Defining closed-door vs open-door models

In this episode, I get on my soapbox about one of the most persistent myths in the membership world: the idea that scarcity marketing and closed-door enrollment are absolutely necessary to grow a successful membership.

I break down why this notion is misleading, how it can harm your business in the long run, and why good marketing should never rely on manipulative gimmicks.

I share real-world examples, challenge some of the loudest voices in the space, and lay out the facts so you can make the best decision for your membership business.

In this episode:

1. Do you really need scarcity or closed-door enrollment to sell and grow a membership?
2. What are the long-term consequences of relying on scarcity tactics for membership sales?
3. When (if ever) does a closed-door model actually make strategic sense for a membership business?
4. How can you create genuine urgency and attract committed members without resorting to manipulative marketing gimmicks?

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Key Quotes & Takeaways:

"A handful of tacky Internet marketers have been pushing this narrative that you need scarcity to sell a membership and that the closed door model is the one true way."

"Closed door can and does work for numerous memberships, and for many of those memberships it's absolutely the right model, based on their audience needs, based on their business structure, based on the topic they're teaching, and so on."

"The overwhelming majority of successful memberships are open door and they always have been. 12,000 members in membership academy, 60,000 in SBL. Same sort of numbers with Drumeo memberships, like Digital Marketer memberships like Masterclass. These are always open doors. We get sales. We don't have to close the doors to give people a reason to join because our memberships are good enough to give people the reason to join in and of themselves."

"If any part of your marketing relies on being sneaky, relies on not being found out, then you're doing it wrong. If you're misleading your audience into thinking something is scarce and trying to use that scarcity to pressure them into a buying decision that they're not ready for, but then even worse, it turns out that it's all a ruse, it's all bs, then you absolutely suck on every level imaginable."