As a Member Success Manager (MSM), it’s easy to fall into the trap of just going through the motions with your Members.
You have a list of tasks to complete, metrics to track, and goals to achieve.
But what if I told you that being curious could transform your relationship with your Members and position you as a trusted advisor and strategic partner?
Let’s dig in.
Curiosity and Engagement
Curiosity is a powerful tool in Member Success because it allows you to engage with your Members in a deep, meaningful way.
When you’re genuinely curious about your Members and their business, it shows that you care and that you’re invested in their success.
This level of engagement can help you build rapport quickly and establish a foundation of trust.
Uncovering Pain Points
Curiosity can also help you uncover pain points that your Members may not even be aware of.
By asking questions and digging deeper, you can identify areas where your product or service may be falling short and work to address those issues before they become bigger problems.
This proactive approach can save your Members time, money, and frustration, and can position you as a valuable partner in their business.
Unlocking Opportunities
In addition to uncovering pain points, and something that positions you as more valuable in the Members’ mind, curiosity can also help you unlock new opportunities for your Members.
By asking questions about their business goals (objective + time frame), you can identify areas where your product or service can help them achieve those goals.
This can lead to upsell opportunities, increased adoption, and advocacy.
This is where having a Well-organized (and actively used and updated) Database Management (person or Team) that can dig into your AMS where as much of your members’ data can be available for mining; creating visual charts showing their activity in- and out- of your tools and resources, and other targets (like what their main Desired Outcomes are– yes they can have MORE than one) and where they are on their path to reaching Member Success by way of their Appropriate Experience, surpassing each Success Milestone that you’ve set for them to help them succeed.
Curiosity as a Competitive Advantage
In today’s competitive landscape and market conditions, curiosity can be a powerful differentiator.
By being genuinely interested in your Members and their business, you can stand out from competitors who may be more focused on closing deals than building relationships.
This can help you retain and grow Members over the long term.
How 5 Minutes Changes Everything
So how do you make curiosity a habit in your practice as an MSM, taking into consideration your limited “extra” time for having deeper conversations?
Free-up 5-mins on a call by having the Member review a report that youve created with fata about them on their own, with the intent to discuss their current hurdles, or ones you may see them approaching (by having analyzed their data in you AMS) on the call.
Now, use that “extra” 5 mins to ask open-ended questions that encourage your Members to share their thoughts and experiences so you can listen actively and follow up with additional questions to dig deeper.
Don’t be afraid to ask “why” or “how” to get to the root of an issue or opportunity.
This also helps ensure the call is there to move them forward instead of looking back and is a way to generally make engagements more productive and add some level of “scale” to the value of their membership with your organization.
ABC – Always Be Curious
Curiosity is a powerful tool in Member Success Management that can help you engage with your Members in a deep, meaningful way, uncover pain points, unlock new opportunities, and position yourself as a trusted advisor and strategic partner.
By making curiosity a habit in your daily practice, you can transform your relationships with your Members and differentiate yourself in a competitive landscape.
So next time you’re working with a Member, remember to be curious – it just might be the key to unlocking their full potential.
Memberships Matter! 