welcome table training

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta

Welcome Table Training

Welcome Table Training

Supplies, setup and takedown From a visitor’s perspective

Part A: Supplies, Setup, and Takedown

Welcome Table Setup

Only Welcome Ministries materials and the Order of Service

Non-Welcome Ministries flyers can be moved to Information Kiosk

Large print Orders of Service go behind regular print Orders of Service

Nametags and sharpies Visitor cards and pens

Welcome Table Cabinets

Inside Front Cabinet of Welcome Table “Reserved Seating” signs

Inside Back Cabinet of Welcome Table Pens, markers, nametags, visitor cards Hearing assistance devices and batteries Brochures published by the UUA

What’s On the Welcome Table ‘Welcome’ sign and accessibility sign Newsletter Cliffhanger ‘Finding Your Place’ brochure Adult RE brochure 2 brochure racks with basic UU info Nametags and visitor cards Order of Service

Welcome Table Layout

Things to Put Away After Worship Pens and nametags Trash Unused and recycled Orders of Worship

Visitors at the Welcome Table

What Visitors Do at the Welcome Table

1. Greeted by Welcome Table staff2. Fill out a visitor card3. Fill out a nametag4. Learn about the Q&A and Coffee Hour5. Pick up brochures6. Ask questions

1. Welcome Table Greeting

When Do I Greet People?

Visitors are often unsure of where to go and what to do

Your greeting affirms they are the right place, doing the right thing by walking over the Greeting Table

Greet them before they get to the Greeting Table

About six feet away is a good distance

Chatting at the Welcome Table Ask members and friends to move

2. Visitor Cards

Why Visitor Cards Matters

Newcomers far more likely to come back if contacted within a day after first visit

No visitor card, no follow up One out of five or six registered visitors

joins UUCA If they weren’t already interested in

getting more information, why would they have come in the first place?

What We Do With Visitor Cards Monday email from Director of Welcome

Ministries Recent visitors emailed about upcoming

Exploring UUCA classes Aids strategic planning

Ineffective Ways to Ask Someone to Fill Out a Visitor Card

“You don’t want to fill this out, do you?” “Would you like to fill out a visitor card?” Every five or six visitors who don’t fill out

a visitor card amounts to a lost new member

They will give us the information they feel comfortable with

Effective Ways to Ask Someone to Fill Out a Visitor Card

“Could you fill out a visitor card?” “Would you fill out a visitor card?” Concrete, direct, and positive

3. Nametags

Nametags

Nametags stored in bin in back cabinet of Welcome Table

Sharpies work best “Creative anonymity” is okay Good to know: Members and Friends also

fill out nametags Throw trash away as it’s generated

4. Q&A and Coffee Hour

Two Good Ways to Connect

Good to mention while they’re filling out a visitor card Our weekly Q&A session: “Introducing

UUCA” Coffee Hour

Also: Bookstore and Art Gallery

5. Information Literature

Information They Need

A lot of brochures at Welcome Table for a newcomers to navigate

If you hand them only two brochures: “Finding Your Place” brochure Monthly Newsletter

Good follow up after they’ve filled out a visitor card

6. Visitor Questions

What Do Visitors Already Know? Most newcomers check out our website

first Check out the “Newcomers” section of

uuca.org to see what they see

Two Most Common Questions “Where’s the restroom?” “Where do I go?”

What You Need to Know about RE Parents can sign visitor card, separate RE

signup for children RE Greeters every Sunday by the RE counter Infants and toddlers encouraged to go to

nursery or Quiet Room Children and teens start worship with their

parents Parents are welcome to go to RE Children and teens stay in worship for inter-

generational worship (usually holidays)

When You Don’t Know the Answer Being an expert is not required Point them in the right direction Places to find answers:

Brochures on Welcome Table Staff and other program leaders Schedule listed on calendar bulletin board “Introducing UUCA” Q&A session

Thank You!