Retention is the holy grail of running a gym, and the process of keeping your members from chasing is as complex as it is difficult. Here are a number of strategies and tips that will help you retain more members and increase your revenue.
It’s the most frustrating question in the fitness industry: once you get members on board, how do you retain them?
After all, increasing your gym’s member retention rate is a surefire way to increase your revenue. According to a study conducted by the Harvard Business Review, acquiring a new customer costs 5 to 25 times more than retaining an existing customer.
our members are properly cared for, motivated, and given the support they need to stay active and motivated.
Making your members feel personally taken care of through excellent customer service is perhaps the number one method of retention.
It’s 2018 and gyms have more first-hand data than ever before. 1st party data means you have information that you collect directly from your members.
The type of 1st party gym membership
You can collect this information from your clients during their registration process to learn more about their goals, fitness experience, and current fitness metrics (weight, body fat, etc.).
However, you can also collect first-hand data through your gym software provider or partner apps.
Through the use of first-party data, you can make every customer feel like a priority in your gym and retain customers longer by developing a personal relationship with them.
We’ll look at how you can use first-party data to provide a more personalized experience for your club members and retain them longer.
For example, if an active member frequently buys a protein shake after each workout, you can whip one up at the front desk when they finish their session.
As customers buy more and more products from the front desk, the system records the most frequently purchased products and lists them accordingly.
It may not seem like much, but in reality, it can make a huge difference in online retail sales and course registrations.
Additionally, you can ask members during their registration process if they would like automated messages sent to them before their regular workouts to motivate them.
Also consider adding direct mail or postcards with an attractive offer to your strategy , as tangible mailings have a longer shelf life. (They are often stuck on the fridge or stored next to the computer for use when the time is right). Before you roll your eyes, know that direct mail has evolved over the years and can be just
You can make these goals part of club challenges , where members compete within the club for extra motivation. As everyone’s results will be visible, you’ll be able to track everyone’s progress.
If they have difficulty, you can contact them to schedule free or paid consultations with your trainers or nutritionists. These can uncover the problem and help them better achieve their goals.
One of the biggest problems some clubs have is overcrowding. Anyone who’s ever been to a gym during peak hours knows how annoying it can be to wait 10-30 minutes to use the squat rack.
You can combine indoor tracking with apps that integrate fitness equipment with a mobile workout tracking app to understand which machines are used the most.
For example, you may find that a large number of leg devices are not used by the majority of your members. Additionally, you may find that all of your treadmills are almost always in use during peak hours.
With this information, you can replace leg exercise machines with treadmills to provide your members with more of the equipment they use.
By optimizing your selection of amenities based on what your members want and use the most, you’ll provide them with a great experience, even during peak hours.
The same can be said of overcrowded classrooms. Being in a gym where you can barely do all the exercises in the class because it’s too full can cause members to leave your gym for less crowded classes elsewhere.
But by limiting the number of members attending classes, you can provide a better experience for your customers.
