Joe OviedoIn the first week of November, on a call about what to do after a pilot, we compared a few ways to sell the next version. One was to open a membership. Another was to offer a short program first and make membership a way to continue.
On paper, the membership was appealing: recurring revenue and a place where the team could keep helping people. But when we thought about the first purchase, a simpler question came up: what will someone actually do when they join?
We agreed to work on a program followed by a membership. We didn't have sales results for that model yet. What we did have was a useful distinction: the reason someone joins can be different from the reason they stay.
What someone buys the first time
Imagine you help independent professionals get their finances in order. A membership could offer Q&A sessions, a resource library, and a community. That sounds good. But someone trying to work out what to charge this month might not know if they want to join a community. They do know they're tired of guessing at prices.
A focused program can speak to that moment: “Bring your costs and leave with a price you can explain.” Now you have a starting point for designing it. What should someone bring? Which decisions will they make? What can they expect when they're done? If you need twelve modules to make the promise sound appealing, you might need to get clearer about whom it's for.
Membership could make sense afterward. Once someone has set a price, they might want to review how they quote new projects, discuss exceptions, or adjust their numbers as the business changes. Now there's a concrete reason to come back.
What I'd look for before charging monthly
After a pilot, I'm interested in what people ask for when they finish. If several return with new problems we can work through together, that's a reason to test a recurring offer. If most are asking about something the program should already have resolved, I'd improve the program before charging for a follow-up.
I'd also look at the work the team has to do. A monthly group session and a place for follow-up might be sustainable. A subscription that only feels useful if someone reviews every case privately each week is a different business. The price and the team's capacity need to fit what we actually promise.
I wouldn't always start with a program. Some needs recur from day one, and membership may be the right first offer. What I took away from that call was a way to test either idea: if the program has done its job, why would someone come back next month?
If I can answer with something more concrete than “there'll be new content,” I have a hypothesis worth testing.
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