A client was recently tasked with trying to figure out how much time prospective members would have in their upcoming community.
This is a fool’s errand. It’s like asking how much time people have to learn a new skill during work hours.
The answer will always be ‘not much’.
No-one has an empty slot in their calendar to watch paint dry.
But neither are most of us running non-stop from back to back meetings all day, every day.
Like most things, it’s a question of priorities and persuasion. You have to answer the main questions.
- Is the community aligned to an immediate, major, priority in your member’s lives?
- Is the community the best method for members to achieve that priority or satiate that goal?
- Do people know you, trust you, and believe you can deliver on the community’s promise (this is the persuasion bit).
It’s never a question of time. It’s always a question of priority and persuasion.