One of the most common mistakes I see in people selling their membership program is they try to sell an offer for the membership.

Now what do I mean by that? Well, you go to the membership sales page and it’s all about what the membership provides. It states, “We provide events. We provide tools. We provide classes.  We provide masterclasses, a membership site, we provide all of these little tools and media that comes with the membership.”

And that’s what we’re trying to sell.

Instead, do these three things and your sales will increase and your membership will grow.

1. Sell based upon the outcome of your membership.

Instead of asking, what does our membership offer, and then listing all of those things out, think about the outcome that you want to provide your prospects.  Or even better yet, what the outcome your prospects want to have from our membership?

Sell them on the outcome.

Take a gym membership for example, gyms don’t sell memberships based upon them having over 30 pieces of equipment that you’ll be able to use.  Or being able to utilize all of the free weights they have. Not even the seven different treadmills that you can use at any time.

They’re not selling their equipment as part of their membership, they’re selling the outcome.

• You’re going to be able to get healthy.
• You’re going to be able to increase your cardio.
• You’re going to be able to drop 10 pounds in 30 days.
• You’re going to be able to build strength.

All of those things their prospects desire, they’re painting that outcome, that picture for their prospects.

So how are you doing that in your membership? What is the outcome that your prospects desire? And does your sales page actually communicate it?

Think about that. I mean, you’re a membership and your membership provides a number of different things.  Some of you provide better health. Some of you provide better finances. Some of you provide better relationships. Others, it’s more money, more meaning, greater significance, a sense of achievement. All of those things. You have a great membership and you provide a great outcome.

So don’t sell your membership based upon the tools, the membership site, the events, the gatherings, whatever it may be, sell it based upon the outcome that your prospects desire.

2. Provide an incentive.

Now, most memberships don’t think they can actually provide some sort of urgency to take the membership right now. But you absolutely can! Permission granted!

Create some sort of sort of incentives so that people will have the desire to say, “I need to join and I need to join right now.”

If I were to visit your sales page and I wanted to sign up for your membership, would I have a reason to sign up right now?  Would I be encouraged to not put this off until tomorrow, because when tomorrow comes, I won’t be able to get this incentive.

As you think about these incentives, think about some of the things that you could offer that are behind the membership paywall that you could bring out and make a bonus that maybe they necessarily wouldn’t normally get.

Maybe it’s something you’ve offered previous members, but current members don’t have access to. So you utilize that as a bonus and say, “For everyone who signs up right now, you’re going to be able to receive this bonus, or this discount, or this resource!”

Provide some sort of incentive so that people will ultimately say, “I need to do this right now.” when they look at your sales page.

3. Sell based upon your prospect’s desires, not their need.

Let’s face it, you are a membership leader or membership business owner. You know that people need your membership. It’s a matter of fact. And it’s up to you to create that desire.

Going back to my example of gym memberships for a moment… People don’t join a gym because they have a desire to sweat or experience some sort of pain after working out. They joined the gym because they desire to be healthy. They desire to look good. They desire to lose weight. They desire to accomplish a specific goal.

You need to figure out what the internal desires that your prospects have that only your membership can fulfill and paint your membership as an opportunity for them to ultimately achieve.

Think about this:  when you create a desire for your membership, you’re able to sell your membership as a solution. Most of us were trying to sell membership as an opportunity, or some sort of thing they can use or be a part of.  But when you begin selling your membership as a solution to their desires, people will sign up for that in a heartbeat when they know, with full confidence, that this is my desire and this is what the membership provides.  It’s going to help them accomplish or fulfill their desire and they will sign up immediately.

So create your membership as an opportunity, a solution for what your prospect’s desire.  Provide your prospects with an incredible incentive.  And make sure you sell based on the outcome of your membership.  This is how you boost the sales of your membership.

When you’re ready to multiply your membership and money, here are four ways we can work together!

1. Are you looking for a community of like-minded membership business owners/leaders? I run a fun Facebook group for “membership marketers” who want to grow & scale. Might be useful for you. Check it out here.

2. Have you picked up 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. Click here to get your free book now!

3. Looking to Reduce Cancellations and Keep More Members… ?If you really care about your members, why not try to RESCUE THEM and help them with your membership? Your membership could possibly be the very tool that helps them get beyond their trouble, tension or transition. Go here to help more people and keep them paying!

4. Are you interested in working together to multiply your membership? I just spent some time with my mastermind group and I have a couple spots available…just send me an email to ScottMembershipMultipliers.com and put “MASTERMIND” in the subject line… tell me a little about your membership and what you’d like to work on together, and let’s see if and how I can help.

About Scott Whitaker

Scott is an expert in creating and building membership programs within businesses, giving greater value to customers and multiplying income. Using his "Seven Systems of a Healthy Membership Program," he will help you get new members, increase retention and structure your membership program for long-term growth.