Scott Whitaker is an author and membership business guru. In this episode you will learn why people will quit your membership program and what you can do to keep them. He is the author of “Why People Quit Your Membership Program & What You Can Do About It” and an online course “Seven Systems of a Growing Membership Business.”
Scott has led membership organizations in both non-profit and for profit companies since 1997. He’s noted for having built the largest for profit coaching network for pastors of churches; growing from just 72 pastors a year to over 3,000 pastors a year.
Main Questions Asked:
- What are some of the reasons people cancel?
Key Lessons Learned:
Membership Retention
- The major reasons people cancel a membership include:
- The cost being too much, many people impulse purchase a membership without understanding the value it provides.
- They’re too busy. Your members will never really tell you the real reason they’re quitting. Being “busy” is a socially acceptable way for them to opt out.
- “I’m not getting anything out of it.” You are not responsible to make sure your members make use of their membership, you have to show them how to use it properly.
- “I’m getting too much.” Membership overwhelm is a real thing, some people get intimidated by too much information too fast.
- “I found something else.” Never put your competitors down. How can you add value to what you are currently giving your customer. Make them an offer to keep them and make them feel like you value them.
- Many membership business owners don’t know why their members quit.
- If you really believe in your membership, you are doing your customer a disservice by not trying to keep and help them.
- Get rid of the button that makes it easy to cancel a customer’s account. Make it clear, but make sure they need to speak to someone first.
Rescuing A Quitter
- Never process a cancellation without a conversation.
- Recognize that every member matters. A member that wants to quit deserves your attention.
- Always have a pre call plan and script. Know their name, business, location, how long they’ve been a member, their lifetime value, and why they matter to you. Have a conversation about their engagement and avoid putting them on the defensive.
- Never have a conversation without an offer. Always have a good/better/best offer that you can make to keep them. If people don’t know their options, they have no reason not to cancel. Always include a deadline.
- Get to the heart of the matter. Try to discover the true reason someone is quitting. People join a membership with their heart and the quit with their head. Use the three words: feel/felt/found and help the person solve whatever their issue is. It’s difficult to say no to someone who is honestly trying to help you.
- Always follow up. Send them an email and recap the conversation. If they didn’t take your offer, tell them what they will no longer have access to.
- Build a reactivation campaign. Your former member’s circumstances will change. Check in with them and make the offer again. Use different forms of media to start the conversation again.
- Leave an open door. Your members should always feel welcome to come back.
- Implement systems that keep people from quitting. A system is anything that saves you stress, time, energy, and money.
- Constantly grow yourself and stretch your abilities. Growing businesses are lead by growing leaders.
Final Tips
- Check out Scott’s website and his course if you are serious about growing your membership business.
- Never tell your members that they are quitting your membership, nobody likes to be called a quitter.
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Links to Resources Mentioned
http://Whypeoplequit.com
https://scottwhitakerconsulting.com
