Basic ideas for recruiting members to your IPC

© Can Stock Photo / aaronamat

People are the most important component of any group, but being able to choose the people who are the right fit for your IPC is paramount to its health and vitality. People who are interested in your club, who are interesting, and who are willing to regularly attend functions are the ones you should search for. Be careful, though. There is another part to consider, and that is chemistry.  Chemistry is hard to define, and it comes from the gut.

The next logical question is, ‘how do I find these people?’ Chances are that you have friends you want to include. This can either be a great start to your IPC, or an unforeseen trap. Even friends need to be subject to the search conditions listed above. You need to be very honest with yourself and ask if the friend is going to be compatible with other folks you’d like to attract. Some people make great friends, but do not have the social graces to play well with others. Or they may have beliefs that they enjoy discussing regardless of the prevailing topic, but those beliefs are incompatible with what you’re trying to achieve in the club. Better to keep them friends on an individual level, rather than later forcing yourself to sacrifice the friends you made in the club for the old friend who has become problematic.

I would avoid creating public access groups in social media to use as recruiting tools for your IPC, but rather, join a few as a regular member.  You’ll find people by being active in the communities that you want to draw from. If you’re someone who wants to attract geeks and nerds, then become active in some local public groups that are targeted at geeks and nerds, and strike up friendships. You’ll be doing the footwork that needs to happen before actual recruiting.

Once you attract some friends, invite them to a coffee or to lunch. In doing this, you want to see how they act on an individual basis, and to see how engaging they can be face-to-face. This may sound manipulative, but you’re expanding your friend circle. If you make friends, be a good friend, and don’t drop the friendship because they don’t suit your IPC. Making and maintaining friends is good trait to develop for someone that wants to manage an IPC. After you meet a few times, start asking them questions that relate to your IPC. In an off-hand fashion, you’re interviewing them for possible membership. With any luck, you’ll hook a member or two.

Once some membership has been established in your IPC, see if they’d be willing to sponsor friends for the IPC. Make sure any potential sponsorships fall along the lines of ‘interest, interesting and regular.’ I’ll talk more about membership intake and maintenance in a future post.

All this recruiting will take time and patience. An IPC is a long-term investment, not a race to collect as many people as possible. You’re looking for a slow build-up that enriches the club, and there will be a limit to membership. Be exclusive will allow you to raise the standards for your IPC.