Have you ever experienced a busy Sunday when a guest got away? Maybe you were on your way to connecting with them, but you had to put away a fire to ensure service even happens. And then comes Monday. You’re met with a long to-do list, including a follow-up with the guest who got away on Sunday, and you’re wondering where to start.
Effectively communicating with visitors can be difficult, but with PowerChurch Software, it doesn’t have to be. When you’re met with an opportunity to communicate with a visitor, there are three primary ways you can connect with them: a handwritten letter, a text message, or sending an email.
A Handwritten Letter
While all of these methods of communication are important, there is nothing quite like receiving a handwritten letter. A handwritten letter shows the person receiving it that precious time was taken to ensure the letter even got to them. When was the last time you received a handwritten letter? How did it make you feel? Now, imagine how that would make a first-time visitor to your church feel. Maybe your words will change their perspective or simply make them feel seen. Thanks to the tools in PowerChurch Plus, you can spend more time thinking about the words to write than the mechanics of how to get the letter to your guest.
Once your visitor’s information is added to PowerChurch Plus, you can print a mailing label for the letter you’ve written to them. Say you have multiple visitors on a Sunday; you could tag those families as “Visitors” in the software and print multiple labels at a time.
A Text Message
If you’re looking for a way to communicate with a visitor without the worry of smearing ink or straining your wrists, sending a text message is a great way to connect while still coming across as personal!
Did you know that 66% of people prefer texting over a phone call or email? And 90% of text messages are opened within 3 minutes of receiving them. The beautiful thing about sending a text message to a visitor is the opportunity to receive a response. Unlike a letter, you could receive a response from your visitor instantly.
In your first text message to a visitor, you could also utilize that as an opportunity to invite them to an upcoming event at your church. Texting doesn’t have to be limited to a follow-up with your guest. Texting can be used for scheduling volunteers, sending an encouraging message, and inviting as few or as many people as you want to an event. PowerChurch Plus Version 14’s integration with SimpleTexting.com makes it easy to communicate with guests and church families alike.
Using SimpleTexting, you won’t have to worry about the guest who got away. SimpleTexting's integration with PowerChurch also makes it easy to keep a well-maintained list of recipients. The opportunities for effectively communicating through texting are endless and easily accessible!
An Email
Another way to communicate with a visitor is through email. Creating a template for first-time guests is a great way to ensure consistency in your emails by including information about your services and an opportunity for them to connect with other ministries in your church.
PowerChurch Plus offers you the opportunity to send mass emails, formatted as plain text or HTML, with attachments by utilizing the Family Mailing List or Personal Profiles. Say it’s a guest’s or someone in your church’s birthday; utilizing the Family Mailing List or Personal Profiles will help you get that birthday email out and make them feel special.
Communicating with visitors is incredibly important to your ministry, and your ministry is incredibly important to us at PowerChurch. While these three forms of communication might seem elementary, we hope they might help you think through that first impression on visitors.