Marketing the Ordinary

We all want to have the biggest, strongest chapter but it doesn’t always seem to work out that way. Sometimes, it’s hard to recruit members. Although you might be the most passionate member of your organization, not everyone will be as invested—but how can you change that?

Recruiting members can be difficult. Most high schools have a ginormous amount of organizations that students can be apart of, maybe even other organizations similar to HOSA. Some students are just simply too involved—maybe they’re already a part of too many organizations and don’t have any extra time to spare.

Start by laying out some of the facts about the organization. No one is going to join an organization that they know nothing about. Think about the person you’re talking to—are they more interested in leadership? Hands on skills? Networking opportunities?

This is where you have to dig deep. What made YOU passionate about HOSA? Was it something a fellow member told you about? Was it something your advisor said to you? Maybe something our organization offers that made them stand out from other similar organizations?

Think about what unique things your chapter does to give back. What kind of fundraisers do you do? What do you do at meetings? Do you host any fun social events or give backs? Why are you the best health care organization to join at your school?

Lastly, ASK them to join HOSA. This may draw out an immediate “yes” or “no” from them, but if it doesn’t, that’s okay, too! It still gets them to think about HOSA and may even draw them in in the future!

Here’s an example of all these skills tied together:

“HOSA is an international, student-led organization with over 235,000 members WORLDWIDE. HOSA has given me so many opportunities to grow as a leader and step out of my comfort zone. I’ve gotten hands-on experience in health care fields I’m interested in and got to network with members from other countries and health professionals in fields that I’m interested in. Our chapter specifically works really hard to give the members hands-on skills—at most meetings we will either get to perform a dissection or hear from a health professional, maybe even both! Being in this organization has really helped me figure out what I want to do in the future! Would you be interested in joining?”

To some, this example may seem cheesy, but the best way to get people involved is to be PASSIONATE. Seeing how involved you are in HOSA may spark someone else’s interest. Through recruiting members, you can learn so much about the organization and maybe even add more fuel to your HOSA Fire! Good luck as you start this year’s HOSA journey!