PDF Summary:Retention Point, by Robert Skrob

In the world of membership and subscription businesses, sustainable growth hinges on fostering loyal, lifelong members—the "Retention Point." In Retention Point, Robert Skrob presents a strategic framework for nurturing lasting relationships and delivering impactful experiences that transform newcomers into passionate advocates.

Skrob guides organizations in shifting from transactional "Membership Marketer" tactics to an approach centered on cultivating community, belonging, and shared purpose. Through insightful case studies and actionable tactics, he outlines methods to streamline onboarding, accelerate commitment, and maximize members' perceived value—ultimately propelling growth through member retention.

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• A series of communications could overwhelm some members, causing information overload rather than quick engagement.
• The assumption that rapid immersion is universally effective may not account for diverse learning styles and preferences.
• Some members may find videos to be time-consuming and prefer a quick, concise summary of the program's value and philosophy instead.
• If not carefully crafted, these emails can come across as overly promotional or insincere, potentially alienating new members.
• Printed materials might not reach members who are frequently on the move or who do not have a fixed postal address.

How Charity: Water Created Loyal Members From Donors

Skrob showcases Charity: Water as a prime example of a charity effectively converting one-time donors into loyal, recurring members. He emphasizes their understanding of the key emotional drivers that resonate with their target audience and their adeptness at cultivating a feeling of connection within their membership program, "The Spring."

Key Emotional Drivers and Beliefs Motivating Long-Term Membership

Skrob highlights the strategic use of emotional appeals and testimonials in communications from Charity: Water, emphasizing the tangible impact of their work on improving lives through access to clean water. By connecting emotionally with participants, they cultivate a sense of shared purpose and inspire long-term commitment.

Other Perspectives

• Relying heavily on emotional appeals could potentially lead to donor fatigue if individuals feel they are being manipulated rather than informed.
• Testimonials may not always represent the full scope of Charity: Water's impact, as they often highlight the most successful and positive outcomes, potentially overlooking areas where improvements could be made.
• The focus on clean water is essential, yet it is also necessary to ensure that the methods of providing access do not inadvertently harm local ecosystems or deplete water resources, which could lead to long-term environmental issues.
• Emotional connections might sometimes overshadow the practical aspects of a charity's work, leading to a focus on storytelling over transparency and accountability.
• Some individuals may be motivated by ethical principles or a sense of duty rather than emotional connections.

Membership Process: Reinforce Beliefs and Excite Impact

Skrob describes how Charity: Water's onboarding program is designed to further reinforce the core beliefs and emotions that motivate their members. This involves providing engaging content that showcases the ongoing impact of their work, reiterating the importance of contributions from members, and strengthening the bond between the organization and its supporters.

Practical Tips

• Create a personal onboarding document for new relationships or projects that outlines your core values and expectations. This could be a simple one-page summary that you share with new friends, team members, or collaborators to set the tone for your relationship. For example, if you value open communication and punctuality, your document might include statements like "I believe in transparent conversations and appreciate when we can both be on time for our meetings."
• Consider starting a small-scale fundraiser using social media challenges to support a cause you care about. Create a challenge that can be easily shared and participated in by your friends and family, like running a certain distance or giving up coffee for a week, and tie it to a fundraising goal. Use a hashtag to track participation and encourage donations to your chosen charity. This not only raises funds but also awareness for the cause.
• Create a personal "contribution board" online using a tool like Trello or Asana, where you track your contributions to different areas of your life, such as family, work, or community. This can help you see patterns in how you contribute and identify areas where you might want to increase your involvement. For instance, if you notice you're often contributing ideas in community forums, you might decide to volunteer for a local initiative.
• Develop a "Supporter Advisory Board" consisting of a diverse group of your supporters who can provide feedback on your initiatives. This board would meet periodically to discuss upcoming projects and give input from the supporter's perspective, ensuring their voices are heard and valued. For instance, if your organization is planning a fundraising event, the advisory board could help shape the event to better resonate with the wider supporter base.

How FabFitFun Uses Content and Members to Drive Value and Engagement

Skrob analyzes how FabFitFun, a popular company that offers subscription boxes, successfully cultivates a vibrant community and maximizes the apparent worth of their offerings through content and communication. He emphasizes their attention to detail in crafting an experience that goes beyond simply providing products.

Guides, Recognition, and Community Transform Subscribers Into Members

Skrob praises FabFitFun's approach to elevating the unboxing experience, including detailed style guides, opportunities for member recognition, and active encouragement of community engagement. By creating a sense of belonging and providing tangible tools for subscribers to maximize the benefits of their boxes, FabFitFun effectively transforms them into loyal members.

Practical Tips

• Transform routine deliveries into special occasions by customizing your online orders with special requests. When ordering items online, use the gift option or contact customer service to request a special unboxing feature, like a ribbon or a decorative sticker. This adds a personal touch to your purchases and makes the arrival of even mundane items feel more exciting.
• Use social media to crowdsource style advice for specific events or trends you're unsure about. Post a picture of yourself in an outfit you're considering and ask your followers for their input. This can provide you with a range of perspectives and ideas on how to enhance your look or adapt a trend to suit your personal style.
• Start a blog or social media page dedicated to highlighting local heroes and positive stories in your community. Reach out to community members for nominations and feature different individuals each week, detailing their contributions or achievements. This platform can serve as a source of inspiration and recognition for the unsung heroes in your community.
• Create a personal blog or vlog series where you document trying new activities or hobbies, and encourage your audience to participate or suggest new challenges. This interactive approach can mirror how businesses engage their communities by involving them in content creation and decision-making processes.
• Create a themed social media group where members share their experiences with products or services that foster a sense of community. By doing this, you can replicate the feeling of belonging that comes from being part of a niche group with shared interests. For example, if you're passionate about eco-friendly living, start a Facebook group where members post about their favorite sustainable products and discuss ways to live greener lives.
• Host a swap party with friends who also receive subscription boxes. This can be a fun way to exchange items that might not suit your needs but could be perfect for someone else. It maximizes the value of the box contents and fosters a community of sharing and discovery among peers.
• Start a loyalty program for your small business or side hustle that rewards repeat customers. This could be as simple as a digital punch card that offers a free product or service after a certain number of purchases. Use a simple app or even a spreadsheet to track customer purchases and ensure you acknowledge their loyalty with a personalized thank you note or email.

Centered On Emotions and Experiences, Not Just Physical Products Delivered

Skrob highlights that FabFitFun prioritizes the emotional connection and overall experience that subscribers have with the brand, rather than concentrating solely on the tangible items delivered. This involves creating a sense of fun, empowerment, and community, establishing a value proposition that goes beyond the monetary worth of every package.

Practical Tips

• Host a 'skill-share' dinner party where guests are encouraged to bring and share a skill or knowledge instead of physical gifts. This could be anything from a magic trick to a mini language lesson. The emphasis is on the exchange of experiences and the creation of an emotionally engaging atmosphere, fostering connections through learning and interaction.
• Create a personal empowerment playlist with songs that make you feel powerful and share it with your friends. Encourage them to contribute their own tracks. This can be a collaborative effort that enhances the sense of community and empowerment every time someone listens to the playlist.

Components and Tactics for Successfully Onboarding Members

Skrob provides a detailed framework for designing an efficient process to onboard new members, outlining a series of steps and actions that move them swiftly and efficiently toward achieving the goal of retention. These tactics focus on delivering quick wins, building confidence, and fostering a sense of belonging, turning new subscribers into active, engaged members.

Dream to Recognition: Framework for Onboarding Members

Skrob provides a detailed "Dream to Recognition" framework for designing an effective membership onboarding process. This framework consists of a series of steps that guide new members towards realizing the membership's value, cultivating a sense of belonging, and achieving early wins, ultimately leading to achieving the Retention Point.

Presents a Clear, Compelling Vision of the Intended Result and Transformed Life

Skrob stresses the importance of vividly portraying the ideal results and transformed life that await members upon actively engaging with the program. The author advises against focusing on individual tasks and instead emphasizes the compelling benefits of fully utilizing the program.

Practical Tips

• Create a visual roadmap of your projects to identify how each task interconnects. Use a whiteboard or digital mind-mapping tool to draw out the flow of your projects, showing how each task leads to the next. This helps you see the dependencies and the ultimate goal of your work, encouraging a program-centric rather than task-centric approach.

Builds Confidence in Program Effectiveness

Skrob recommends building confidence in the effectiveness of the program through testimonials, success stories, and clear explanations of how it operates. The Member Onboarding process should effectively address any doubts or skepticism new members might harbor, solidifying their belief in the program's ability to deliver the promised transformation.

Practical Tips

• Develop a "confidence script" for clear communication by practicing how to articulate your successes and the value you bring. Write down a brief narrative that includes your strengths, achievements, and the impact of your work. Practice this script in a mirror or with a friend to become more comfortable sharing your story in networking situations or job interviews.
• Develop a mentorship program pairing new members with existing ones. Identify willing and experienced members to act as mentors for newcomers. Set up an initial meeting where mentors can share their positive experiences, provide guidance, and answer any questions. This one-on-one interaction can help alleviate skepticism by fostering a sense of belonging and support.
• Pair up with an accountability partner who is also committed to a similar transformation. Schedule regular check-ins with your partner to discuss your experiences, challenges, and successes with the program. This mutual support system can help maintain a high level of motivation and belief in the program, as you both witness each other's transformations and provide encouragement.

Incremental Approach to Success: Quick Early Wins

Skrob advocates for delivering quick wins during the onboarding process, enabling newcomers to experience tangible results early in their journey. By providing easily achievable tasks with immediate positive outcomes, members feel a sense of accomplishment and increased motivation to continue engaging with the program.

Practical Tips

• Use a journal to reflect on and celebrate small successes daily. If you're trying to improve your fitness, write down the number of steps you took or the healthy meals you ate each day, acknowledging these as quick wins that contribute to your larger goal.
• Create a "First Hour Focus" routine where you tackle a small, manageable task as soon as you start your day. This could be anything from clearing your email inbox to setting up your workspace. The key is to choose something that can be completed quickly and provides a sense of accomplishment, setting a positive tone for the rest of the day.
• Use a habit-tracking app to set daily reminders for simple, positive actions that contribute to your larger objectives. If your goal is to be healthier, your app could remind you to drink a glass of water every two hours. The immediate positive outcome is the feeling of staying hydrated and the long-term benefit is improved health.
• Start a 'win jar' where you note down each quick win on a piece of paper and drop it into a jar. This visual representation of your accomplishments can serve as a motivational tool. Whenever you complete a micro-task or achieve a small goal, write it down, fold the paper, and add it to the jar. Over time, you'll see the jar fill up, which can be incredibly satisfying and encouraging.

Offers Recognition and Validation

Skrob emphasizes the importance of recognizing and validating members' efforts, creating a feeling of community and encouraging further engagement. This can involve testimonials from current members, a clear explanation of the selection process for coaches, and a member directory for associations and publishers.

Practical Tips

• Create a personalized appreciation system by noting down the unique contributions of each person in your group or team and acknowledging them with tailored compliments or thank-you notes. For example, if someone consistently brings fresh ideas to meetings, send them a message highlighting how their creativity is valued and boosts team innovation.
• Start a peer recognition program within your community group or workplace where members can submit testimonials about each other. This not only fosters a positive environment but also allows individuals to feel seen and appreciated, which can boost morale and strengthen community bonds.
• Develop a visual flowchart that outlines the steps and criteria used in the coaching selection process and display it in a common area. Visual aids can often make complex processes easier to grasp. You could use symbols and colors to represent different stages and decisions, ensuring that everyone can follow the path that leads to a coach being chosen.
• Volunteer to be a part of a committee or task force within your association. Active participation in the association's initiatives demonstrates your commitment and can lead to recognition among your peers. As a committee member, you could help organize events, contribute to strategic planning, or assist in developing new member services. Your involvement would likely be noted in the member directory, further validating your role and contributions to the association.

Offers Upsells That Accelerate Progress and Transformation

Skrob recommends strategically offering upsells during the onboarding process, positioning them as accelerators of the main change the membership offers. While these upsells can directly increase revenue, they also reinforce how valuable the core membership is and encourage deeper engagement, even among those who don't purchase them.

Practical Tips

• When setting goals, define a basic achievement level and an enhanced achievement level with a reward system for yourself. For instance, if your goal is to run a 5k, the basic level could be completing the race, while the enhanced level could be finishing within a certain time limit, which could then unlock a new pair of running shoes or entry into a more competitive race.
• Develop a tiered membership model where each level offers progressively more personalized or faster ways to achieve the main goal. If you're offering a fitness membership, your basic tier could include general workout plans, while premium tiers could offer one-on-one coaching sessions or personalized nutrition plans to help members reach their fitness goals more efficiently.
• Bundle related products at a discount and present them at checkout as a one-time offer to encourage immediate upselling. For instance, if you run an online bookstore, offer a bookmark and reading light bundle when customers purchase a novel. This not only increases the perceived value but also makes the purchase decision easier for the customer.
• Implement a referral system among friends and family for services or products you frequently use, where you provide them with additional, personalized advice or support as a bonus. If you refer a friend to your favorite meal delivery service, offer to help them plan their meals or share your favorite recipes, adding value beyond the initial referral.

Onboarding Plan for Members: Communication Over the First Three Months

Skrob introduces the 100-Day Member Journey Plan as a pivotal method for speeding up the path of fresh recruits toward reaching retention. This plan involves meticulously scripting and choreographing all communication touchpoints during a new user's initial 100 days, ensuring a cohesive and impactful onboarding experience.

Interacting With New Members in Their Initial Three Months

Skrob highlights the importance of intentional communication within a new member's initial 100 days. He advocates for a carefully planned approach, incorporating various communication channels and touchpoints, to nurture the relationship, reinforce the program's benefits, and address potential challenges swiftly.

Practical Tips

• Develop a feedback loop with new acquaintances by scheduling brief, informal check-ins at the 30, 60, and 90-day marks. Use these opportunities to ask for their input on your interactions and adjust your communication style accordingly to ensure it's effective and appreciated.
• Offer a small gesture of kindness to new members of your community. Think of something simple yet impactful, like bringing a small plant to a new neighbor or sending a congratulatory note to someone who's recently joined your workplace or club. This act of kindness can help establish a positive relationship from the start.
• You can enhance your daily communication by creating a personal communication map. Start by identifying the different groups you interact with regularly, such as family, friends, colleagues, and service providers. For each group, list out the channels you currently use to communicate with them (e.g., text, email, social media, face-to-face, phone calls). Then, add one new channel to each group to diversify your touchpoints. For example, if you usually text your family, try sending a handwritten letter or setting up a family group video call to add a personal touch.
• Create a personalized welcome video for new members to make them feel valued. Record a short video for each new member, addressing them by name and mentioning something specific about their interests or reasons for joining. This personal touch can make new members feel seen and appreciated, fostering a stronger connection from the outset.
• Create a visual reminder of program benefits by designing a personalized infographic that highlights the key advantages and how they apply to your life. Use free online tools like Canva or Piktochart to create this visual. For example, if you're participating in a fitness program, your infographic could illustrate benefits such as improved mood, better sleep, and increased energy levels, with icons and brief descriptions that resonate with your personal goals.
• Use a task management app with a "Challenge Tracker" feature. Customize a task management app to include a section specifically for challenges you're facing. When you identify a new challenge, add it to the tracker as a task, set a deadline for addressing it, and break it down into smaller, manageable actions. This approach keeps you organized and ensures that you're consistently working towards resolving challenges in a timely manner.

Optimizes Membership Experience Elements to Boost Retention

Skrob emphasizes the significance of optimizing every step of the Membership Journey to maximize retention. This involves analyzing where subscribers disengage, testing alternative communication strategies, and continuously refining the 100-Day Communication Plan to address pain points and enhance the overall experience.

Practical Tips

• Experiment with a 'membership swap' with a friend or family member. Trade a membership with someone for a month, where you both use each other's services (as long as it's within the terms of the service). This can give you fresh insights into what you appreciate about your own memberships and what other services offer. It's a practical way to experience a different membership journey and may lead to discovering new features or benefits you'd like to see implemented in your own memberships.
• Analyze engagement metrics with a DIY dashboard. Use a simple spreadsheet to track subscriber activity over time, such as open rates, click-through rates, and the frequency of interactions with your content. Look for patterns that indicate a drop in engagement, such as a decrease in open rates after a particular issue of a newsletter or a lack of clicks on certain types of links, to pinpoint where disengagement may be occurring.
• Try teaching the material to someone else to solidify your understanding and retention. Organize a small study group where each member takes turns explaining different topics to the rest. This not only reinforces your knowledge but also highlights areas where you might need further clarification.
• Create a feedback loop with your audience by sending out short surveys after key communications. After delivering a presentation or sending an important email, follow up with a brief survey asking for feedback on clarity, engagement, and effectiveness. Use a free online survey tool like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey to make this process easy and analyze the feedback to identify areas for improvement in your next 100-day communication plan.
• Conduct a 'mystery member' experiment where you go through the membership process as if you were a new member, without revealing your insider knowledge. Take note of any obstacles or confusing steps you encounter. Afterwards, brainstorm solutions to these issues. For instance, if you notice that the sign-up process is cumbersome, you might suggest simplifying the form or providing a step-by-step guide.

Aligns Departments for Cohesive, Relationship-Building Onboarding

Skrob stresses the importance of aligning the organization's departments to ensure a consistent and user-centric onboarding experience. This involves consolidating all communications, regardless of their origin, within a communication plan that spans 100 days, ensuring that all messages reinforce the program's value and foster a strong relationship with the new member.

Practical Tips

• Create a departmental onboarding buddy system by pairing new hires with employees from different departments for their first month. This cross-departmental pairing encourages communication and understanding of different roles within the company. For example, a new marketing hire might be paired with someone from the finance team to learn about budgeting processes, while the finance employee gains insight into marketing strategies.
• Create a personalized welcome package for new team members that includes items unique to your company culture. This could be a mix of practical items like a branded notebook and pen, alongside fun or quirky items that represent the spirit of your team, such as a mascot-themed keychain or a puzzle that reflects a common team challenge. This gesture shows that you value their presence and are invested in integrating them into the company culture from day one.
• Set up a dedicated email folder or digital notebook for ideas and topics you want to address in your communications. Whenever you have a thought or come across something relevant, add it to this folder. Before scheduled communications, review this folder to consolidate your ideas and ensure you're sharing content that is timely and valuable.
• Practice reflective listening to ensure you understand and can consistently respond to others. After conversations, take a moment to reflect on what the other person said and how it relates to the messages you want to convey. Jot down a brief summary of the conversation and your response, then review it to see if your reply was in line with your intended messages. This habit will help you become more aware of your communication patterns and adjust them to be more consistent.
• Develop a habit tracker to monitor your engagement with the program and its value in your daily life. Use a simple spreadsheet or a habit-tracking app to log your daily or weekly activities related to the program. Set specific, measurable goals such as "Spend 30 minutes reviewing program materials" or "Apply one program principle in a real-life situation." Tracking your progress will reinforce the program's value by making your achievements tangible and encouraging consistency.