Should My Club Have A Public-Facing “Meet The Team” Page?

We’ve all heard the old adage “people buy from people”. Today companies are moving further away from human interaction during the sales process, and many consumers are perfectly happy to avoid communication altogether. In fact, in the constantly evolving B2C e-commerce world of today, if a consumer can’t make an informed purchase decision independently, but instead need to speak with a sales representative to make the purchase, they’re likely to consider it a poor customer experience.

With the world moving further and further away from human interaction during sales, why is it that club management organizations feel the need to even bother with a “meet the team” page? Is there any use in implementing an old and what some may deem antiquated form of selling strategy? Let’s face it, unless you hide contact info behind a member portal, you’re likely just opening yourself up to tire-kickers and telemarketers who do nothing more than simply waste time - right?

While there may be some truth to this, the potential downsides are far outweighed by the significant benefits implementing a “meet the team” page can have – especially in the club management and hospitality space. In our “Tips to Retain Your New Members” article, we noted that individuals become members for three key reasons:

• Networking with like-minded individuals
• Personal benefit such as the lifestyle offered, and/or
• They want to feel like they’re part of a community.

With this in mind, it’s apparent that a “meet the team” page could have a significant impact on an individual’s decision to purchase from or join your club because it helps with information gathering, credibility, relationship building, and brand recognition. How so?

Information Gathering

As was already mentioned, consumers expect your web experience to allow them to make an informed purchase decision independently. To be specific, consumers visit websites for content that:

• Answers their questions
• Solves their problem or completes a task
• Provides instant information

That means offering sufficient information so that the consumer can determine if the club offers an experience that is the ideal fit. On the internet, the competition is always just one click away, so if you frustrate users they’ll head somewhere else. If you hide the management team info behind a member portal, you’ll likely just frustrate the information gatherer. Because of the impact management can have on the culture of a club, it’s instrumental that you provide information on the management team through the use of a “meet the team” page.

Credibility

Potential customers don’t want to give thousands of dollars to an organization they can’t trust. While some exclusive clubs can rely on word-of-mouth after years of happy members, most club operators don’t have that luxury. Potential customers want to know that they’re buying from a reliable organization and team. If you don’t prove your credibility, the competition is just one click away. Hence the importance of a “meet the team” page, it helps reinforce the credibility of your organization.

Relationship Building

As was mentioned previously, two core reasons for joining a club are relationship based – networking and joining a community. Thus, it’s fair to say that the beginning of a strong relationship requires the ability for a potential customer to connect with the team. Adding a human-face to the organization is a great way to develop a relationship early – it makes the club more personable. Permitting interested customers an inside look at your organization helps build a bond with your brand early. In addition to fellow members, having a management team that shares similar interests and skills as the potential customer can help the web visitor make a more informed decision about joining your club.

Brand Recognition

In addition to building the relationship early, the “meet the team” page encourages brand recognition as well. By showcasing your management team, the web visitor will start to associate your brand with a positive relationship and community – and puts a face to the name of the organization.

What Makes a “Meet the Team” Page Successful?

1. It Humanizes the Brand

Successful team pages showcase each team member’s unique personality to make themselves and the organization stand out. One such example, HUMAAN out of the Australia, does a fantastic job of displaying the fun work environment. As you look through the team each image is a brief GIF showing each team member’s personality.

2. It’s Unique to the Brand

We’ve already established that the “Meet the Team” page is a great way to showcase the corporate brand. A great example of this is 360I, a business-oriented marketing organization that appears professional, functional and creative.

3. The People Are Accessible

Whether it’s social media, e-mail or a detailed profile, the customer can connect with the team members easily – helping to create the feeling of a community. Atlassian, a software company originally from Australia, has done a great job of making everyone accessible through social media, while still letting some of their fun brand personality shine through in the form of bobble heads.

Does your club have a public-facing “meet the team” page? Let us know in the comments below.