How many times have you purchased something and you knew you weren’t getting all the benefits that you could? A perfect example of this is one that all of us in our mid-to-late thirties can think of.
Remember in the old days when they created that thing called a VCR? I still have one of those prehistoric machines. You know what? It’s still blinking 12:00. I still have no idea of how to program it to record a show at a pre-set time. Read the instruction manual you say? I don’t have the time or patience.
This problem relates to services as well, and it’s even more critical for you to address if it is tied to a membership-type product. For example, if you own a health club, you’ll be in a position where you need to add members to your base with more frequency than the canceling frequency. You can accomplish this with contracts and using the fear of an additional initiation fee if your members choose to discontinue their membership. You can be different from all the rest of the health clubs and eliminate the need for monthly contracts.
The main reason people cancel their membership is because they don’t use it. Why don't they use it? They don’t have the discipline to change their habits on their own. The reason they don’t change their habits on their own - besides the lack of discipline - is because no one holds them accountable. You can change all that and become a leader in your industry!
It takes a human 21 days of consistent actions to establish a habit. With this being said, if you leave it up to someone to change their habits without directing them, you will become frustrated most of the time. Use email marketing to communicate directly with your members and guide them through the habit changing behaviors so they can ultimately achieve the benefits they are looking for.
Create a 30 Day Step-by-Step Program
Once someone becomes a new member you can help them start their new healthy lifestyle. Write a series of emails, between 200-250 words, that have a combination of educational and action steps. Make sure the content is fun, not stuffy. They are looking to workout - not a sleep aid. :)
If you aren’t a great writer, hire one fairly inexpensively to create the emails for you. Once you’ve completed the series of emails, sign up for an email marketing program like iContact, MailChimp, Constant Contact, or AWeber. There are a ton of choices and they all work similarly. Just be sure that the service has auto-responders and a measure of how many times people open your emails.
Aso be sure that the company is reputable and has a good track record for delivering emails through the growing list of spam filter programs. Any of the companies listed above are very good.
Once you’ve gone through the process of creating your sequential auto-response series, simply add new members' names and email addresses and they will begin to receive the emails everyday for 30 days. There are many preferred activities of choice among your members. Over time you can create several different 30 day programs so you can offer a multitude of solutions for your members. This will help keep them from getting bored with their regimen and will help you relate to each member.
This type of strategy can work for any type of service-related company. Spend some time thinking about how you could add value for your customers once they’ve made the decision to purchase from you. They will get more bang-for-their-buck and will help turn them into a raving fan of your company!
