480. Keep Them Coming Back!

Rob Skrob

In his early twenties, life as a CPA offered job security, but Rob quickly saw it was not for him. Still, he had to support himself, so he took a job as a bookkeeper. Little did he imagine that this job would open up a whole new world that he didn’t even know existed.

For more than two decades Robert Skrob has helped hundreds of membership programs launch and grow from start-up to some of the largest membership and subscription companies in the world. After beginning his career as the leading membership growth expert for non-profits and political organizations, Robert pioneered monthly continuity subscriptions with for-profit membership and subscription. His profound understanding of what members want from their membership relationships enables him to help you build connections with members that last for years. He is also the author of five books on marketing published by Entrepreneur Press.

How Did You Start Using Your Talents?

After trying out a job as a CPA for a couple of months, Rob quickly decided accounting was not for him. He took a job as a bookkeeper for a company that worked with membership associations. His connection with a man named Bob Harris, the company’s founder and owner, helped him totally change his outlook. “As a twenty-year-old, my insight ended at the end of my nose. I was primarily focused on me and what I wanted. Bob helped me see things from the other person’s perspective, the client’s perspective and the client’s members’ perspective. That’s one of the things that still helps me today.”

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

Eventually Rob bought the company created by Bob Harris. Looking for ways to grow, he discovered that the Pareto Principle—that 20 percent of your customers account for 80 percent of your revenue—was true for his company. He dropped all clients but his crucial 20 percent. Then, he focused on scaling up, multiplying the impact of his work. That’s when he discovered the emergence of the Subscription Economy, a growing consumer preference for monthly subscriptions instead of large, one-time purchases. “We were on the cusp of that transformation, where folks wanted to pay monthly. In fact, offers that had a monthly payment plan began to outperform those that had an annual subscription. Recent studies report that sales of subscription-based companies are growing at a rate 12 times the pace of the sales of companies on the S&P 500.”

The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?

“Focus on who you’re going to serve and what you can do to help solve their problems, and put the critics out of your mind. Folks are going to say what they are going to say. You can’t control them, so there’s no reason even to listen or bother with them. Put out your art and focus on the ones you are trying to serve, because they are going to be there.”