Why do we still try to get new gym members to swim?

Does your new member process still include reference to swimming? 

(Don’t have a pool? Don’t skip this article, there’s still valuable content, just read down to paragraph 3…)

Many clubs still go overboard trying to get new members to use their pool, selling the benefits on joining, and mentioning it in new member email comms. Sure, the pool has a big cost overhead, but convincing new gym members to swim is a waste of breath or email content 99% of the time. Swimmers do tend to stay longer, but persuading gym users to swim is a thankless task*.

Swimming in Zambia (ZambiaTourism.com)

Instead of trying to get new members to swim, focus your efforts (and email content) on getting them to join a class. For starters, more will join a class off their own backs, so your target segment is smaller. Secondly, you will have a greater success/conversion rate, and you will be boosting member retention.

Depending on your process, new member journey, and comms triggers, you’ll have different opportunities to get new members into classes. Here’s some ideas:

1. On joining, book the member into a class, as well as booking their first appointment
2. In the first gym appointment (induction), check if they’ve booked a class, and if not, try to book now
3. 7-day call – how was their induction, first class, overall experience? Not booked a class yet…?
4. 30 days – low usage members (or all members who’ve not attended a class) make a call to see when they can attend a class.

Why should members (especially new members) attend a class? The most honest answer is that they will stay longer, because they will achieve better/faster results, and be more engaged with the club. You could also cite better value for money, but you will work out strategies of your own once you’ve handled a few objections, and you’ll also work out how to handle and convert the more difficult members (typically older males). The benefits of converting them to classes are multifarious, but once you’ve got a few, they’ll share their experience and bring more members along.

* I've nothing against swimming, in fact I love swimming myself, I just know that if you're trying to get gym users into the pool, you're generally on a hiding to nothing. 1 in 100 might try the pool, whereas you can probably persuade 10 out of 50 to join a fitness class, or more if you make it part of your process.