How can we be more efficient and offer a standard service when onboarding new members? And how can we deliver more? The standard industry term is still induction, but many clubs are changing to ‘activation’, ‘welcome appointment’, ‘step 1’, ‘getting started’, etc. If we’re shifting mindsets, let’s use new terminology.
“All of our members have an induction” is often the response when we ask about retention strategies, particularly onboarding.
Club operators and owners believe that they really are doing their best to ensure all new members have the maximum chance of sticking around.
But when we dig under the bonnet, either through further discussion, or analysis of club data, it often transpires that fewer than half of new members actually attend some kind of onboarding appointment.
We’ve looked at this issue many times, with many clubs; from
leisure trusts and councils, private clubs and independent gyms, even low-cost,
low-staff gyms, where inductions really aren’t popular at all.
