Membership Retention

In this year’s presidential election, a lot of fuss has been made over the size of a candidate’s hands and the implied size of his … well, you know. Private parts are no longer very personal. Same with numbers. I speak with many membership marketers who tell me their programs are healthy when they know they aren’t. It’s like going … Continued

WARNING:  This guy’s name is Churn. Every month Churn sucks money from your membership.  How much longer are you going to let Churn suck away your money before you STOP YOUR MEMBERS FROM QUITTING? While Mr. Churn is not a real person, Churn is a massive problem. Every month members drop out of your membership. The rate of member drop-outs … Continued

There are five benefits that enable you to retain your members, ROI, growth, recognition, mission, and a connection with other members. The benefit my clients give me the most push-back on is connecting their members to each other. I recently had a client ask me, “But if I connect my members, won’t my members just meet without me?” I’ve certainly … Continued

Although it’s not unusual for me to wake up in the middle of the night, this was the first time I’ve woken up at 12:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning with sharp pain on the left side of my chest. I started to worry when I noticed my left my arm was numb, and it became difficult to catch my … Continued

Many of my clients schedule calls with new members to help onboard them into the membership program. These onboarding calls serve several purposes: To get your newest members engaged in your membership program. To obtain information about the member and feedback about the marketing process. Where appropriate, to upsell members into conferences, products, and/or higher level memberships. There are three … Continued

Nothing could have prepared me for the Boston Marathon. Although this was Kory’s and my first time at the Boston Marathon, I’ve completed four others and Kory has completed five. In the marathon world, we are beginners. I’ve been a beginner throughout my short running career. I’d never run more than a quarter mile prior to 2010, when I was … Continued

The only sustainable business model for dispensing information is membership. Membership transcends media platforms because it’s built on a relationship rather than on a delivery mechanism. But there’s a lot more to membership than gathering your employees together to announce you’ll now refer to your customers as “members.” There are three basic ways media companies support themselves: Advertising We are … Continued

I had the opportunity to meet with the owners of a terrific direct marketing resource. This resource provides a database that would be a useful shortcut to anyone creating advertising online or through email or direct mail. Yet it’s poorly subscribed to and renewals are low. This resource is being marketed as a library. A repository the marketer can refer … Continued

I was on my way to Chicago to visit a client for two days of planning their new membership offering. I was late to board the plane, so first class was full except for my seat. Sitting in the seat next to mine, I saw a gentlemen who didn’t look like someone you’d ever see on a plane much less … Continued