# A question for the membership secretariat



## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

How many members do we now have up to date ?


----------



## R6B TT (Feb 25, 2003)

What's it to you ?


----------



## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

I think as a member I ought to know ....


----------



## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

and what you got to hide ? ............ :lol:


----------



## Kell (May 28, 2002)

John - I don't know exact figures as I don't have access to any of the data, but Mark said that we are over 500 IIRC.


----------



## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

Interesting as some of the TTOC sigs on here have 1000+ so does that mean we have 50% fall out then ?


----------



## Kell (May 28, 2002)

TTotal said:


> Interesting as some of the TTOC sigs on here have 1000+ so does that mean we have 50% fall out then ?


There is some obvious churn - when people sell their cars etc. but not that much (I don't think). What tended to happen is that as some memberships were taken up independently of the shop (ie at meets and stuff) then higher number cards were given to the TTOC rep attending - ie we might have only sold 300 memberships at that point, and the rep would be given cards numbered 500-520. So there were gaps in membership numbers.

However, I suspect (and again I'm just guessing) that the new membership cards are numbered 1,000 and up to avoid recycling the membership numbers.


----------



## TTotal (Aug 12, 2002)

That all makes sense . Just shows that there is a slow take up if we have 15k plus on here and just 500 members = 3%.

Remind me (cos they are at home) does the flyer that we got push the forum, or the TTOC which is obviously a better idea.


----------



## CH_Peter (May 16, 2002)

It's only one approach - and I don't know how much I like it - but Mini2.com had a premium "members only" area. Special group buys, offers and such. Discussion about the direction of the forum, etc. I wonder whether it might be worth thinking of other features: a database of known faults and keywords that could be searched for solutions to common faults, for example?

I know that the forum and the ttoc are separate, but perhaps there's something in the idea of working with Jae and the forum for a TTOC only section that's only open for TTOC members, and making it higher profile? 3% doesn't seem very good, does it? Mind you, how many active members are on the forum?


----------



## TeeTees (Mar 9, 2006)

CH_Peter said:


> It's only one approach - and I don't know how much I like it - but Mini2.com had a premium "members only" area. Special group buys, offers and such. Discussion about the direction of the forum, etc. I wonder whether it might be worth thinking of other features: a database of known faults and keywords that could be searched for solutions to common faults, for example?
> 
> I know that the forum and the ttoc are separate, but perhaps there's something in the idea of working with Jae and the forum for a TTOC only section that's only open for TTOC members, and making it higher profile? 3% doesn't seem very good, does it? Mind you, how many active members are on the forum?


That's the same as the Lexus Owners Club - any special offers were only open to LOC Gold members. They even went to the extent where the For Sale section was only open to LOC Gold members - not sure if that was pushing it a bit too far.

But I see your logic - good idea IMO :wink:


----------



## CH_Peter (May 16, 2002)

TeeTees said:


> CH_Peter said:
> 
> 
> > It's only one approach - and I don't know how much I like it - but Mini2.com had a premium "members only" area. Special group buys, offers and such. Discussion about the direction of the forum, etc. I wonder whether it might be worth thinking of other features: a database of known faults and keywords that could be searched for solutions to common faults, for example?
> ...


Mini2 did the same: for sale was only for "premium" members - although the yearly cost to become a premium member was only about Â£10 and any purchase from any participating mini2 affiliate would pretty much make it pay for itself (5-20% discount was offered by lots of places). Not sure how much I like it, but let's say there is a TTOC membership for just Â£10 that gets you into the forum locked bits and a later PDF edition of absolutte... if it raises funds and for the forum and the TTOC and ups the membership, can only be a good thing.

An idea, anyways.


----------



## clived (May 6, 2002)

TTotal said:


> That all makes sense . Just shows that there is a slow take up if we have 15k plus on here and just 500 members = 3%.
> 
> Remind me (cos they are at home) does the flyer that we got push the forum, or the TTOC which is obviously a better idea.


I think 15k isan optimistic number for active forum members. At time of writing, there are 10257 members registered. Of those there are 3607 who have never made a post. There are also a huge number of members who posted a few times, but haven't been active for years. It would be interesting to get a view on how many people have posted in the last 12 months (so would be active by TTOC membership standards) and the last 6 and 3 months - so are really currently active members of the forum.

The other factor is that the forum is free and of course the club isn't, so we're never going to see all forum members (or the spambots ;-) ) sign up - some people come here when thinking about buying a TT (but then don't) and many active members remain here once they've moved on from the TT (and so may not see full value at that point of becoming or remaining a member of the TTOC).

Of course, all that notwithstanding, there are obviously active ******** users who are TT owners but aren't TTOC members - but there can't be many ******** members who aren't aware of the club. Once a forum memer is aware of the club, it's really down to them if they choose to join or not and I'd not want to see us try to push it down anyone's throat. Rather than trying to analyse the percentages (which, for the reasons above I think is pretty hard) I'd be really interested to hear ideas on what we all think the club should do to attract more forum members into club membership. Or indeed a list of active TT owning forum members who aren't in the TTOC ;-)

Of course, some people might argue that would be missing the point entirely. There are certainly more TT owners in the country than there are either active forum members or club members, so maybe we should be putting our joint resources into promoting both the forum and the club to the tens of thousands of people who aren't aware of either?


----------



## Rad TT (May 17, 2006)

Clive,
If peeps aren't aware down here mate, I just haven't spotted them yet, simply as that... :lol:


----------



## CH_Peter (May 16, 2002)

clived said:


> I'd be really interested to hear ideas on what we all think the club should do to attract more forum members into club membership.


Just ideas - am sure other people will thinkof others, too.

Maybe work with Jae so that:-

a) sign up must be authorised
b) when it is, they get an email from the ttoc with a welcome to the forum, consider joining the TTOC for these reasons and a back copy of the last-but-one absolutte as a PDF.
c) a special offer from one our advertisers, so that if they sign up to the TTOC, it almost pays for itself for the first year - i.e. Â£25 off a remap / short shift kit / free fitting of exhaust... take your pic of popular mods 
d) sign someone else up type offer (get all back copies of absolutte as PDFs free? free keyring? discount entry to national event?)

You need extra hands to make some of this work or other stuff work, you have a volunteer.

Peter


----------



## TeeTees (Mar 9, 2006)

I'll hold my hands up - I'm one off the guys who posted on here (about 1,000 times) before I bought a TT. :lol: And when I did (almost 4 weeks ago), I still wasn't that sure what I'd gain from signing up as a member.

However, I felt that I wanted to be part of the TT 'family', so I signed up last week.

Like other's have put - maybe some kinda incentives / offers would lure more into signing up ? :?


----------



## Kell (May 28, 2002)

The one thing that Clive hasn't mentioned above, and what many people fail to take into consideration is that the TTOC is a not-for-profit organisation and the TT-F isn't.

So it's very difficult to cement a relationship when we have two quite different agendas. Regardless of whether or not Jae actually makes any money from this site (he maintains he doesn't) any profit he makes goes not to the forum members, but to the forum owner. I'm not saying that's a bad thing by the way, it's just different to the way the TTOC is run. Which is with the view that profit is ploughed back into the club events - the magazine etc etc.

Remember that the TTOC committee is elected by the members, and is accountable to the members.

I don't want to drag up the old argument or try to separate us from each other as I do believe that the TTOC gets a hell of a lot from the forum (a lot, but certainly not all) of the members come here first and find out about the TTOC that way. And where we can, we give as much support to the forum as possible.


----------



## CH_Peter (May 16, 2002)

Kell said:


> The one thing that Clive hasn't mentioned above, and what many people fail to take into consideration is that the TTOC is a not-for-profit organisation and the TT-F isn't.


That's a good point. Mind you, it doesn't stop both working for each other: the TTOC driving traffic and page hits here and the forum driving TTOC membership.

The authorisation to the forum would be mutually beneficial, for example. Stop the effing spammers and close a problem for the TTF, whilst (hopefully) helping out the TTOC with members.

I would guess that there are plenty like TeeTees - joined the forum and didn't really look too closely at joining the TTOC. Get together a good pitch from the TTOC when someone joins the TTF, as it would surely make a difference. How many times do you see a "hello" post and people say "Don't forget to join the TTOC" - but there's no list of reasons.

At the risk of being flamed to death - I don't like absolutte that much. I flick through it, but haven't read either of the issues word-for-word or cover to cover. I've glanced over articles and piccies. For me, it's not a good reason to join the TTOC _in the first place_. I know lots of people love it and it looks very nice and professional and is to be commended. That is not in question. As an initial incentive to join the TTOC, it's not strong enough, in my own opinion.

I think you have to show people an actual (probably monetary) reason to hook them first off. List discounts, provide offers. Some willl discover the community spirit afterwards (hell, I've been here for years, and could only pick out one or two members in a line up and they certainly couldn't pick out me, because I've only managed to get to a couple of national meets and not got round to a local one yet - bit shy, you know!) but most (I guess) will not be hooked by it. At any given time on the forum, there are prolific, vocal posters, meeting regularly, and to go to a meet might well be quite intimidating for new members. Anyway, I'm waffling - monetary hook first, community afterwards.

Pete


----------



## Rad TT (May 17, 2006)

CH_Peter wrote:
At the risk of being flamed to death - I don't like absolutte that much. I flick through it, but haven't read either of the issues word-for-word or cover to cover. I've glanced over articles and piccies. For me, it's not a good reason to join the TTOC _in the first place_. I know lots of people love it and it looks very nice and professional and is to be commended. That is not in question. As an initial incentive to join the TTOC, it's not strong enough, in my own opinion.

I think you have to show people an actual (probably monetary) reason to hook them first off. List discounts, provide offers. Some willl discover the community spirit afterwards (hell, I've been here for years, and could only pick out one or two members in a line up and they certainly couldn't pick out me, because I've only managed to get to a couple of national meets and not got round to a local one yet - bit shy, you know!) but most (I guess) will not be hooked by it. At any given time on the forum, there are prolific, vocal posters, meeting regularly, and to go to a meet might well be quite intimidating for new members. Anyway, I'm waffling - monetary hook first, community afterwards.

Pete,
I can see your point of view, but only to a point.
This is the TTOC and as such as Kell put very well, isnt a profit based club.
What could the offer of discounts, special offers, group buys, get that they aren't getting now, its all on here in place,
The Mag. is very strong on meets and social events which members get a discount on these, and a good one at that.
I joined purely because of the community spirit amongst these guys.
No adverts had drawn me in and if it was full of promises, I might have thought it was like very other car club, they all do it, the TT and TTOC are a breed apart from other makes and club..IMO !!
My member pack was a great surprise to me, I will be a member for a very long time, the mag is strong in content, you dont do any meets, fair enough, a lot do and look forward to the next...horses for courses!!!
The TTOC is under going a big change to bring us up to date for the members of the club, always looking for better venues for their annual meets,always listening to the membership for ideas. As for the committee
these guys do a lot of work...a lot, in their spare time, not paid for by the club, nothing, on your comment that the Mag. isnt that good I could show you 250 who cant wait for it to arrive.
We sell good merchandise at discount for members, discounted tickets for annual events, a lot is done purely for the members of the TTOC.
Members on here go out their way to get very good group buys going for those who want that part or mod doing, it works very well, and to finish
it has all over appeal for those who want community spirit, and put themselves out for others, we dont have to push the TTOC down peeps throats, its a very well run club and to one I am glad to be a member of, read the articles and see what is going on instead of making uninformed opinions, know your club before making opinions...


----------



## CH_Peter (May 16, 2002)

Rad TT said:


> CH_Peter wrote:
> At the risk of being flamed to death - I don't like absolutte that much. I flick through it, but haven't read either of the issues word-for-word or cover to cover. I've glanced over articles and piccies. For me, it's not a good reason to join the TTOC _in the first place_. I know lots of people love it and it looks very nice and professional and is to be commended. That is not in question. As an initial incentive to join the TTOC, it's not strong enough, in my own opinion.
> 
> I think you have to show people an actual (probably monetary) reason to hook them first off. List discounts, provide offers. Some willl discover the community spirit afterwards (hell, I've been here for years, and could only pick out one or two members in a line up and they certainly couldn't pick out me, because I've only managed to get to a couple of national meets and not got round to a local one yet - bit shy, you know!) but most (I guess) will not be hooked by it. At any given time on the forum, there are prolific, vocal posters, meeting regularly, and to go to a meet might well be quite intimidating for new members. Anyway, I'm waffling - monetary hook first, community afterwards.
> ...


Nah - you've got me all wrong, or I'm not being clear (again). I think the work done by the club is great, absolutte is a fine mag, and i can see that, but it doesn't hook me 100% personally.

What I'm driving at is what's mentioned above: how to get more people into the TTOC. I know there are offers, but on the TTOC website, I only found a link to the offer pages for members in the FAQ, and the link was broken.

I think the TTOC is a great thing and heartily applaud those that run it and have offered my services in any way that might be useful (above). I think it's great and that's why now I'm in a TT again and living in the UK, I've signed up - and I will be going to a local meet and the national event next year. I went to the one at, er, well, somewhere a few years back and won the "Furtherst Travelled" award because Em and I came over from Zurich!

Someone asked how to get more members - and I say showing them right from the off how their Â£25 - Â£75 could be back in their pockets is a great way to do it. I think when people sign up here, they don't get enough info about the benfit of joining. People who post a "hi" on the forum as newbies tend to get a "join up!" reply - but if they could get Â£50 off a remap / zorst / free diagnostic check (for example) when they did, I think it might be more of an incentive than just the community spirit.

Really, I'd like to see more TTOC badges on the back of cars and see the only car club I've ever joined, the only national event and international meets I've ever attended be even more successful and continue to prosper. Absolutely no criticism of the way the club is run now, the work that goes into absolutte or the end product, which I know is great and many people really love (otherwise, why would everyone post "where is it?" evey time it's due?!). I'm only suggesting ways there could be more of us in the club.


----------



## Rad TT (May 17, 2006)

O.K....fair comment Pete... :wink:


----------



## CH_Peter (May 16, 2002)

Rad TT said:


> O.K....fair comment Pete... :wink:


ooh, it's just like at work: I talk until everyone loses the will to live and gives up!


----------



## Rad TT (May 17, 2006)

We can carry this on if you wish, are you married by any chance..!!!


----------



## Rad TT (May 17, 2006)

As its been proven that peeps who talk a lot at work, have a poor outlet in their social life, or are lonely... :wink:


----------



## CH_Peter (May 16, 2002)

Rad TT said:


> We can carry this on if you wish, are you married by any chance..!!!


Yep


----------



## YELLOW_TT (Feb 25, 2004)

Haan9 said:


> http://urlisfullofvirusriddenrubbish.com


VIRUS


----------

