I was always the chubby kid in school. Since I can remember, I’ve been embarrassed about how my body looks. I’m too self-conscious to leave my closet without a shirt on. Forget running in public or strolling at the beach without wearing a shirt. For decades, I’ve lived with this problem, telling no one. And yet, I love Cuban sandwiches. … Continued
How Will You Help Me Stop the Churn Monster from Making Your Members Quit?
This month I’m traveling to Germany to visit with the country’s largest subscription publisher, VNR. I’ll meet with their 498-member team, conducting training sessions and workshops focused on reducing churn and improving retention rates. This is the kind of proactive action many of my clients have been taking. Last month, I had the privilege of leading a workshop at the … Continued
What President Donald Trump, Fake News, and Nationalism Mean for the Subscription Economy
“What? You asked your friends from high school for advice on how to do your job? What qualifies them to help you with that problem?” I asked my college marketing intern in 2007. She shrugged her shoulders and responded, “I dunno. One of them gave me the answer and took care of it.” It would have never occurred to me … Continued
Discover Your “Retention Point” to Turn Subscribers Into Lifetime Members of Your Vibrant Tribe
Since completing the Boston Marathon last April, I’m often asked, “When is your next marathon?” “My next marathon is going to be a Netflix binge-watching marathon,” is my current answer. “With all of our training, my wife and I fell behind on our binge-watching of the new season of ‘Orange is the New Black.’” But what makes a show binge-worthy … Continued
Your Business Could be Stopped Tomorrow, How You Can Prevent It
What is the one thing that can bring your business to a screeching halt? I’ve been on the phone with guys who were doing $10 million a year in revenue yesterday, who today are closed, frantic, trying to figure out what to do next. It’s easy to take it for granted once you have it, but it’s the greatest vulnerability … Continued
Are You Overcoming Your Subscriber’s Objections, or Do They Churn?
I’m often shocked by how few subscription companies consider the objections their customers may have to retaining their subscriptions. When designing a marketing campaign, sales letter, or video sales letter, it’s standard practice to outline all of the objections your prospect may have to buying your offer. This gives you the opportunity to address each objection within your sales process. … Continued
How Many Subscribers Are You Losing to the “Credit Card Statement Moment of Truth”?
Have you ever looked at your credit card statement and said, “Holy crap, how did THAT happen?!?” when the balance is a lot higher than you expected? I put on several events a year and frequently travel for client engagements, so my typical balance due from new charges is between $25,000 and $50,000 . This is great for accumulating rewards … Continued
Our Strangest Experience While in Mexico
One morning in San Pancho, Mexico, we decided to cook our own lunch. This way we wouldn’t have to leave our vacation home, allowing us to enjoy the Pacific breezes and the view. I went to the local market in San Pancho for a couple of last-minute groceries. I brought Samantha as my translator; she just finished her first semester … Continued
Copywriting for Customer Engagement, Retention and Lower Churn
The biggest mistake I see in ongoing content is that it’s 100 percent “how-to” information. Too much how-to is boring, overwhelming, and monotonous. Plus, there are billions of pages of how-to content available for free on the internet. Yes, “how-to” is important, and when you ask your members, that’s what they always say they want; however, when you deliver content … Continued
Today’s Single Most Effective Technique to Recruit New Members
Unless you have a sales process that reliably generates new members, there won’t be any members to retain. While a lot of clients come to me because they have retention problems, I’m most often creating front-end marketing systems. When you recruit new members into your membership with the right type of offer, they are much easier to retain. More money … Continued