Master Memberships: 4 Key Do’s and Don’ts
Do you currently have a Client Membership Program or have you been thinking about creating one?
If so, the insights I’m about to share will help you optimize an existing membership OR strategically create one so you can:
- Easily retain and engage clients for the duration of their health transformation and beyond!
- Build more financial stability and consistency in your business.
- Operate your practice efficiently and effectively to avoid burnout and scale with freedom.
Clearly Membership Programs can be beneficial for all these reasons when they are implemented and structured in a strategic way.
Note how I said “strategic way.”
This isn’t what most Practitioners are thinking about when running or rolling out a Membership Program, because of something I refer to as…
Copycat Syndrome Instead of Strategy™
The state in which an individual is copying what others are doing instead of making strategic business decisions or taking data-driven action; “throwing spaghetti on the wall to see what will stick.”
This approach eats up a lot of valuable time, energy, and resources. Similar to when our clients are guessing about what is going on with them instead of testing.
In business, we can use the same “test, don’t guess” approach to collect data-driven insights that will guide the strategy (i.e. protocol) in order to create success.
Which is exactly what I did when creating my Membership Program back in 2017, where clients have continued to work with me for over 6 years.
Here are the 4 Key Do’s and Don’ts for running a successful Membership Program…
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DON’T: Start clients in a Membership Program, especially in the earlier stages of business or depending on the size of your practice.
DO: Make 1:1 Client Packages (aka programs) your primary focus and client entry point because:
- Packages are the fastest path to financial stability, especially while growing your audience/reach, plus they build the foundation for creating other offerings.
- Packages hold clients in an accountable and supportive space for the greatest results up front, and trains them up to be a good member of the membership later.
- Memberships work best as a client maintenance and optimization strategy after 1:1 package work.
DON’T: Create a Membership Program without doing research.
DO: Survey your ideal clients (aka niche) about what they want in a Membership to deliver what is most valuable to them and to avoid wasting time or money on things they don’t want.
For example, a lot of Membership Programs include Group Calls. When I surveyed my clients about the benefits and features being considered for the development of my Membership Program they rated Group Calls the lowest so including these would have been a waste of time and energy.
Instead, I incorporated the items they ranked the highest, so the ongoing investment in the program included things they would use and therefore were valuable to them.
DON’T: Price your Membership Program based on other memberships.
DO: Calculate the value of your time, the features and benefits included in the Membership to determine a profitable price point.
For example, in a 1:1 package my clients receive a 20% discount on supplements, a benefit that continues when they move into the Membership, along with access to more 1:1 sessions. The value of these features (supplement commissions and time) are built into my membership rates to ensure profitability.
DON’T: Expect clients to take the initiative and engage in the Membership. Even the most disciplined people need nudges.
DO: Build-in a membership benefits nurture process, email reminders, back office operations and other possible tools that will nudge them to engage in their investment because you’re in the business of transforming people’s lives (which only happens when people show up and are present), not simply selling memberships to make money like a 24-Hour Fitness gym membership model.
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These Membership Strategy insights can also be applied to developing membership programs or paid community models independent of your 1:1 clients as your audience grows and business expands!
Is this a topic you’d like to hear more about? Hit reply and let me know!
And include any specific questions about Membership Programs that you have so I can share specific details to help you implement or optimize this concept to increase your impact and income!
P.S. This has been a hot topic lately in the Business Community Forum and Bi-Monthly Laser Coaching calls that I host, so I’m currently working on a detailed training about this and will be sharing the info with you on April 1st!