In this day and age you can’t deny that we live in a world that has been completely taken over by technology. Now, that doesn’t mean we’re living in an Isaac Asimov novel – robots aren’t taking over the world, but with each passing day we become more and more dependent on the technology that guides us through our daily lives. We never leave the house without our phones, we use GPS to guide us long distances and applications like Facebook, Twitter & Instagram to keep us connected all around the world.
That being said, even though we live in this increasingly digital age running a fitness studio or any business for that matter always boils down to the basics when talking about retention.
Small progressive improvements can take you from a somewhat struggling small business to the tip top of your local marketplace and beyond. The right software and proper implementation of that software are what get you to a point of having a team and business model that can’t be beat. Increasing your average retention rate makes every one of your members that much more valuable to you. This might be a crude example but if you picture each member as a bag filled with $10,000 you’d do just about anything to not misplace that bag.
Hold Onto Your Customers – Especially Your First Adopters
When starting out in the fitness industry you were probably elated beyond belief when people began signing on. You knew all of the hard work you put into creating this business from the ground up was finally going to be worth it.
The ones who joined first: your early adopters, were most likely members of your community. They don’t live very far away from your studio and were most likely drawn into your business by a healthy first impression. A likely reason you began to gain more afterwards is because they reached out to their friends and other local contacts and showered your gym with praise.
Here’s why you need to retain the kind of member that shares the value of your fitness studio: When they are happy with your services, they’ll stay with you for as long as they can afford it and more importantly they’ll tell more people along the way of their fitness journey.
If you take the effort to make your early adopters brand ambassadors they’ll be indispensable to you; as long as they’re with you, they’re with you; never underestimate the value of that!
Retention Means Reaching Out
People love to talk. Even the most secluded and introverted of individuals on some basic level enjoy communication. We can’t help it. As people we are social creatures, it’s in our DNA to be around others and vibe off of their energy.
A key metric to successful retention is proper, consistent communication. Implement a schedule that is easy for yourself and the rest of your staff to follow, and this might sound a bit redundant but: follow it. Consistent, personal communication lets your members know you care about them not just because they help you keep the lights on – but because you actually care about their health, wellbeing and fitness goals.
Perform occasional testimonials via email or over the phone with your members. Ask them what you can do better and really listen to their answers. When you’re through, follow through on their requests. Make the changes that are necessary for your business to keep it moving in the right direction. The more you listen to your customers and they see and feel that you actually care about what they have to say the longer you’ll keep them.
Retention Extends Past Your Members
When you first started your fitness studio you probably did everything yourself. Pulling yourself up from your bootstraps and taking initiative. As your business began to grow you realized you needed a staff to help carry the weight. You probably had one or two confidants that – just like those few first customers that took the plunge, joined your gym early and hopefully stayed with you for the long haul.
As expensive as it is to onboard a new member, the cost of bringing in a new employee can be twice as much. Fortunately for you, the methods of retaining successful members in your gym extends toward your employees as well. If they feel valued, heard and loved they’ll stay with you on your mission to greatness.
A Tool To Put You Ahead Of Your Competitors
It’s a somewhat scary thought but just about everywhere your members could walk around the corner or take a ride downtown and easily find a new gym for them to get relatively the same experience. Keep in mind though, your competitors face that same challenge in their business as well.
If you can do a better job than your competitors at keeping your members (and employees) happy they just might stick with you a little longer than theirs. Increasing your overall retention rate is one way that will keep you in business while your competitor’s location is being remodeled as a hair salon or McDonald’s.
Naamly, the gym member experience software, is a suite of tools that include all of the elements that you need to keep on top of your gym. It seamlessly keeps track of your member experience by alerting you on the last times you reached out to your members. The smart messaging feature lets you know what messages require an immediate response versus those that do not. We offer these features plus so much more that are member focused. This enables you to keep your members and staff engaged for the long haul.
Free download
Want more ways to grow your gym?
Get the Fitness Business Boost Bundle: a checklist, a cheatsheet and a guide from the team behind Naamly.
