Running a Come & Try Session
Everything a volunteer needs to run a Come & Try session — from the first phone call to the enrolment conversation.
The short version
Three visits convert a curious stranger into a settled club member.
- The taste test — a personally booked session, 1–4 participants, run by one volunteer. They hit balls, run hoops, have a cup of tea. End with: here's when we play, here's what membership costs, here's a flyer.
- Club day one — they come to a normal session and see the real club. Members know their name. Low pressure.
- Club day two or three — by now they've decided. The enrolment conversation is just making it easy to say yes.
The game does the selling. The volunteer's job is to remove friction and make people feel welcome.
The full guides
Core reading
- Program Guide v1.0 — the primary working guide. Scripts, checklists, edge cases, the full structure. Read this first.
- The Three Visits — the structure in detail: what each visit asks of the visitor and the club
- Little Advice Moments — the small hosting touches that do the actual work
Club day setup
- Finding the Right Match — pairing visitors with the right member on club day. The single most effective thing a club can do.
- One Organiser, Many Doers — how to spread tasks across volunteers without anyone carrying too much
The conversion
- From Visitor to Member — the enrolment conversation, edge cases, and word of mouth
Key things learned at East Brisbane
Four lessons from the pilot that changed how the program runs:
Four-person groups are the sweet spot. Two volunteers on court, four participants. Big enough for a real game, small enough that everyone gets individual attention.
Keep it to fixed playing times. Don't reschedule sessions around individual participants' availability. Set two fixed playing times and let them come when they can — exactly as you would for any club day. The alternative burns out volunteers fast.
People don't want to leave. Plan for an hour. Expect closer to two.
The game handles the sales pitch. When someone hits a ball through a hoop for the first time, the expression on their face says everything. Nobody needs to be convinced. They just need to feel welcome enough to come back.
The email sequence runs alongside
While visits are happening in person, a four-week email sequence runs automatically in the background. Nine emails — one every few days — that reinforce the same message the volunteer delivers in person. The club doesn't need to manage this; it runs from the moment they sign up.
Full detail: The Email Sequence
Flyers and downloads
Flyers to hand out after the taste test, plus the program guide PDF:
Related
- ← Come & Try
- Session Guides index — full collection with the in-person philosophy
- Program Guide v1.0