3Rs Mini Masterclass : The Cornerstones of Retention

Guy Griffiths takes us through one of the the cornerstones of retention, the exercise programme review, how clubs over-promise and under-deliver.







Find out more by booking your tickets to Retention Retention Retention at the Oxfordshire on 9th October, here: www.ggfit.com/rrr

3Rs Meet the Speakers live from ukactive

This week, we streamed live from ukactive with our planning session for the Retention Retention Retention conference.

l-r: Adam Whitchurch (CustomerClever), Paul Roberts (MyCustomerLens), Steve Davies (ukactive), Alina Cooper (FitLinks) and Guy Griffiths (GGFit)

Introduction in person to the speakers from the 3Rs. Find out more and book your tickets at www.ggfit.com/rrr

3Rs Mini Masterclass : Staff Retention

Alina Cooper of FitLinks joins us once again to preview more of her talk at the 3Rs, explaining how improving staff retention will improve member retention.

Alina takes 8 minutes to tell us her 8 top tips for staff retention.

Find out the whole story, and ask Alina your questions at Retention Retention Retention on 9th October. For more info, check www.ggfit.com/rrr

3Rs Mini Masterclass : Customer Feedback

Paul Roberts from MyCustomerLens takes us through the Why, How, and What of Member Feedback, with 5 top tips for collecting and using feedback to improve your member retention



Meet Paul to hear his full presentation and get involved at Retention Retention Retention on 9th October. For more info, check www.ggfit.com/rrr

3Rs Mini-Masterclass : Dreams & Fears, Promises & Lies

Guy Griffiths of GGFit talks about new gym member's dreams and fears, and the promises and lies that clubs tell them.



In this bumper 10 minute clip Guy talks about the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Exercisers, and how thinking from a member point, and finding out about dreams and fears will help to define a simple, effective member journey.

Find out the whole story, and ask Guy your questions at Retention Retention Retention on 9th October. For more info, check www.ggfit.com/rrr

3Rs Mini-Masterclass : Onboarding New Staff

Alina Cooper of FitLinks returns to preview more of her talk at the 3Rs: Onboarding New Staff at your health-club or gym



Alina takes 6 minutes to tell us how and why you should improve your candidate experience and streamline your recruitment process.

Find out the whole story, and ask Alina your questions at Retention Retention Retention on 9th October. For more info, check www.ggfit.com/rrr

3Rs Mini Masterclass : How to Attract Top Talent

Alina Cooper of FitLinks previews part of her talk at the 3Rs: How to attract top talent for your health-club or gym.



In this 7 minute episode Alina talks about how to mimic big businesses to attract top talent, build a great culture, and use social media to get the best staff for your club.

Find out the whole story, and ask Alina your questions at Retention Retention Retention on 9th October. For more info, check www.ggfit.com/rrr

3Rs Mini Masterclass Introduction

Here's our introduction to the autumn 2018 Mini Masterclass series.



This 3 minute episode introduces future speakers for the webinars and also for the Retention Retention Retention event happening on 9th October. For more info, check www.ggfit.com/rrr

Wearables: Personal Data & Sharing

Since writing the first 2 articles of this series, the GDPR has come into force in Europe. Most people have seen this as a hassle; being asked to opt back into a plethora of email newsletters. But there is a wider effect in terms of storing and sharing personal data.

To get tangible rewards for exercising, you need to store your data somewhere, and you can (and should) get more rewards for sharing your results with your friends. After all, you’re helping to motivate them to exercise too (or use the same app or wearable). But at the same time, there’s a question about how the data is used, from selling you a new pair of running shoes, to reducing your health insurance premium.

Tim Berners-Lee says we need to take back control of our data. Sure, it needs to be stored somewhere, but we, the user should be able to define exactly who our data is shared with, and how it is used.

Wearables: Data, Devices and Clubs

Wearables have been around long enough now for us to dispel the myths that they will replace gyms, supersede personal trainers, or kill the health club industry.

Like budget clubs, they might provide a route into fitness for some people, who then move onto ‘harder drugs’, i.e. a gym membership. For athletes and experienced exercisers, they add another layer of measurement, or the chance to level up what they’re already doing.

From a club operator point of view, the plethora of wearables and fitness apps is a minefield.

Wearables: Devices & Motivation

In terms of motivation for exercise and all-round wellness, the Fitbit is a great wearable device. You need to bear in mind that my personal exercise motivation was already good; I run 2-3 times (averaging around 15km) per week, I also go to a Pilates class and do a Taekwondo session once a week, swim and play golf 2-3 or times per month, and am generally very active, preferring to walk or cycle to get around where possible and practical. 

However, the Fitbit has given me another boost in terms of measuring my activity and motivating me to do a little more. Targets, reminders, warm-up, workout and chillout functions all add to the overall wellness experience.

Retention Conference announces 2018 date & speaker line up

GGFit has announced the launch of RRR – a dedicated Retention Conference focused on providing operators and gym owners with data insight and expert advice focused on improving member retention rates.

The event will take place at the Oxfordshire, a prestigious golf, hotel and spa venue, conveniently located just off Junction 7 of the M40, on Tuesday, October 9, 2018.

With a packed programme of expert speakers, opportunities to share best practice and a full complement of food and refreshments, the event is a must for anybody keen to retain members for longer and positively influence profit margins.

Speakers already confirmed are Alina Cooper, MD and Co-Founder, FitLinks, Paul Roberts, Founder of MyCustomerLens, plus Adam Whitchurch, CEO of Customer Clever. Event Founder and Director of data specialist company, GGFit, Guy Griffiths, will compère the day and will also share valuable insight and examples of best practice from his extensive work within the sector, working closely with operators on the ground, influencing retention rates.

Commenting on the event, Guy Griffiths, says: “This Conference is the product of our previously successful biannual Sales & Retention Convention.

“Retention remains a challenge for the sector with the industry reporting an average length of stay of 10.9 months (according to GGFit & the DataHub). We want to help operators to get their members to stick around longer.

“With a particular focus on the utilisation of new technologies and techniques, this conference will provide operators and gym owners with a wealth of data insight and practical solutions which can be easily applied with immediate effect to keep members engaged for longer. We have scheduled a mix of seminar sessions, workshops and networking opportunities to ensure attendees leave with a clear idea of how they can apply what they have learnt to their own business.”

RRR – Retention, Retention, Retention early bird tickets are available now, with discounts available for ukactive members. A free to access webinar series is also planned in the lead up to the event. More details about these can be found at ggfit.com/events

To enquire about the event or to book your tickets, visit ggfit.com/rrr. Preferential rates have been agreed with the venue for those who wish to incorporate an overnight stay on October 8.

An Active Uprising in Manchester

Congratulations are due to ukactive for a fantastic new event in Manchester. Times are changing, and the Active Uprising brought together an ever-growing network of like-minded people and organisations as a movement with a global drive for physical activity.

With different streams focusing on Community, Innovation, ukactive Kids, Sweat North, and Ignite, there was something for everyone in the fitness industry. Many delegates wanted to be in more than one session at a time, and all breakout sessions were popular.

Drowning in data? How to make sense of the customer feedback deluge with MyCustomerLens

The fitness industry is collecting more customer feedback every day, but [how] is the data being used?

Let’s look at where some of this data comes from, how you can collect better feedback, and use the data to improve your bottom line.

• Net Promoter Score is now established in the fitness industry, and is a great benchmark. But you must ask the follow-up open question “Why did you give that score?” It's this follow-up question that turns NPS from another metric into the secret of continuous improvement. 
• Likewise, “Score your induction”, “How was the joining process”, etc. on a scale of e.g. 1-5 are interesting, but the free format comments that follow is where the real value lies if you want to improve your customer experience.
• Finally, there’s a wealth of information in leavers questionnaires, particularly when free format questions are asked (rather than a multiple choice “why are you leaving?”, which inevitable shows most ex-members “moving away”).

So, if you’re asking lots of free format questions, you have lots of comments.

Making more people more active with data – imin, are you?

“imin will fundamentally disrupt the way we use data in the sector, and cause a huge impact in the world. We are proud to be working alongside them” said Peter Fitzboydon, former CEO of London Sport. Peter is now MD of Parkwood Leisure.

From a member retention perspective, we see imin as a tool to increase engagement, firstly by bringing more members into a club, but also by enabling existing members to exercise outside the club. Filling exercise classes in general is a good thing for getting members to stick around, and imin is also interesting from a reporting and integration perspective.

imin and the openactive community are using data to help get people active. Anyone using an app connected through imin can search for all activities and facilities, and instantly book available sessions.

Elevate goes from strength to strength

The Elevate “Arena of physical activity, health and performance” goes from strength to strength. In just 3 years, it has established itself as one of the key fitness industry events in the UK. 

There was a good buzz in the lead-up to the show, both on social media and in the press. Booking advanced meetings with clients and partners was positive, rather than being met with the usual reply of “not sure, perhaps I’ll see you there”. In other words, delegates were there to network and ready to do business.

Why SMS… Do You Want the Bad News or the Good News?

SMART phones are becoming so popular that even your Gran’s probably got one. This means more people are able to download apps, but for SMS, it means that messages are collected in conversations, in other words, grouped together when sent from the same number.

It’s important to balance the absentee messages with positive news, or what we call ‘High5’ messages. If you send regular newsletters by email, but only absentee messages by SMS, your “yo-yo” members (those who often become absent) will find their SMS conversation from you full of absent reminders (see below). This bad news thread can cause negative vibes, making them check the value of their membership.

Creative ways to use SMS to gain consent (TextAnywhere)

This is a guest post from our partners at TextAnywhere

Before taking any step to obtain consent you must ensure that the individuals you are contacting haven’t unsubscribed, as you can’t contact people who have already done this. In addition, your previous method of collecting the data was in line with PECR’s guidelines. If you’re unsure about this, it’s probably better to refresh consent.

1. SMS Surveys

Text message surveys can be a great way to refine consent. With a reported, you are bound to get a positive response rate. With TextSurvey, you can clearly refine the different areas of SMS consent the individual would like to receive such as updates on new products/features, customer feedback surveys, customer support updates. You can download the report from TextSurvey which will show the timestamp of the message and the responses to each question, which is an excellent way to show proof of consent.

Why SMS Feedback, Surveys, and Quizzes Work Best

Combining the excellent open rates (98% within 10 minutes), and concise content, SMS is the best channel to elicit customer feedback.
Asking members what they think is a great retention tool. A survey turns a one-way message into an interaction. If you can use the feedback to improve your service, right a wrong, or give a staff member a bonus, then even better!

Short sharp surveys or questionnaires work best, with 2 or 3 questions, and an optional free format comments field. Tell the member in the invitation that it will only take 30-60 seconds, and that you value their opinion. In addition to good uptake, you’ll also engage more members because you need to keep the message brief.

Why SMS Content is King

One of the big advantages of SMS is that you are limited to 160 characters (in reality less, once you’ve added the opt-out ‘footer’). This means you must focus on the content of the message, not get distracted by images or links. Sure, you can write more than 160 characters, which sends multiple messages, and most networks/phones will put the messages back together, but when you hit high volumes, your costs will soar, and your members’ attentions will wane. Let’s stick to one SMS per message.

So, by its nature, SMS is simpler than email or post, which is good. Personalising the content is important, but given the limits already mentioned, first name or salutation is usually enough. You might use segmentation; have a different message for male or female, or different age groups, but the only other form fields you might use are for an appointment reminder, e.g. your induction/review/appt tomorrow at 10:30.

The key point in any member comms is the ‘Call to Action’.

Why SMS Member Comms Has the Best Hit Rate

At GGFit, we trigger hundreds of text messages (SMS) every day on behalf of our client clubs to their members. The primary objective is to get absent members to return, but we also send a lot of good news messages via SMS too.

We send a plenty of emails, letters, postcards, etc. everyday too, but for certain triggers, particularly absentees, we recommend SMS. This is because SMS is more effective at getting absent members to return. (Actually, postcards are most effective, but they are also most costly).

ukactive ActiveLab Launch event

It was a privilege to attend the ActiveLab launch event yesterday evening at the Plexal in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The room was full of fit tech innovators, disruptors, investors and mentors, and there was some fantastic networking and discussion. 

Steve Ward opened the evening, talking about how we need to switch from seeing technology as an issue. A lot of the time, the movement industry is battling against tech; nowadays we click to shop, rather than walking, and we swipe to date, rather than dancing. But tech can also help us to move more, get motivated, and get people to be healthier and happier.

CMO of Plexal, Tom Messett gave a good account of how the Plexal and the London SportTechHub is supporting fitness technology startup companies. An impressive $2.4bn has been invested in FitTech over the last 5 years. But this pales in comparison with the $31bn invested in FinTech in the last 1 year. Events like ActiveLab are crucial to raise the profile of FitTech, and help launch and grow more businesses to help get more people active.

Tech's bad reputation in Fitness

New Member Graduation: The Fourth Member Retention Mini-Masterclass

If you missed the mini-masterclass on measuring and selling more new member inductions on Monday this week, you can review the 10 minute video here.

The idea of these fast, focused, free sessions is to make you think about how you interact with your new members, give you some measures to check new member engagement, and show you how you can improve member retention. If we can help you to get your members to stick around longer, they'll get fitter and healthier, which is the end goal!

Seven Day Calls: Third Mini Masterclass in Member Retention

If you missed the mini-masterclass on measuring and selling more new member inductions on Monday this week, you can review the 10 minute video here.

The idea of these fast, focused, free sessions is to make you think about how you interact with your new members, give you some measures to check new member engagement, and show you how you can improve member retention. If we can help you to get your members to stick around longer, they'll get fitter and healthier, which is the end goal!

Selling Inductions: Second Mini Masterclass in Member Retention

If you missed the mini-masterclass on measuring and selling more new member inductions on Monday this week, you can review the 10 minute video here.

The idea of these fast, focused, free sessions is to make you think about how you interact with your new members, give you some measures to check new member engagement, and show you how you can improve member retention. If we can help you to get your members to stick around longer, they'll get fitter and healthier, which is the end goal!

Watch next Monday's session on the 7 day new member call live on facebook at 2pm, or register on the series crowdcast stream.

New Member Comms: First of Four Free February Mini Masterclasses in Member Retention

If you missed our mini-masterclass on measuring new member communications at the start of this week, you can review the 10 minute video here.

The idea of these fast, focused, free sessions is to make you think about how you interact with your new members, give you some measures to check new member engagement, and show you how you can improve member retention. If we can help you to get your members to stick around longer, they'll get fitter and healthier, which is the end goal!

Watch next Monday's session on 'selling' inductions to new members live on facebook at 2pm, or register on the series crowdcast stream.

WHY SPORTS Future of Sport Conference 2018

We were privileged to attend the WHY SPORTS Future of Sport 2018: Activity and Employment Conference this week at the Royal Society of Medicine in London. With key messages around Kids Activity, Public Health, Education and Employment, there were many parallels and lessons to apply to the health club industry.

Kenny Gibson, Head of Public Health Commissioning for NHS England opened by talking about data and communication.

GGFit Mini Masterclasses Preview

2 minute preview of the forthcoming mini masterclasses running this Feb

There will be four free webinars, running every Monday at 2pm from 5th Feb.

register at crowdcast.io/ggfit, or like and subscribe at facebook.com/ggfit

GGFit Mini-Masterclasses for Improved Member Retention

In 2018 GGFit will be producing Mini-Masterclasses in Membership Retention. This extends our mission to increase awareness about retention initiatives that work, to educate the fitness industry and question the status quo, and to help you to get your members fitter, healthier and happier.

As well as getting lots of ideas as to how you can measure and improve your member retention, you’ll also learn how to implement those ideas. Plus, you can expect your staff to be more engaged and motivated, your members to stick around longer, and your bottom line to look more positive.

The format will be short, focused sessions for 5-10 minutes on a key retention message or initiative each week. These will be live-cast over the web on our webinar platform, as well as being live-streamed to Facebook. As such, all sessions will initially be free, but you can catch-up on previous sessions, and get reminders for future sessions if you register here.