The Automatic Customer

Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry

John Warrillow

Publisher: Penguin, 2015, 218 pages

ISBN: 978-0-241-24700-6

Keywords: Business Development

Last modified: Aug. 5, 2021, 1:45 a.m.

The essential blueprint for turning customers into subscribers.

The lifeblood of your business is repeat customers. But customers can be fickle, marklets can shift and competitors are ruthless. So how do you ensure a steady flow of business? The secret — no matter what industry you're in — is finding and keeping automatic customers.

These days virtually anything you need can come through a subscription. Far beyond Spotify and Netflix, companies in nearly any industry, from home contractors to florists, can build subscriptions into their business.

Subscription is the key to increasing cash flow, igniting growth and boosting the value of your company. Whether you want to transform your entire business into a recurring revenue engine or just pick up an extra 5 per cent of sales growth, The Automatic Customer will be your secret weapon.

  • Part One: Subscribers Are Better than Customers
    1. Who Wins In The Subscription Economy?
    2. Why You Need Automatic Customers
  • Part Two: The Nine Subscription Business Models
    1. The Membership Model
    2. TheAll-You-Can-Eat Library Model
    3. The Private Club Model
    4. The Front-Of-The-Line Model
    5. The Consumables Model
    6. The Surprise Box Model
    7. The Simplifier Model
    8. The Network Model
    9. The Peace-Of-Mind Model
  • Part Three: Building Your Subscription Business
    1. The New Math
    2. The Cash Sucks vs. The Cash Spigot
    3. The Psychology of Selling A Subscription
    4. Scaling Up
    5. Reflections