Robbie Kellman Baxter's Blog

Don’t think about networking as a series of transactional moments—collecting business cards at events, sending the occasional LinkedIn message, scheduling coffees to “pick someone’s brain.” If the last twenty years of studying and advising subscription and membership businesses have taught me anything, it’s this: Transactional relationships are fragile. But relationships endure in the Membership Economy. […]

The post Build a Professional Network Through the Lens of the Membership Economy first appeared on Robbie Kellman Baxter.

And for that, you need a “membership mindset” . What’s that? It’s a commitment to treating every customer like they live next door , and will be knocking on your door every time they get frustrated or confused by your subscription. Members belong and feel comfortable pushing back. They’re also loyal. So instead of blindly hunting […]

The post Are You Chasing Subscribers Instead of Building Members? first appeared on Robbie Kellman Baxter.

If the automotive industry truly joined the membership economy, it could reshape not only mobility, but also the built environment, safety outcomes, and how we spend our time,  It could potentially even unlock latent value in underutilized assets. What if instead of owning cars, we simply subscribed to mobility? Vehicles would be in service instead […]

The post Automotive Subscriptions of the Future first appeared on Robbie Kellman Baxter.

The more complex your pricing model, the longer the initial sale will take. When it comes to pricing your AI products, make it easy for your buyer to buy. It could be usage-based or subscription-based, or both: a minimum monthly cost with usage-based on top of that. Maybe there’s a setup charge, or a per-seat […]

The post The Secret to AI Pricing? first appeared on Robbie Kellman Baxter.

There is so much pressure to “have an AI strategy” among the subscription  businesses I work with. But I think that’s the wrong way to look at it. Here’s how I’ve been advising subscription businesses to think about AI: 1. Start with Business Goals Organizations need to start with business goals, not technology. Don’t implement […]

The post Practical Tips (and Examples) for Incorporating AI into Your Subscription Tech Stack first appeared on Robbie Kellman Baxter.

Before: I used to help companies sell more stuff. Back then, success was about optimizing funnels, tweaking features, and pushing transactions. After: Now, I help companies build “forever promises.” Because a true subscription business isn’t about the product—it’s about trust. Here’s how that shift happened. About 15 years ago, a client brought me in to […]

The post Selling Stuff Is Easy. Earning Trust Is Everything. first appeared on Robbie Kellman Baxter.

Your ability to handle rejection says more about you than success ever will. That’s not just true in sales. It’s true in your career and in your life. Let’s look at the numbers: • 40% of Americans have been laid off or terminated at least once. 4 • The average job seeker goes through 27 […]

The post What Rejection Says About You (and Why It Matters) first appeared on Robbie Kellman Baxter.

The average American consumer has 3.6 streaming subscriptions. But how much content can one household watch? Especially as Netflix and others begin to crack down on password sharing even among geographically dispersed families… Our three kids live in 3 different states, and enjoy our streaming services. But increasingly, it is getting difficult for them to […]

The post Subscriptions Are Here to Stay — And So Is Subscription Fatigue first appeared on Robbie Kellman Baxter.

It’s not the best time to sell your subscription business, at least for those of us who are not deep into AI. But if you have plans at some point to take your subscription business to the next level through an acquisition or IPO, now is the time to prepare. Whether you’re aiming to attract […]

The post 10 Steps to Prepare Your Subscription Business for a Successful Exit—Whether Acquisition or IPO first appeared on Robbie Kellman Baxter.

A “membership mindset” is the foundation of growth Before we dive into the seven ways to use AI to build a better subscription-based businesses (SBB), remember, it’s important to start with a “membership mindset.” If you want customers to be loyal, to trust you, and to allow you to charge them on a recurring basis, […]

The post 7 Ways to Use AI to Build a Better Subscription first appeared on Robbie Kellman Baxter.