Top Membership Tips

Farm Bureau members are the life-blood of our organization and our clout in Madison and Washington, D.C is dependent on membership numbers. Signing up members is a vital part of Farm Bureau and I’m here to help encourage you to join in the effort.

Farm Bureau is run by quality people with the important mission of being the “voice of agriculture.” Who wouldn’t want to buy into that? Memberships can sell themselves but sometimes it helps to have a few tips up your sleeve. 

Here are some of my top tips to help you in recruiting new members: 

1. Pick the low-hanging fruit.
   Your friends, neighbors, relatives, local farmers and those you do business with know that Farm Bureau must be a good organization because they know and trust you.
2. Enthusiasm is contagious.
   I am passionate about Farm Bureau. I believe in what I’m selling and I think prospects can tell this.
3. Set goals.
   Tell people how important it is to your county to make its membership goal. Also, have a personal goal. Mine is to be one of the top ten membership workers each year.
4. Bridge the generation gap. Consult with young farmers. They have a wealth of info on names and contact numbers which may not be in phone books or your contact list.
5. Make a list of prospects and prioritize them.
   We all have limited time. Go to those you are sure will listen and your success with them will grow your confidence.
6. Don’t forget memberships come with benefits.
   Many people like our discounts on lodging, Grainger supplies and Ford vehicles. Really you can highlight any benefit listed on the website that might be of interest to the person you are talking with. You can find all the information here: wfbf.com/memberbenefits.
7. Use Your Voice.
   Land-use assessment and fighting environmental activism are two topics that can highlight the need for a strong Farm Bureau. You can always reach out to the Farm Bureau staff to help you highlight recent legislation and advocacy work too.
8. Don’t burn bridges.
   Be polite when getting turned down. I’ve signed many members on the second or third try.
9. Know the Members.
   I always carry a Marathon County membership master list. Folks are very impressed by our more than 1,900 members, including many people they know. Also mention we have more than 50,000 state members.
10. Teach others.
    Explain how we are set up as a grassroots organization. Our policy truly starts with our membership. It’s a winning concept and proves that all farms of all sizes have a say.

11. Be Ready!
    Have your membership info handy at all times. I’ve got an accordion file with membership applications, benefit sheets, Rural Routes and informational flyers right inside my house door. Prospects can drive into your yard at any time.

The Farm Bureau Proud meal is really good and the exclusive seating during the WFBF Annual Meeting is really nice. If you’ve been there, you know enough to get five more memberships next year! And if you haven’t, shoot for that  goal this year. 

It takes a team to work on membership, so suit up and help us out with this vital part of Farm Bureau.

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Randy Wokatsch and his wife Kerry farm in Marathon County.