Newsletters: May - June 2008

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Components of a Successful Ownership Drive

Natural Times-May/June 2008

By June Wiaz

The definitive work on maximizing ownership at food cooperatives was done by Cooperative Development Services (CDS). Consultant Marilyn Scholl of CDS has extensive co-op experience. She joined New Leaf Market’s Board of Directors at its fall retreat, and subsequently forwarded the board links to important sources of information for increasing ownership. One of them was CDS’s write-up on best practices for food co-ops, including those that contribute to a vibrant ownership.

Best practices with respect to ownership include one-on-one staff contact with customers in a “welcoming, inclusive atmosphere.” For recruiting new owners, other important factors include the following:

• Well-trained cashiers who can answer customer questions. A prepared “30-second” response to questions about ownership can come in handy, e.g., “You don’t have to be an owner to shop here, but you might want to become one because…(local ownership, refundable investment, benefits, supporting goals of co-op, etc.).” These responses should be supplemented with handy flyers. Reinforcing these skills with staff should be ongoing.
• Incentives for cashiers or other staff owners responsible for recruiting new owners; staff could then be recognized (as individuals or a group).
• Signage at strategic points in the store identifying the store as a co-op, declaring its mission and promoting ownership through signing up.
• Designated display area for ownership materials and information, especially at the checkouts.
• Ensuring a positive initial interaction, ideally getting a potential owner to at least take a flyer or application form. It is key to provide information about how ownership translates into dollar benefits.
• Actually selling ownerships at the information or service desk, not checkout lines.
• Gauging receptivity of the would-be owner. (Provide more information only if they seem interested.)
• Making people feel comfortable shopping at NLM even if they don’t buy an ownership, and remind them that they can shop anytime as a non-owner. Train cashiers with tools of “recovery” if they somehow go over the line in trying to recruit new owners.
• Offering a month-long trial ownership, if the co-op allows tangible benefits in that short period of time.
• Tying owner-recruitment to other fund drives.
• Bringing owner-recruitment materials to all events. (Color-code the applications as a way to track where and how ownerships were initiated.)

If many of these approaches seem familiar to you, it’s probably because New Leaf already uses many of them. That’s a good thing, because we know the competition’s a comin’…