Written by Michael Gillespie
In this Issue:
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Without a clear definition of purpose, all membership products look like good ideas.”
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I have a question for you:
What does your business do?
Most operators that I work with can answer that question with ease.
Now, here’s a follow-up question for you:
How are you currently operating with purpose?
That question hits differently, doesn’t it?
The odds are, that second question made you hesitate - and it should. Because answering that question is downright difficult.
How you choose to address this question will determine your entire trajectory with membership and whether or not you find yourself in the middle of an avoidable mess as an operator.
Let’s dive in.
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If you asked a member: Why are you here? - could they answer you in one sentence?
If not, you have a problem.
I’ve seen countless membership businesses start with solid ideas, good intentions and an even better product. But somewhere along the way, those intentions start to become influenced and shaped by trends and noise rather than the underlying needs of the audience that the business was meant to serve.
The mission gets diluted. The list of benefits swells.
And the operator’s focus shifts away from serving to chasing.
This is precisely the type of mess that membership operators often find themselves in the middle of - time and time again.
When a membership tries to be too many things, it becomes unmemorable.
When its messaging tries to speak to everyone, it connects with no one.
And these are the tell-tale symptoms of a purpose problem.
If you don’t take the time upfront to establish boundaries, guard rails and expectations - membership can quickly get away from you.
You’ll find yourself immersed in managing more things, more benefits, more tools - more everything. Because what customer doesn’t love more of something?
Each small thing you choose to introduce into your offering is another mouth to feed. It requires your time, your effort and your money.
These runaway costs snowball in the background, quietly eating into your revenue.
And slowly, but surely, this creates a complex mess that’s entirely on you to manage - and it’s one that I’ve personally witnessed ruin the businesses of operators who came to the table with a great product.
But if there’s one thing that the most effective operators have mastered, it’s this:
They build discipline into every facet of their membership.
And they do so by defining, messaging and then delivering on a clear purpose - over and over again.
Their purpose is not just a statement on their website, it’s the lens from which all decisions are evaluated and executed.
You see, these operators know who they’re building for, not in a demographic sense, but in a human sense. They fully understand the moment their member is in and how their product can help them move forward.
They know why their work matters in that person’s life, not just how it converts on a sales page.
And when you're that clear on your purpose, everything tightens. Your messaging stops sounding generic. You and your team stop chasing noise. Your message begins to resonate. And your members can feel the difference.
Approaching your work from this mindset and perspective immediately changes the game you thought you were playing.
It allows you, the operator, to become the custodian - the one who is always ensuring that the interests of your members remain front and center.
Operating a membership is rewarding.
But operating a membership with clear purpose is life-changing, not just for your members, but most importantly, for you.
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