The Importance of a Pre-Trial Questionnaire

So you've contacted the sales team and lodged your enquiry. You are excited to get your trial underway and discover all the incredible benefits of membership management software. We understand that you are looking into membership management software to avoid all the forms and manual labour that come with your current system, but we have one more form for you to fill out.

At Member Jungle, we have helped over 300 clubs revolutionise their membership management systems. We have found that by having you fill out a pre-trial questionnaire before your consultation call, we can provide you with the best experience customised to your club throughout your trial and beyond. By the end of this article, you will know what a pre-trial questionnaire is, what we use it for and how you can best prepare for it. 

What is a pre-trial questionnaire, really?

A pre-trial questionnaire is a multiple-question google form that will be sent to the email address you provided in your sales enquiry before your call with our team. Some questions may be multiple choice, and some may be short-answer responses. Your pre-trial questionnaire must be filled out accurately to give you the best possible service. For example, please ensure your member count is correct and that you are clear on how your club wishes to use the software. We can only provide you with your club's required services if we know what they are. Filling out the questionnaire should be easy and take up no more than 15 minutes of your time.

What are the benefits of a pre-trial questionnaire? 

There are limitless benefits to a pre-trial questionnaire. While it may seem tedious, we only wants to collect this information so that you receive the best custom service, product and support possible. Some of the benefits include: 

1) A better understanding of your requirements and expectations: 

The pre-trial questionnaire allows the software company to understand exactly what you want. You may wish to host virtual events or send virtual membership cards, whatever it is, it’s important to inform the company. By being clear about your expectations and requirements, you are allowing the company to assess how your club would get the most from their membership management software which means they can provide you with the best possible product.

2) An improved sales process: 

The pre-trial questionnaire allows the software company to streamline their sales process by offering you the services your club needs and assessing its suitability for the product. It enables them to recommend which package would work best for you and make expert recommendations to help your club. 

How can I prepare for my pre-trial questionnaire?

Each company has an individual approach to how they approach the pre-trial questionnaire, customised to their specialties and ideal customer. Each questionnaire will include questions that fall under the categories below. Each category ensures that enough quality information is collected to allow your club's trial process to run as smoothly as possible, enabling you to make an informed decision about whether the product works well for you and your members.

Club Overview

• Membership count
• Club location and currency
• Club structure
• Services provided
• Communication

Knowing the basics about your club here allows staff to determine what package you may need, the features you value the most and how the structure of your club will work within the membership management system. For example, a car club with 10,000 members that offer six membership tiers, sends out weekly newsletters and sells merchandise will use the system differently from a dance club with 500 members with one membership tier that sells tickets to monthly dance concerts. 

Club interests and prospects

• Club goals
• Anticipated growth
• Clubs system requirements

One of the best ways a membership management system can provide the best possible service to your club is to know where you see your club in a year, five years and ten years. Maybe you currently need the services to handle your 2000 members and host annual conferences, but in a year, you may hope to have 3000 members and open an online merchandise store. Whatever your aspirations, keeping in mind where you are now and how you see your club progressing will allow you to get the absolute most out of membership management software.

Club Issues

• Current system drawbacks
• Staffing/ Volunteer problems

If you are looking into membership management software, you may have faced a problem that was the catalyst for the change. If this is the case, it is essential to specify these problems in your pre-trial questionnaire so that staff can ensure that their service can address the issue and that you will get the most from the software. 

Events

• Club event structure
• Event ticketing protocol 
• Frequency and scale of events

Holding virtual or in-person events is one of the best parts of being a club member. It allows members to connect, increases your club's visibility and provides incredible fundraising opportunities. If events are something your club holds or is interested in holding, it's important that your membership management software can accommodate the complexities of event management. The pre-trial questionnaire allows the company to understand how your club's events will work within their system and what new benefits you can access to help your events run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. 

Can I see some example questions?

Of course, you can! Below are some of the actual questions you are asked in the Member Jungle pre-trial questionnaire. There are no trick questions. All questions are straightforward, and the questionnaire should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

1. What systems or processes do you currently use to manage your members?
2. How many members do you currently have?
3. Please select the options that are of interest or apply to your organisation:

• Membership Management
• Members Only Website and App Content
• Running Events
• Member Communication
• Selling Online
• Digital Membership Cards
• New Website
• Mobile App
• Other:______________________________________

How do I access a trial?

You will usually need to contact the company's sales team to access a software trial. You can contact Member Jungles' sale team about a free trial here. Someone will promptly be in touch to help you to improve your club's efficiency and restore the joy your club once brought your life. 

A pre-trial questionnaire is an essential part of the sales process for both the company and you, the consumer. It allows the company to figure out where you are struggling, what your strengths are and what you value, enabling them to save you time, money and effort. Member Jungle believes that membership management shouldn't detract from your passion and want to create an environment where you and your club can flourish. 

With over a decade of experience helping clubs in Australia and internationally, Member Jungle is the obvious choice for your membership management needs. For more information on Member Jungle, click here and remember to contact us today, so you don't have to waste any more of your precious time with repetitive and mundane tasks. As Member Jungle’s CEO Michael Barwell likes to say, “There is always a better way!”.