Are there obstacles in your membership that are costing you sales?  

It's very likely there are, and you're just not aware of it…

There are some all too common roadblocks that are costing membership owners sales and signups.

Often people don’t realise it’s happening because they don’t even know these obstacles exist

But it's crucial to identify and address them if we want to boost sign ups.

The good news is that most of the time it all boils down to some very common obstacles that can easily be fixed…

And as always, we're here to help you with that.

We’ve compiled the six of the most common roadblocks with our tips on how to smash through them to gain those sales.

1.  You're neglecting to ask for the sale

This is probably a really obvious one…

But you’d be surprised at the number of people who don’t actually ask for a sale.

In an effort to be less “salesy”, sometimes people swing too far in the other direction and end up not asking for the sale at all…

You don't send any sales emails, avoid promoting your membership on social media, don't link to it from your website, social profiles and so on…

Or you do, but it's very easy to miss! 

Of course, you don’t want to risk putting your prospective members off by laying it on too thick with your sales pitch…

But you also don’t want to not even attempt to get the sale either.

There's a happy medium to be had!

Definitely ask for the sale…

If your membership is as good as you think it is, then you're doing your audience a disservice if you're not actually telling them about it. 

So yes, you need to send out those sales emails and proactively promote your membership across social media platforms.

If people don’t know you have a solid offer, they simply won’t be drawn in.

Don’t be afraid to make plenty of noise, because it gives people the opportunity to try your membership and achieve the results they’re searching for.

You've got to ask for the sale. 

2. Your membership is too pricey

Typically, memberships are low-ticket products.

Most of them fall between $30 – $100 per month.

If your membership is priced higher, then it’s definitely going to prevent some people joining.

That’s not to say that you can’t charge over $100 for your membership and still thrive…

But once you get to that price point, there are certain expectations you need to live up too.

People will want more access to you and perhaps even expect a personal coaching element to be added to the mix.

So, it becomes less of a membership (which is usually DIY) and more of a coaching product (which is DWY – done with you).

Understandably, this setup can be confusing for people coming from a coaching background…

They’re usually accustomed to selling their time and expertise on a one-on-one basis.

Sometimes they struggle with the idea of going from charging thousands of dollars for a coaching call to an amount as small as $50 per month.

But if this is the case, remember that its $50 per month hopefully flowing in for years, coming from potentially hundreds and thousands of people…

That's a different mindset to wrap your head around…

And is quite often what leads people to overpricing their membership.

So if your membership is perceived to be too expensive then you should re-evaluate your position

3. Technical problems with your signup process

People aren’t the most patient these days, so if there’s a slight hitch in the signup process, you may lose them.

You can't rely on your prospects to tell you if they have technical issues when they're trying to join your membership.

Be sure to regularly test your signup process so you’re not missing any issues that may be chasing potential members away.

Your potential members when they can't sign up…

This same mindset works inside your membership as well…

Always check whether things are in the right shape.

If something doesn’t work, it’ll end up diminishing member experience and pushing them away to find greener pastures.

Tip:  Try joining your own membership with a test account every quarter, that way you’re aware of any hitches in the process.

4. Marketing only during launch periods

Though this one is particular to people operating a closed-door membership model, it’s an easy trap to fall into.

In a way, it makes sense to market just before launches, but there are more disadvantages than advantages to tackle.

For one, it means that your sales pipeline isn't getting filled up in between launches.

And further down the line, it may bring your audience numbers to a standstill.

So, when you finally open the doors of your membership, you end up marketing to the same people from your last launch and the one before that.

At some point, that well will dry up, leaving you with some pretty tough decisions to make.

The solution: Make sure you’re marketing between launches and if you have a waitlist in place, put in the effort to nurture it.

5. Your pricing is too difficult for people to understand

Giving people too many choices makes the decision to buy a lot harder than it should be.

Let’s say you’ve got three tiers within your membership, and each comes with its own distinct features and benefits…

Then, alongside that, you’ve got a monthly, quarterly, annual, and perhaps even a lifetime joining option.

That adds up to 12 different choices your members will have to make before landing at the point of purchase! 

People who struggle with decision-making will most likely decide not to make a choice at all.

Try to reduce those complications and make the decision easier for your prospects.

And then there are joining fees…

They can be a massive roadblock for people, especially if it's not clear why members are paying it.

We'll be honest, we're not the biggest fan of joining fees, unless there's a specific reason for them…

For example, if members get exclusive lifetime access to a piece of software when they join or maybe tickets to an exclusive event…

These are both situations that warrant a joining fee… 

They both give members something tangible to access on top of your membership…

But in many situations, there isn't a need for that additional charge…

We see some membership owners use this as a tactic to increase revenue or maximise their Member Lifetime Value…

And if that's the case, it can act as a huge barrier to people joining your membership.

So if you're charging a joining fee, make sure it's for a good reason…

And that you communicate that reason clearly to your potential members.

6. You aren’t distinguishable from your competitors

If you’ve thought of something, the chances are that someone else thought about it before you.

There’s almost always going to be a business out there that’s similar to yours…

Or perhaps you modeled your membership a little too close to other players in the market in the same space as you with a similar audience or niche.

Whatever the case may be, if people aren't clear on what makes you stand out of the crowd, then they don’t have a compelling reason to opt into your service.

Sure, if you see a formula that appears to be gaining success, it’s natural to want to stick to it.

But you stand the risk of looking like an imitation of your competition, and people often prefer the original to the imitation.

It’s the little ways you distinguish yourself that’ll draw people to you.

So, think about what makes your product unique and make sure you communicate that in your marketing.

Hopefully, you’re now more aware of some of the potential roadblocks that could be holding your membership site back…

Or maybe it's helped you pinpoint some issues in your sales and marketing that you weren't even aware of.

Whatever the case, you should be well equipped now to deal with any of these roadblocks should they they pop up.

Good luck!

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