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.
Offered or Recommended?
The first factor is whether the activation is offered (it’s easy to say you offer all new members an activation) or recommended, promoted, and delivered. Putting it very simply, members who have activations stay longer. “In fact, data from XplorGym shows that members who attend an activation appointment stay, on average, four months longer than those who don’t.”
And this is one of the best ways of plugging it... “Join today, have an activation, and you’ll stay longer, get quicker results, etc.” More on this in the next article… Speedy Onboarding!
Two Excuses
There are two main reasons that are given for not actually
hitting 100% of new members having an activation. Some members are not joining
the club to go to the gym – they’re class users, or swimmers. And secondly, a proportion
of ‘new’ members have experience – they’ve been a member before, either with
you or somewhere else.
Let’s look at the ingredients of a good activation, and then come back to how we handle these excuses…
The Activation
The headline for a great activation is a first interaction that not only brings the member in for that first visit (especially if they joined online), but also inspires them to return again and again.
An activation should no longer be a gym tour, programme, or
just about the gym. Updated gym equipment is not a reason to have an activation,
and it’s no longer about health and safety (it never really was).
The appointment will engage the new member in a chat about
their goals, or reasons for joining, and hopefully delve a little deeper into
those motivations.
As well as listening to the member expand on their motives,
it’s good to get some measurements – recommend (or promote) a body composition analysis,
and ensure the member is aware of all the services (booking through the club app).
Finally, check if or when they would like to book a follow-up and diarise it.
Critical Activation Tasks
·
Chat about goals, motivation, listen to member
·
Body composition or other measurement (starting
position)
·
Other services, app, book next appointment
There may be other key tasks specific to your club, but 3 or 4 standard points should accompany every activation, for every new member.
Activation or Quickstart?
You can see from the above suggestions that an activation
might not need to take 30 minutes every time. New members who are brand new to
exercise will need longer, but it’s possible to complete the basics in 5 or 10
minutes. This could still be called an activation, but many clubs re-label this
as something else, like a QuickStart appointment. From a reporting point of
view, let’s get all new members to have some kind of activation, whether it’s a
full activation, or a QuickStart.
Activations for Swimmers and Class Members
So why shouldn’t non-gym users have an activation? If you believe
in the value of the appointment, then either they’re missing out or you’re
underselling their membership. A body composition measurement is a particularly
useful hook for both groups, and if you can persuade them to book a follow-up every
month, or every quarter, it’s a great interaction touch point to maintain or
update their motivation.
It could only take 5 or 10 minutes, but from a retention perspective, they’ll stay longer. And from a sales perspective, you get to ask them for a referral or upsell a HealthCheck (which will both also help them to stay longer).
Activations for Ex-members
Another classic excuse is that a large proportion of our
joiners have been members before. But can you prove that they had an induction before?
Looking at it from another, slightly more negative angle,
they have experience of cancelling or failing already (at least once). You
could argue that ex-members need onboarding even more than brand new members!
It could be that they are claiming that they have experience
in order to bypass the activation. In which case, you need to persuade them
that the appointment has value, doesn’t have to take long, and that most
members enjoy it, and stay longer as a result.
Don’t forget that 55% of gym members don’t know what they’re doing (Nuffield Health 2018)
Follow-up and Feedback
It’s been covered in other articles here, but asking for
feedback and sharing it with staff and other members is key too. Members who
score their activation appointments typically give 9/10 or higher, with some
great comments. You’ll get higher Net Promoter Scores, and happier, more engaged
members.
“I wasn’t sure I needed an activation, but it really
helped me focus on my goals and understand why I was really joining. I ended up
trying out two new classes and booked my first follow-up there and then.” – New
member, April 2025
Sell Activations Rather Than Offering Them
While members who attend group exercise classes and swimmers
generally stay longer and are low risk, you will nearly always increase length of
stay by persuading them to have an activation. And you might even increase
sales too.
Ex-members are a different case, they’re generally higher
than average risk, and often harder to sell to. But get them to have an appointment,
and you’ll slow or stop the churn, and reap the rewards.
A simple, standardised activation appointment, with three minimum talking points should be sold to everyone, not just offered. If new members can choose between a standard or quick activation, it softens the ‘mandatory’, but gives them options. But no activation at all should not be an option, if you want to boost your retention.
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