What most separates a membership business from a “customer-based” business?
In my opinion, COMMUNITY.
I have yet to see a membership where there isn’t a community.
[Note: I make a distinction between subscriptions and memberships. No one says, “I’m a member of Netflix.” Or, “I’m a member of the Wall Street Journal.” That’s because those are clearly subscriptions. Subscriptions would be better served if they created a community.]
“Community is the greatest tool a membership business has. It is unique to every membership. It cannot be duplicated or copied.” – Scott Whitaker
What makes a “customer” feel like a “member”? COMMUNITY!
For example, think about a gym membership.
- CrossFit
- Crunch Fitness
- Iron Tribe
- Orange Theory
- Gold’s Gym
- LA Fitness
- The Zoo
- Planet Fitness
- Equinox Fitness Club
Every single one of these (and the many others not listed) have their own community. They have their own identity. They create members under their community.
I dare you to challenge a member of CrossFit, telling them why Orange Theory is better. Or vice versa. Those businesses create loyal members, a fiercely devoted community.
My friend, Dan Kennedy, says, “Build an iron fence around your herd to keep the poachers out.” In context, he’s talking about your members. Your members make up your herd. And in order for you to have longevity in your membership there must be an “iron fence.”
This means you must create a community where your herd will gather, desire to stay, and have their needs met.
If you’re interested in learning more about if and how I can help you scale your coaching business, here are three ways we can work together:
1. Grab a copy of “High-Ticket Coach.” It’s my brand new book on how to create, launch and sell your high-ticket membership offer. You’ll also get a ton of free resources and tools to help sell your current membership offers.
2. Get a FREE copy of Accelerate: How to Get Your Next 10, 100, 500 or Even 1,000 Members… Yes, you can get a free copy of my brand-new book! In it, you discover more on how to promote your membership, get more members and increase retention.
3. If you’d like to work directly with me and my team to help you create and sell a high ticket membership… If you’d like to work directly with me and my team to multiply your membership… just schedule a free strategy session. We’ll map out a strategy and then take a look to see if and how we may be able to grow your business.
Go here to complete this brief survey and schedule your free call.
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Scott Whitaker
"The Membership Multiplier"
Scott Whitaker, founder of Membership Multipliers, has been transforming coaching businesses since 2007. With a passion for helping coaches and consultants scale their impact, Scott’s mission is to empower thought leaders to create, launch, and grow high-ticket membership offers. His proven track record includes growing a coaching organization from 72 to over 3,000 members, making it the largest in its niche, and replicating that success across industries like childcare, lawyers, professional services, services businesses, and more.
Scott’s clients achieve extraordinary results through his innovative frameworks, including the "Seven Membership Multipliers." One client sold over $1 million in coaching in just 21 days, while another skyrocketed from $0 to $1 million in a single year. Others have scaled from $1.5 million to $6 million and many achieve over 90% retention in their programs.
As the author of six books, including High-Ticket Coach, High-Ticket Marketing, High-Ticket Events, High-Ticket Retention and High-Ticket Masterminds, Scott equips coaches with blueprints to grow and scale their business. His practical yet bold approach resonates with successful entrepreneurs ready to take their business to the next level. Whether you’re a consultant or a niche expert, Scott’s strategies help you impact more lives and build a thriving membership.