It’s that time of year on our subscription campaigns – renewals. Sales are rolling in, everyone is happy - from the callers and the campaign manager to Paradigm’s executive team and of course, our clients. Renewals are powerful; they make the call centre an even more positive place, they are a compelling motivator, a brilliant incentive to leverage increased acquisition sales, a satisfying reward for callers who work hard to convert new subscribers the rest of the year. Now, as we bask in the exhilarating glow of the annual renewal phase, I always like to reflect on how we got to this place – having a healthy segment of committed subscribers who renew year after year, I mean.
Having a hard time finding that committed subscriber? Let’s take a closer look at how we try to attract them. I have to say; one of my biggest pet peeves is the phrase, “Subscribe to only 4 shows for as little as….” Everyone markets this way – with smaller packages, flexible packages and special offers - because patrons in general seem increasingly busy. It is a fact that on all of Paradigm’s campaigns, the number one reason for “no” is “can’t plan that far ahead.” I don’t argue that people are busy – I argue that our approach to solving this problem needs a change of perspective. After all, if we want to attract a committed subscriber, why are we doing our best to market to them in a way that encourages less commitment? Instead of starting conversations with, “Subscribe to only 4 shows for as little as…” we need to show the patron that even though they are busy, our performances are worth making time for, worth making the commitment – and they are, aren’t they?
Paradigm has recently renewed our commitment to consistently presenting each patron we speak to, regardless of how many productions they have attended in the past, with the largest package available for sale. The results speak for themselves. On our test campaign, which features a 10 concert package as the largest series for sale, we have increased our acquisition subscription average by 40% or $79 per subscription. We are only halfway through the campaign, and we have sold only 4 fewer seats to our 10 concert series than were sold during the entire campaign the previous year. We are on track to far exceed our sales success this year compared to last. And most importantly, we are creating more likely renewable subscribers for our client for next year.
Let’s imagine we are trying to promote a 10 play season for Theatre ABC. Tell people why they want, no – why they need - to see all 10 plays at Theatre ABC this season. The first person you need to convince is yourself – so take some time and ask yourself, why would I attend all ten productions? Make a list, and communicate these reasons to your patrons.
No matter how many reasons you come up with for people to attend all 10 productions at Theatre ABC, reason number 1 on your list must be the productions themselves.
Really want to build value for attending all 10 productions? Go beyond just discussing the academics of the productions – that is valuable, but painting a vivid picture of what the entire experience of attending the live productions will be like further enhances the value for the productions. Let’s face it, people may not remember the details of a specific performance, but they do remember whether they enjoyed the experience.
Just like the kid on the roller coaster, once subscribers attend and see how much they enjoy the productions and the entire experience of attending live productions, they’ll want to go again and again. The more regularly they attend, the more likely it is that they will continue to attend year after year.
One thing all of Paradigm’s clients have in common is that their best renewal rates occur for their largest subscription packages; and having a successful renewal rate starts with how you sell the product to new subscribers – change the patron’s perspective. Subscribing to 10 productions at Theatre ABC isn’t a commitment like going to the dentist, or having your car serviced, it’s pure enjoyment – something everyone needs a little more of in life.
