12-Week Fixed Term Membership vs One-off Delivery

Hi Candace,

I don't have specific experience doing this myself, so I am sure others will have a lot more to add, but there are a couple of thoughts that I had relating to the points you raised.

Firstly, I guess there is the question of, if you deliver everything up front for a one time fee, what is the likelihood of refund requests. Now I know this might not be a problem for you at all, but it was one thing that came to my mind after reading your post.

I thought perhaps you can offer some content up front with the balance after the refund period. So they are not waiting the whole time, they get a good chunk to see if they are happy to stay.

Secondly, and this is meant as another potential option, but could you make the courses deliver more content, more frequently over a shorter period of time ie. instead of 12 weeks make it a 4 or 6 week delivery for the same content you are currently delivering over the 12 weeks.

I will be interested to see what thoughts others have concerning your post and to find out what you decide.

Lynne

What is the percentage of people who purchase your product who ask that question? Is is it 12-15 people out of 50, 100? If it's a high percentage, than perhaps you may be on to something - maybe you are losing sales. If it is a low percentage, you probably don't need to make changes to your system.

I once purchased a membership with monthly billing. The program had installments and only one was released per month (per billing anniversary month). Only problem with that is you stand to lose money if the person decides to unsubscribe early.

As long as you are clear that the content is delivered over 12 weeks you don't have to give them their content early. Using it as an upsell is up to you but if it is going to be more work than it's worth I don't think you should feel forced to provide that option.

What would your favourite magazine publisher do if you called them up after you subscribed for 12 months and demanded they deliver all 12 copies by the end of the week?

I like the way Fraggler thinks. An upsell for those wanting that option would be a great alternative. I'd be hesitant at giving them the option up front...for one simple reason. When faced with several choices...many people choose none. give them one path to flow through, and the ability to make choices as they go.

Brandon Yeager

I'm not sure if this will be applicable to your situation but: If they are hungry for your great info now, direct them to your back catalogue and let them go nuts.

Hey Candace:

I've been doing FTM sites for clients since Jimmy D. Brown came out with his Membernaire and Russell Brunson followed up with MicroContinuity.

Prior to that... I did coaching using weekly lessons for my real estate students for years.

It has always amazed me when the very same people who complain of information overload seem to want the 10lb. box of three ring binders all delivered at the same time.

Everyone wants the end result.. somehow, owning the whole course makes people feel closer to the goal than a lesson a week does.

However, what I've experienced is simply this: If the course moves too slow for them, they probably need the next level or a more advanced course OR...

... they are learning but not implementing.

It's rare that I've seen anyone move faster than the course allows who actually makes any faster progress than others.

Kinda like baking a cake, you know? You can turn the oven up and try cooking the cake faster but somehow, it just never quite comes out right.

One of the great advantages of using the Fixed Term or "Drip Feed" model, like the old correspondence courses used to do, is your ability to keep control of the refunds, like stated above.

Especially in certain markets...

I did traditional membership sites for years - pretty steady 2-3 month attrition rates and, for many of my clients who tried the traditional model, much higher refund rates. I didn't get many refunds... though, I focus very, very hard on overdelivering value and being the person folks want to reach out to...

Big difference being the hunted rather than the hunter - that kind of positioning keeps people thrilled to just own your products if you do it correctly.

Here's something else to consider:

Weekly communication - reminding clients and customers that a new lesson is ready - plus, using the right kind of zeigarnik's in each lesson you deliver (like, a cliff hanger letting member's know what is coming next!) keeps your members engaged.

Many of the "get it and go" programs just end up collecting virtual dust and once they have the program - how do you justify the weekly communication if you aren't really sure how fast or slow they are progressing?

I love the FTM model... it's a linear approach to teaching and learning and you know what? It works.

Thinking in terms of what is best as a teacher for your students or clients - not just about making money (although, that too of course!), I still see the FTM model as superior.

No leaches doing the grab and go - get refund for more than a lesson or four (one months worth).

No downloading everything then stopping the monthly continuity - which, is a huge part of why you put courses together in the first place, right? To get the residual income streams coming in?

Huge opportunity for regular communication and top of mind consiousness with your target market.

And... don't forget the convenience of not having to have the entire course completed, all 52 lessons, bonus lessons, gifts, tools, checklists, cheat sheets, etc. before you launch as well.

For many newer marketers, that last one is the real deal killer.

Finally, in my opinion, if you are offering something your market wants and that they can't find anywhere else... and what you have is very, very good - you won't get people asking for more faster - you'll get a tribe simply asking you for more.

If you did decide to offer both, could you not explain all of the extra benefits that customers will get for the 12 week course (webinars, one-to-one help etc) and explain that this will not be available for one time download customers? If there were a lot more value involved with the membership course I know which one I would go for.

The way I do it ... $19 a month gives them access to everything on the site. There's so much information there, that it would literally take months to go through it all.

BTW, people are telling you how they want the info. I would listen.

I too have gone through and used Jimmy D. Brown's Fixed Term Membership course Membernaire and Russell Brunson's Micro Continuity course. One of the things I picked up from Jimmy that really works well, is the time released bonuses if you stick with the course for x amount of months. The beauty of this is people stick past the refund period to get the first bonus, then they stick around longer to get the second bonus a few months later , then the third bonus , and finally a big bonus at the end. This is a powerful way to lower refunds and attrition. I think if you decide to release all the content up front you have to jack up the price and still offer a time release bonus after the refund period is over. Or you could always offer an option for half the course up front and the other half after the refund period. (and of course sell it at a higher rate) or last but not least, if they want it all up front, make them agree to waive the refund period. Ofcourse you can't do that if you are selling it on clickbank or something like that. Good luck, and good question.