HOA & Condo Association Welcome Packet
When new members move into their new home they’re often full of optimism and anticipation about the lifestyle possibilities in your HOA.
They’re excited and ready to engage in community parties and holiday events, while socializing and making new friends. Some may meet the best friends of their lives. What better time to welcome them, orient them, and get them engaged with your community, HOA board and the association management team?
Promoting the Member Experience
In our last post on community association management, we mentioned that the key criteria for a successful COA, POA, Condo Association, or homeowners association is promotion of a good member experience. And it will be so easy using your association management software platform.
Good feelings are a big part of good business. A warm welcome has a strong impact on member’s perception of your association and their future community experience.
And ongoing, well-timed member communications can help you keep your organization operating much better — from publishing meeting outcomes to capturing signals of any issues trending higher.
It shouldn’t be surprising that members would be more willing to comply, pay fees, and participate in community care if they feel comfortable, positive and know the board is representing them well.
The Member Welcome Packet
One very effective way of greeting new members and promoting your community association’s purpose is to create an association members welcome packet. This packet may be in print media format, however increasingly it is now in the form of downloadable pdf document.
And these welcome documents will have links to your COA, HOA, POA or condo association website where members can log into their member portal. There, they will discover all elements of their payment of dues, fines, and find HOA forms, architectural request forms, vehicle parking registration forms, swimming pool waivers, amenity reservations, and access to pertinent documents related to their member account.
The 3 key objectives of the Welcome Packet are:
- make a good first impression
- communicate vital information for your HOA, COA, POA
- establish a positive sense of community right away
8 Things to include in a Welcome Packet
The association welcome packet is a collection of documents including a:
- welcome letter, a branded greeting card with a signature
- plus a gift (including branded merchandise such as coffee cups, chocolates, gift cards)
- sheet of membership benefits
- calendar of upcoming meetings and events
- a map of the grounds or neighborhood
- association governing documents (Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions)
- information on the member online portal registration access and how to use the association management system
- quick contact information
A cool possibility is to use a solution called handwrytten for your welcoming process. Handwrytten can replicate your handwriting and signature. Customize as you like, and even add a gift card in the printed package they provide.
Customizable Handwritten Welcome Letters and Packets. Screenshot courtesy of handwrytten.com
Your digital member welcome package could be contained in one pdf document or several.
Questions the Welcome Packet Will Answer
The member welcome packet will present:
- the benefits of joining the association
- how they can enroll
- where to pay member dues
- how they can login to the website
- how they can connect with other members
- the member entitlements
- how they can contact association managers or staff
- what events are typical in your association
- how to find the rules and regulations
Your Welcome Packet should be thorough enough to introduce members to essential information and not be overwhelming. After all, this is a welcoming introduction and its real purpose is to launch a positive and professional relationship.
For this reason, it’s better to focus on items that relate to their enjoyment and a feeling of cooperation and belonging.
It’s best to mention rules & regulations only once — that association rules and regulations are available via the members portal, and that your association may not have enough print copies. Paper after all, only leads to time waste and refuse. Steer them away from paper and into your member portal.
Introduction to the Member Portal
Once members find and are registered via their portal account, they can quickly access what they need online such as forms, find answers, and ask questions that you can answer in real time, or when you’re available. That reduces telephone time.
HOA, COA and POA boards and association management firms are stressed for lack of time and staffing. Your community association software and website are critical customer service tools providing direct communications, maintenance/architectural requests, violation tracking, online payments, association accounting, and document management.
Controlling Impressions of Your Association
Your website and online portal along with your welcome packet, are powerful tools for managing members perspective, attitude, compliance, and satisfaction. This way, you’re in control of «impression management» and fending off angry members who might be trashing your COA/HOA publicly on Facebook.
If new members see a Facebook page with negative or inflammatory material, it may shape the new member’s attitude.
You can setup a member’s portal and even your own association website via a ManageCasa subscription. Yes, ManageCasa is for community associations and homeowner associations.
Efficiency is a Top Business Asset
Association management is all about efficiency — making documents, communications, and services available in real time, online. The more work and effort is downloaded to members, the better for your stressed budget.
And surveys show tenants and association members love the efficiency and mobile availability of online resources. Millennials and Gen Z’s love digital devices and services. Their member account is something they’ll enjoy, so you’re giving them the member experience they’re hoping for.
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