First things first - listen to your new members!

We know that the first few visits are key to retaining new gym members, and of those visits, the very first visit is the most vital. Whether the member has already joined, or is on a guest pass, their experience and feelings of their first visit will shape the route their journey takes.

There is an abundance of advice and recommendations on how the experience should be, from building rapport to setting goals, exercise programme libraries to recommended minimum visits, and when the next review should be. You’re better off keeping it simple.

If you focus on just one thing on a member’s first visit, it should be to listen to them. If you want 3 things to listen for, try these for size:

• How often do you want to visit?
• What do you want to do? (A little bit of what you fancy?)
• When do you want to review? (you decide?)

Really good instructors always want to engage more with their members. They do this by listening, learning about the member, and not telling them that they need to come at least 3 times a week. They ask what equipment or exercises they’d like to try, or what their friends do. Only when a new member is stuck for ideas will they make a suggestion, and even then, they’ll check that the member is willing to take on that exercise, if it really fits for them.

Scenario 1

Instructor: When would you like to review this programme?
Member: I don’t know, when do you think?
Instructor: In about 6-8 weeks, see you then.

Scenario 2

Instructor: When would you like to review this programme?
Member: I don’t know, when do you think?
Instructor: It’s totally up to you; when would feel appropriate – when do you think you’d maybe like to check your progress?
Member: I really don’t know, you’re the expert, you tell me!
Instructor: Well, based on your experience and the exercises/goals you’ve set, I’d suggest around x weeks/months… what do you think?
Member: That sounds OK
Instructor: OK, so you’ve chosen to have a review in x weeks/months, I’ll make a note and contact you before then to book that in around Day/Month/Year. Does that sound OK?
Member: Great, I look forward to it!