It’s difficult to determine exactly why someone doesn’t join your mastermind group without correct information. As a facilitator, you can jump to conclusions about why a person doesn’t join your group. Then you make changes based on those assumptions, without considering whether our assumptions are true — or if there could possibly be another reason you hadn’t been aware of.

Over the years, I’ve discovered that it’s likely one of these four reasons:

1. Design flaw

People might not join your mastermind group because your program isn’t perceived as a good fit for them. When they look at your marketing materials, it doesn’t match their needs:

• The purpose of the mastermind group isn’t appropriate for them
• They don’t fit into the peer group you’re marketing to (or they can’t figure out from your marketing materials if they fit)
• The audience for the mastermind group is either too beginner or too advanced for where they are today
• The dates and times don’t work
• The group doesn’t meet often enough or meets too often
• The location isn’t convenient (especially true today when more people are looking for virtual meetings because of Covid concerns)
• There is too much of a time/energy/focus commitment needed for the result they want (for instance, the mastermind group includes daily training videos and the person doesn’t want to watch a training video each day — it’s too much work/time)

All of these problems can be fixed by crafting your sales page or brochure so you are crystal-clear about these details. However, if the problem is that they’re not the right audience or they don’t think they’ll be working with peers, then you need to rethink the design of your group.

2. Pricing flaw

For some people, the cost of a mastermind group doesn’t work for them. There are many reasons why this is true, and it’s not just about your group being “too expensive” for them. Often I’ll see facilitators assume their mastermind group fee is too high and lower it, only to find that it makes no difference in the number of new members they get.

Anytime you purchase something, you compare the price you pay to the value you receive. That value can be practical results you expect and emotional value as well. Some people will happily pay $300 for a sweater while others expect to pay$60.

• What is the value of your mastermind group membership?
• What will they receive for the money they’ll pay?
• It is worth it to them?

By getting clear on the value of your mastermind group, you can price accordingly.

Want to learn how to start a mastermind group? Click here to get my free video tutorial on how to create a mastermind group of your own.

3. Sales process flaw

During the sales process, when you’re inviting an individual to be part of your group, mistakes happen. The act of “selling” is simply having a conversation with a potential member to discover what they want/need, then determining if your mastermind group will help them get the results they seek.

Many facilitators are uncomfortable having sales conversations — they don’t want to appear “pushy.” But inviting a prospective member to join your group is not the same thing as manipulating them to say yes, so erase those fears if this sounds like you.

• Do you have a standard script for your sales conversation?
• Do you have a way to know if they’re a good fit for your group?
• Are you confident about having these types of conversations and handling any concerns or questions they may have?

4. Buying cycle flaw

Not everyone is ready to become a mastermind group member. It doesn’t mean they’ll never become a member — it only means that now isn’t the right time for them. There are several phases that a person goes through from being a “prospect” to becoming a member.

Sadly, I often see facilitators act as if every person they meet should be a hot prospect ready to jump into a mastermind group. They meet a new person and immediately offer them a seat in the mastermind group, without building trust and rapport first. When you are selling services (whether it’s mastermind groups or coaching or consulting), it’s a personal experience for the buyer. They want to feel confident that you are the right person to work with. They are in the early phases of the buying cycle and not ready to make a decision yet.

Or, they love your mastermind group, but they have other commitments right now. They’d like to join later.

• How will you know which phase of the buying cycle they are in, so you use the correct marketing/sales technique at the right time?
• What are you doing to establish a relationship with your prospects before offering them your mastermind group?
• How will you follow up with prospects who have expressed interest but aren’t ready to join yet?

Now you have some strategic ways to look at your mastermind group design, pricing, marketing and sales, and determine why prospects aren’t buying. Once you fix these problems, it will be much easier to fill your groups!

Related blog posts:

• Why Do Prospective Members Say No?
• 7 Guidelines to Finally Unravel Your Pricing Problems

Want to learn how to start a mastermind group? Click here to get my free video tutorial on how to create a mastermind group of your own.