How Do You Organize Membership Information

According to some of the latest research, there are over 9,000 golf and country clubs in operation today throughout the United States. That means there is a lot of competition within the industry to attract and retain new members. And there are many ways for a country club to outshine its competitors—having the most breathtaking scenery, for example, or amenities that are second to none.

But there are also less obvious (and easier to impact) characteristics to consider, with the most important being the membership experience. Members should feel a sense of belonging as well as exclusivity, which can be a difficult tightrope walk for some clubs to get right.

This brings us to the topic of country club management software. What is it, and what are the must-have features of a modern membership management system? This article is going to answer these very questions, outlining the most important priorities when exploring membership management software for your club.

Why Is Membership Management Important?

Membership management—software that enables clubs to capture and organize membership data—empowers clubs to provide more personalized, exclusive, and memorable experiences. With so many clubs operating throughout the country, members have plenty of options to choose from, and the membership experience is often a key differentiator. In short, successful membership programs go a long way in retaining members and attracting new ones over time.

What Is the Difference Between a CRM and Membership Management Software?

Before we get into the nuances of the kind of software you should be looking into, it’s important to distinguish between a few terms that are often used interchangeably (despite not being entirely synonymous):

• CRM | A customer relationship management (CRM) system essentially serves as a type of database for membership organizations, collecting valuable customer and membership information and making it accessible to staff. When clubs have an effective CRM in place, it increases their ability to understand—and meet or exceed—members’ expectations.
• Membership Management Software | This software enables a club to better understand—and optimize—the membership experience. It will typically be used in tandem with a CRM in order to develop deeper relationships with members and provide handy ways for them to…
  • Schedule tee times
  • Learn about and/or attend social events
  • Buy food, beverages, and retail items
  • Provide feedback about their experiences

So, why use membership management software? Because once someone becomes a member, it’s the consistent quality of their experiences every time they visit that will have them renewing their dues and even bringing new members into the club.

They expect experiences tailored to their preferences and priorities. This, of course, is difficult for clubs to deliver on without real insights into what members like and dislike—not to mention where the key opportunities for elevating the experience might exist.

When it comes to collecting, organizing, and making membership data accessible and actionable, it’s difficult to overstate the importance of finding the right CRM and membership management software—and making sure they work well together. Buz Club Software is a unique club membership management software that provides a fully-integrated solution for tracking account updates, transactions, reservations, and more. Its business intelligence capabilities can deliver the actionable insights you need to better understand and improve the member experience.

How Do I Find the Best Membership Management Software?

Just as prospective club members have a wide range of options for their membership, club operators also have pros and cons to weigh as they relate to membership management. As far as organizing membership information and improving the member experience are concerned, at a minimum, this software should enable clubs to…

• Easily access and understand membership details at a glance.
• Manage account history and membership-related transactions.
• Communicate with members, proactively as well as in response to any inquiries.
• Build a sense of community, even within a digital environment.
• Analyze member and membership data with reporting capabilities.
• Integrate the software with existing applications, such as CRM, accounting, or scheduling programs.

Buz Club Software’s Buz Club Manager application helps club managers do all of these things and more, with an all-in-one club member management platform powered by real-time insights into members’ experiences. It makes club managers’ lives easier through capabilities like…

• Integrated private club accounting tools that enable comprehensive financial reporting, inventory and management, and more.
• A comprehensive member management system that gathers, organizes, and stores a wide range of member data and makes it easy to access—and act on.
• Streamlined food & beverage operations that provide an easier way to facilitate and track purchases through an innovative point-of-sale system.

Why Buz Club? Why not! In addition to the platform’s wide range of features, working with Buz Club Software also unlocks the Buz WebCommunicator for building a better online experience, an Add-On Library for extended functionality, industry-leading customer support located in North America, and so much more.

Schedule a demo to see how easy it is to use, and feel free to reach out when you’re ready to talk about how to take your country club membership experience to the next level.