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 seen it happen where a group of members revolts, leaving the membership program to gather on their own without the individual who initially brought them together. This happens, but it’s a sign that bigger problems exist and is completely preventable when you build your membership into a vibrant tribe.
What you have to recognize is that there are three levels of membership. Every member starts out believing they have a problem everyone else knows the solution to. This is level one. As they implement the solutions you provide, they gain confidence, quickly improving their self-image. Soon they believe they are the smartest person in the room. This is level two. This is the place where a lot of membership programs lose their members, as these individuals move on, feeling there’s nothing left. Then there’s level three. This is where members come to understand there is something to learn from everyone.
Members at level three do not quit their membership. They are constantly looking for the next big innovation, and they appreciate the small ones. They are seeking opportunities to grow. And they consider the money they invest for their membership to be minimal in comparison to the opportunity to learn and grow.
Your goal is to mature your members to level three because those are the only members you’ll retain forever. Level-one members are professional lookers; they aren’t doers. You help level ones level up by making it easy to complete simple tasks to experience success. As they experience success, they’ll begin to gain confidence.
Members at level two are doers. They implement and get great results. Have you ever wondered why members who get great results drop out of your program? It’s because you aren’t moving them beyond their own egos to level three.
You help them move to level three by introducing level-two members (your members who are experiencing success) to level-three members (members who have been around and enjoy “giving back” by teaching others). Level-three members have come to realize they learn more from teaching than they do from study. They relish the opportunity to give back to the community. Let your level-three members help your level-two members grow beyond their ego.
Improve long-term retention by teaching members that they learn more by working together than they do on their own. Promote study groups, and allow them to build relationships. Give recognition to members who make contributions to the community by producing content, recruiting members, and/or helping others.
You build a community by promoting community values. When we work together, we all accomplish more.
About Robert Skrob
