How successful is your induction process?

And could it be improved??

Here’s a simple measure: - how many members joined last month, and how many of them attended a gym induction? Say 100 joined, and 60 of them had an induction… well done, you have a 60% or 6:10 induction rate.


It could be slightly more complex at your club if inductions are not mandatory, say 100 joined, 50 requested an induction, and 30 turned up… so 50% requested an induction, and 60% of those attended, but only 3:10 new members inducted.

We know that members who have a gym induction stay longer, but it can also be good (for sales) to make them optional... read more on optional inductions here.

Note – for the sake of clarity, we’ll be referring to inductions in this article, but you might want to consider calling your induction a “welcome session”, “getting started” or “first appointment”... read more about this here

So now that we've started to measure the induction rate, how do we increase attendance and therefore improve member retention?  Try these for size:

1. Text/email the day before the appointment to confirm the time and reduce no-shows
2. ‘Sell’ the induction when joining “We want you to stick around here at YourClub, so you should have a welcome session, it’s good for you!”
3. Re-sell it to no-shows, and those who initially turn it down. Explain this at the outset, so they’re clear on the benefits, and will think about it when they receive the message.
4. Offer group inductions, or allow members to ‘bring a friend’ to their induction, particularly referral members.
5. Survey members who have an induction asking what was good, and use this to ‘sell’ the induction.

You could also put a price on the induction – beware of people turning it down and wanting a discount on joining, unless it is a mandatory appointment. Selling something with no value can be hard work, so put a value/price on the session.

Setting up an automated trigger process to sell and re-sell to no-shows or members who turn it down can be a really effective way of increasing your induction rate KPIs.

What are your tips for getting more members to sign-up or turn-up to inductions? Share your ideas or examples in the comments below.