Do you remember the American Express ads declaring “Membership has its privileges?”
Admit it. There are days when you wish that was all you had to say to get your existing members to renew and new members to join, right?
American Express smartly adopted the idea of ‘membership” to claim the value and specialness of being their customer. It’s clear you don’t have to literally be a membership organization to capitalize on the idea. Either way — it takes work to win loyalty, cut through today’s information overload and build up your brand to the point where people are aspiring to be part of it.
But most of us already realize that. The problem is most of us don’t know we’re going about “the work” of winning member loyalty all wrong.
The Myth: Sell your benefits!
Often, the things you call “benefits” are actually thinly masked “features.”
It’s not about what you do, have, or sell (features), people care about the outcome they receive by participating (benefit).
For example, if you are a hospital, you might want to promote the quality of your doctors or the cutting-edge technologies you use. Those are both features, and adding “you have access to…” does not turn it into a benefit.
Same goes for organizations that offer things like certifications. You may think that is a benefit, but it’s not. No one lays awake at night thinking “what I really need is a great webinar…”
They want the result of that webinar, certification, program, treatment, or experience to advance their career, regain their health, improve their lives or whatever value that brought them to your organization.
Instead of showcasing your features, demonstrate the ultimate, personal value your members get from them. That’s a benefit.
Put yourself in your members’ shoes. Find out what they want. Show them how they can get what they need from you.
