How to bring your members along to Orchesi

Many boards dread it: won’t there be dozens of questions, and won’t members who “aren’t really into apps” drop out? In practice it’s not that bad, especially if you prepare the switch well. For a member, Orchesi is mostly three things: seeing what’s planned, saying whether you’re coming and opening your sheet music. With this plan, everyone can do that from the very first week.

This already takes away most worries: Orchesi is free for members, because the association pays. It works in the app (iPhone and Android) and simply in the browser at orchesi.app, so also without a smartphone. And members decide themselves whether other members can see their email address and phone number.

1. Pick one switch date and announce it

Choose a clear date, for example the start of the season or the first rehearsal after a break. Announce it two weeks ahead: in the group chat, in the newsletter and briefly at rehearsal. Focus on what’s in it for members: no more hunting for the schedule, one tap to say you can’t make it, sheet music always at hand.

Use the announcement message and just change the date and your association’s name.

2. Set everything up before you invite

An empty app raises questions (“so what am I supposed to do here?”). Make sure members see something useful the first time they sign in:

• your groups and sections are in place, so you can put everyone in the right place straight away;
• the first rehearsals and concerts are in the agenda;
• the sheet music for the first rehearsal is ready.

3. Ask one ambassador per section

In every section, ask one member who’s handy with apps to join a week earlier. Give these ambassadors the invite code a week earlier. They’ll know Orchesi by the time everyone else joins, and members can take their questions to someone they know instead of to the board.

4. Share the invite code on the switch date

Post your association’s invite code in the group chat you already have. Members create their own account and enter the code. You approve each request and put that person in the right group and section as you do. So there’s no member list to build and no email addresses to collect. See The easiest way to invite all your members.

Use the message with the code and just fill in your own code.

Mind the timing: share the code in a week with a rehearsal. Then you can help anyone who gets stuck on the spot. Approve requests quickly, because until you do a member sees nothing of your association yet.

Already have everyone’s email address and rather choose the groups up front? You can also invite by email or import your member list. An invitation by email is valid for 7 days.

5. Help on the spot at the first rehearsal

Plan ten minutes before or after the first rehearsal as a “setup corner”: the ambassadors help anyone who gets stuck. Members without a smartphone go to orchesi.app on their computer at home. They enter the same code there while creating their account. The code doesn’t expire.

Share the link to the help center for members as well. Everything is explained there step by step, in plain language.

6. After a few days, check who isn’t in yet

The Members page shows who’s already in. Compare it with your own member list and, after about four days, send whoever is missing a personal reminder. Check Requests too, in case someone is still waiting for approval.

Invited by email? Then the Invitations tab shows who hasn’t accepted yet, and when their invitation expires. Has an invitation expired? Cancel it and send a new one, or give the member the invite code.

7. Stop the old way after a few weeks

Don’t keep the old list or sign-offs in the group chat running next to Orchesi for too long: two systems at once is exactly what causes confusion. Agree on an end date, for example four weeks after the switch, and announce it. From then on, schedules, sign-offs and sheet music only go through Orchesi.

Questions from members? Questions members ask, and what to answer has answers to the ones you’ll hear most.