) have a particularly pronounced curiosity and usually have a strong desire to discover and play. It is worth considering establishing these motives in the sports activities offered by your club. It is not only the language chosen that is decisive here, but also the content of the “training”. Start with the youngest children with taster courses, play sessions and fun exercises that gently introduce them to the actual sport and encourage their natural urge to play.

Purchase motive 7: Social commitment and a clear conscience

Many clubs do good things every day: volunteering, team spirit, integration and inclusion are the key words here. In addition, many clubs were founded because of their social commitment. For many people, a clear conscience or the fact that they are socially committed and helping others is a motive for becoming a member of an association. However, your club should also demonstrate voluntary and social achievements. In order for these successes to resonate with potential members, emotions need to be aroused and conveyed. Communicate social successes from club life with stories and pictures on the website or social networks.

Purchase motive 8: Self-realization

Self-realization is particularly important in individual sports (fitness, weightlifting, martial arts, athletics). For athletes, it is about achieving a specific goal:

A well-trained body.
Taking part in a sporting competition (e.g. triathlon or marathon).
Learning or perfecting a sport.
Winning a competition.
Reaching a certain target time.
Competing at a high level.

Ultimately, this is about a high sporting performance orientation. This appeals to ambitious athletes who otherwise strive for the maximum at other clubs.

Self-realization is also often a decisive criterion for potential coaches when deciding to join your club. If performance orientation is established in your club, you can show interested parties what goals (promotion or establishment in a high division) can be achieved with the teams or individual athletes.

Purchase motive 9: The desire for sociability and social contacts

People are social beings and you should therefore strengthen the "sense of togetherness" in your club. Courses, club festivals, training camps and club tournaments are good opportunities to showcase cohesion within the club. The gathering of like-minded people and the associated social interaction are among the most important factors in club life and are the best way to combat loneliness in everyday life. Having fun in the community, being there, creating something together and meeting like-minded people are the decisive criteria for those interested.

Purchase motive 10: A thirst for adventure and a willingness to take risks

Some people strive for adventure and actively seek out risks and uncertainties. White water rafting, hiking with camping, paragliding or trail running are some examples. At this point, your terms should sound like adventure: "Spend the night in the wilderness", or "Climb the secret mountains of the Bavarian forest". The aim is to increase the urge to take risks and venture into unknown territory. You can look at well-known outdoor sports brands for inspiration. Images and videos are also important for this buying motif in order to better convey certain emotions.

Review the motives for action for your club and consider which ones apply to your sports. Try to establish the information and advice in club communication. However, it is also important that the offers are attractive and up-to-date.

The ability to act: How obstacles influence the purchasing decision

The ability to act is something like the final weighing up before people decide for or against a purchase. At this stage, interested parties look specifically for reasons against a purchase and ultimately weigh up the options before making a decision. Ideally, the prospective buyer should not have any obstacles that prevent them from purchasing the membership. In the following sections, we explain possible obstacles that are important when joining an association.

Time factor

How long does it take to become a member? Can it be done online or do interested parties have to go to the office? Tip: Make it as easy as possible for members.
Is it possible to complete a trial training session and sign up for membership on site?
How long does it take between signing and starting training? Ideally, prospective members can start right away - postpone the purchase of club clothing or the collection of documents to another day.
How far is the later journey to the training session?

Money factor

What costs are associated with membership? This includes the membership fee, sports equipment and travel to training and competitions.
Does the person have enough money available? There may be discount options for students, trainees, families and senior citizens.
Is help available with support services for economically disadvantaged people (German government's Participation Act)?

Physical exertion factor

There may be some anxiety before starting training. Can I really keep it up? Will I be able to cope with the effort? This is where clubs with experienced trainers and training plans can provide support and allay fears.

Thinking cycles factor

How long does it take to complete the membership? Do only standard questions have to be answered or are further documents required?
Do the training times fit in with everyday life?
Doctors have to issue a prescription for rehab sports - the path is a little rockier here, but participants also get the security of being in good hands.

Social deviance factor

This is about the question of how much behavior deviates from the social norm. There are always issues like this with sports such as pole dancing. But a swimming course for Muslim women can also be a case of social deviance. Clubs should develop a sensitive mindset here and provide sensitive support in any cases.

Routine factor

How practiced is the person in carrying out necessary actions?
Is the person used to filling out an online application on their smartphone? This is often a hurdle for older people.
Is the person used to joining new sports groups? Newcomers are often very nervous and find the first training sessions very difficult.
People with little knowledge of German need help filling out applications and documents.

We have now introduced you to the entire purchasing decision process. Imagine different people or characters from your environment and think about whether they would currently become a member of your club. And if the answer is "no": think about what changes need to be made. Process steps two and three in particular are largely within the club's sphere of influence. In terms of communication, you can certainly turn over a few stones in the association in order to continue to be attractive to new members. We are sure you will succeed.

Summary: Successful member acquisition with psychology

There are three stages that are decisive for a purchase decision (conclusion of membership):

1. There must be a trigger or deficiency that sets purchase decision and action processes in motion. Internal triggers are usually relevant for clubs.

2. Potential members need sufficient motivation. There must be a willingness to act so that interested parties become active. There are various motives for this: