9 reasons people you know aren’t joining The Skiff (or buying from your business)
I’ve been working on a new website for The Skiff.
Sharing a draft version is really helping to sharpen it up. Within a few minutes of dropping the link in The Skiff’s Slack I had useful content, design and technical SEO suggestions. I’m confident it will be The Skiff’s best website ever.
But a new website will not result in a flood of new members joining.
It’s easy to blame our current website for fewer signups than we’d like.
It looks old. It’s slow. It doesn’t say what members currently say about The Skiff. It doesn’t cover the things people want most. It doesn’t highlight the things that make it different. Other Coworking spaces have websites that are better in many ways.
All those things may be true in the context of your website too.
In my experience, the website is usually 10% of the problem at most.
So what is the other 90% of the problem? What is stopping more people from subscribing to your SaaS or hiring you as a consultant? I suspect it’s similar to the reasons 5 people are joining The Skiff each month rather than 10 people.
Here are 9 reasons people you know aren’t joining The Skiff:
1. They don’t know of anyone who’s paid for Coworking
Maybe they completely forgot that you or your mutual friend has been a member of a Coworking space for years. Maybe you never had the opportunity to tell them.
If you are an early adopter you are very much in the minority, most people are not willing to be among the first they know to invest in something.
2. They don’t know they need Coworking
Maybe it never crossed their mind that they could do their work in a coworking space. Maybe they never thought about why some people choose to work from a coworking space.
Few people spontaneously realise that things might exist in the world that could make their lives better — you might just be good at coming up with ideas.
3. They had a bad Coworking experience
Maybe they tried coworking and nobody other than the staff spoke to them. Maybe they tried coworking and all the people they spoke to tried to sell something to them. Maybe they tried coworking and couldn’t get any work done.
When you do something new for the first time and it doesn’t go well it’s extremely difficult to get excited about trying again.
4. They don’t know The Skiff exists
Maybe someone told them about other coworking spaces first. Maybe it was never mentioned in any of the places they hang out online.
It’s impossible for someone to buy something they don’t know to look for. Only 12 of your active social media followers saw your post about it last week.
5. They don’t know how The Skiff is different
Maybe they think all coworking spaces are the same. Maybe they don’t believe it’s possible for coworking spaces to be different. Maybe they don’t think it’s ever worth an extra 5-minute walk to go to a different coworking space.
You might not walk past a Tesco express to get to a Sainsbury’s but some would walk past both to get to a Waitrose. Why is that?
6. They don’t want to need The Skiff
Maybe they’re too embarrassed to admit they don’t like working from home all the time. Maybe they (or their employer) just spent loads on a Mac Studio and a garden office. Maybe they’re locked into membership at another coworking space.
They have no idea that you can be quite comfortable working from The Skiff one day a week at the same time as having/doing those things.
7. They don’t need The Skiff today
Maybe they’re feeling comfortable where they are working this month. Maybe they’re feeling productive in where they are working this week.
Was there something that was a trigger for you changing the way you work?
8. They can’t make a decision today.
Maybe they need to focus on solving an urgent problem that The Skiff can’t help them with. Maybe they’ve already made enough work and life decisions for this year. Maybe they don’t have the budget they need for another month.
When was the last time you purchased something that cost £50+ per month? How long did it take you between deciding you wanted it and actually making the purchase?
9. They forgot The Skiff exists.
Maybe they almost joined just before the pandemic and have since completely forgotten about it. Maybe you told them about it once over a pint and the memory didn’t last until the next day.
Do you ever find yourself stumbling upon a product or service that you first found out about years ago but since forgot?
How might those 9 reasons translate into reasons why people I know are not buying from your business?
Yes I’m making a few assumptions here. They’ll only translate well if:
Your customers are, like The Skiff’s members, businesses or buying for work. They rarely buy your product or service spontaneously. When they do subscribe they often stick with you for years at a time.
It’s not an exhaustive list but hopefully, it demonstrates why your website might not be the problem.
Here are two ways you can help battle those reasons both for your business and The Skiff:
1. Invite someone you know to join you at The Skiff for a day
I promise you’ll both have a great day. And there will also be a few more people in the world who are aware of you and your business. Skiffmates love learning about what visitors and new members are up to. (They’ll ask you, you won’t have to pitch them!)
We have spaces for two people to trial each work day in March. But you are of course most welcome to come by yourself.
Book your trial day (<23 spots left!)
You could make a post like the following on social media or in a direct message:
It’s time I mixed up my work week a little.
Fancy joining me for a free trial day at The Skiff? It’s Brighton’s oldest dedicated coworking space. I hear it’s quite different from the newer ones.
2. Next week SussexFounders will be taking another walk on the Downs
There’s nothing like getting to know people and their businesses while in the great outdoors.
This is the third walk Simon (founder of Create.net) and I have organised in the last year. After two years of virtual meetups, it’s been wonderful. Come and get a new perspective on business and Brighton as we take to the hills on the morning of Thursday 17th March.
We’ll get to find out what you’re working on and you’ll get to meet the founder of Brighton’s most recent 1,000 subscriber strong software business. (They told me they reached this milestone this morning 🎉)
If you’d like all the details please sign up here: Join SussexFounders walks
