What do you do with the information from your first-time Guests this past weekend? There are two big reasons most after-Easter follow-up doesn’t work:
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We think in terms of systems or process instead of relationships. Just because you have some form of an automated letter or email written and ready to send, it doesn’t mean that you have great follow-up. Would you send a guest in your home a form-letter type follow-up email, or would you thank them for coming over in some other more personal way?
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We simply come on too strong. Making a connection with your guest should feel more like the early stages of a dating relationship. It is a balanced exchange of getting to know someone and being known. Would you hand a first date a written biography of who you are and a list of places to find you in the next week, or would you invite them to a new moment in which you can get to know each other a bit more?
Here are five quick thoughts on after-Easter follow up:
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Make The Call. Emails are too frequent and too easy to ignore today. Call every Guest, but do not expect them to answer. What matters is the message you leave and that you would take the time to follow-up.
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Send Them Something. Showing you were glad to have them is even better than saying it. Send a $5 coffee gift card or some other tangible expression. Whether you know it or not, attendance at Easter services was your honor, not theirs.
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Check With Kids. Even if a Guest family did not fill out a card or visit a desk, they likely filled something out in the children’s ministry. In addition to any Kids ministry follow-up, send a note of thanks or make a call to the parents. If you don’t share the first time Guest lists between ministries, you should!
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Thank Your People. Shoot a quick email out to your congregation thanking them for both inviting and hosting well this past weekend. Many of your people took a risk to ask someone to be their Guest. Others stepped out of their comfort zones to serve and help out in a new way. Simple recognition can go a long way in seeing them invite or serve again.
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Do It Again! Easter is an excellent reminder of how we should welcome and follow-up every week. Remember, every Sunday is somebody’s first Sunday at your church. Whatever you’ve done these past few weeks should likely be the practice for every weekend!
It goes without saying that we can always get better at welcoming Guests well. Maybe Easter exposed some holes in your hospitality systems. Perhaps as strong as Easter was, you know there is new ground to take. Bob Adams and I want to invite you to the next Guest Experience Boot Camp this August in Cincinnati, OH. In this two-day event, you will get more than talking-head information or inspiration. Leave with a Guest Experience plan that your team can begin to execute the very next Sunday!
Launch Clarity 
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