Making your new members regular

We want to ensure as many new members as possible make the minimum visits in their first month. What is the minimum you ask? Good question: - here’s three ways of setting the minimum…

1. Pick a number. Don’t ask the instructors to pick a number, they expect all new members to visit 3 times per week, and only a few will make it. Aim for 5-10
2. Find out what the average is at the moment, and go with that number (or slightly below it)
3. Ask the members (or each individual member, if your systems will handle it) to choose

Remember this is the minimum number of visits in the first month (or new member period). A new member might be aiming for 10-15 visits, but if they make less than the minimum, we’re going to be contacting them.

Now monitor members who are at day 30 each day, and count how many make the minimum visit target, and how many don’t. Then total these numbers each month to give you a percentage of members who make the minimum visits. If you’re at 100%, well done, you might want to increase the minimum visit target to more than 2 visits!  Otherwise, think about how you can increase the percentage of members who make it next month… here’s a few actions…

1. Send the members who don’t make it a different message at day 30 – instead of “Congratulations, you’ve been a member for a month now”, something like “You’ve been a member for a month now, get some extra motivation with a FREE programme review next time you’re in”
2. Day 15 might be a better time to contact them if you’re going to increase the percentage… If they’re below 50% of the target at day 15, send them a targeted message to encourage them to visit in the next couple of days. Follow this up with a call!
3. Deliver better inductions?
4. Book them into a class
5. Explain that there’s a minimum visit target, and offer them a refund on their joining fee if they don’t make it, a bit like Zappos.

Remember, they’re joining to get fitter/healthier/happier… you’re not hassling them, you’re supporting and helping them to do what they wanted to do (when they joined).

Some members need more help than others – offer it to them, don’t leave them to it, or they will leave you!

Comments or thoughts below please, as always!