Pop quiz time: Which option, A or B, is the cheaper way to go for your business?
- Gaining one member?
- Retaining one member?
Do you know the answer? It’s okay, I’ll wait…
Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? … Okay, I’ll tell you.
The answer is most certainly B. Why? Because it costs abundantly more to find and convince a new member to join than to keep your current members engaged. Of course, keeping members up to the task is easier said than done. It can even feel downright impossible at times. So, here are a few ways we’ve found to keep member engagement as robust as your workout routines.
Know Why Your Member Joined And Follow Through
When onboarding a new member to your Fitness Studio, one simple way to download a lot of information about them in a short amount of time is by having them fill out a survey. Ask them questions pertaining to their fitness goals, why they want to join a gym – why they want to join your gym, and also if you can fit it onto the page: ask about some personal details like their birthday while you’re at it (more on that later).
But don’t just talk with your new members. Conduct a survey with your current members as well, once or twice a year. This will help you to better understand what you might need to do to keep them engaged. After all, people change and so do their goals.
Ask them:
- What are three things that our gym should continue doing?
- What are three things that our gym should never do again?
- What benefits do you take the most advantage of? (check all that apply)
- Would you recommend our gym to friends and family? (1- nope, never! 10- absofrigginlutely!)
- Why did you give that rating in question 4?
Collecting this information from new and current members will ensure you’re on the right track in engaging and retaining your members for the long haul.
Reminders Are Always Useful No Matter Who You Are
A common misstep made by many businesses, not just Fitness Studios, is that they hardly put enough importance into onboarding and many members are then unfortunately left unaware of the benefits their membership has to offer.
How many of your members might be in the same situation? Considering jumping ship simply because they feel they’re not receiving the results/benefits they crave with the hard earned dough they’re spending?
A simple email or mention in your newsletter with a list of all benefits can easily solve this problem. Or, if you’re starved for content, create a drip email campaign that slowly highlights all of your studios’ benefits over the course of a month or two. This is an easy way to potentially reel in the members that have jumped overboard as well as appeal to potential new ones.
Figure Out Who Isn’t Coming In And Reach Out To Them
If you don’t know which of your members aren’t engaging with you, there’s nothing you can do to win them back before they end up jumping ship (and probably telling everyone they know to stay clear of you in the process).
Your member database should be organized in a way that allows you to easily identify who these people are. Once armed with that powerful data you can send them out emails letting them know how much you miss seeing their shining faces in the studio. Messages like this are proven to work. Everyone in the world values feeling valued. Fitness Studios and other businesses as a whole that are successful at member retention have a plan in place to send these emails out to unengaged members on a regular basis.
Make them feel valued. Give them a special offer like 10% off their next membership fee, or a free training session. Let them know it’s not about the money – it’s about helping them reach their goals. Which is why they signed up with you in the first place.
If Your Members Are Leaving; Know Why
For a lot of industries when an employee leaves a company their boss or an HR representative will sit down with them and conduct an “exit interview.” The reason is very simple: to collect information on how the company can improve its management to reduce future staff turnover.vIn the same vein, an “exit interview” for every that jumps ship will undoubtedly give you insight on some well needed changes that your Fitness Studio may need to make.
Every time a member leaves your ranks ask them to take fifteen minutes to speak with you on the phone about their experiences with your gym. Sure, some might turn you down, but I’d be willing to bet half of them won’t. Remember, people value feeling valued. Listen to what they have to say and really take it into consideration. Then, make a plan to change how your gym operates, if necessary, to prevent more members from jumping ship in the future.
Be Personal
You can’t expect your members to engage if you’re not going to engage with them. Whether it be a fitness studio, non profit, local coffee shop, or so on – everything boils down to a personal relationship. Whether it’s a new or current member at your gym, a donor to a non profit or just a guy looking to get a cup of coffee they’re going to have to end up talking to someone in order to get whatever it is that they want.
Get to know them on a basic level. Understand the likes and dislikes of your members. Remember their birthdays and special events in their lives. Communicate with them as often (without seeming too pushy) as you can, or that makes sense for your daily schedule. New members love this sort of attention and so will unengaged ones. Give them a phone call, or at the absolute least a personalized email or text message. That small gesture (which in reality doesn’t take much time at all for you to perform) could be the divider between retaining your members and losing them forever.
Make a commitment to reach out to at least five unengaged or even inactive members every single week. Put it in your calendar and set a time and date aside that you know you won’t miss. Give it a try – might even find that you like it.
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