Gym Owner Monthly, August 2020, Guy Griffiths talks data, motivation, bridging the gap between exercise and technology, and recovery in the Big Interview
How did you get into the fitness industry?
My mission is to help operators to support their members’ health and wellbeing.
After 12 years as a consultant and ultimately as director of sales and marketing for a banking software firm, I was looking for something more meaningful. I wanted to help people to be healthier and fitter, rather than help banks to make more money. I had always been a regular gym member, and knew retention was an issue, but that exercise data was under-used.
I talked to staff at the clubs where I was a member, and other clubs around London, and built connections with a few suppliers. I networked relentlessly online and at events like the FIA (ukactive) conferences, LIW (Leisure Industry Week), and SIBEC. I supported and presented at the IOU (Independent Operators Unite) events at LIW.
Without the experience or biases of working from the ground up, I think from a member’s perspective, often questioning the status quo. When the answer is “because we’ve always done it like that”, it is usually time for change.
Tell us more about GGFit
I founded GGFit in 2008 to help clubs get more from their data, and improve member and staff motivation. As well as data analysis, we help staff to understand and get the most out of the systems and processes they are using. We are system agnostic, our job is often to ‘sell’ the system to staff, by demonstrating the benefits to them and their members.
Early projects included working with the UK’s first budget chain, FitSpace, on monthly membership reports. These were presented graphically to club managers and directors to show trends and highlight good performance or areas for improvement across a number of key performance indicators (KPIs).
We also helped Technogym to develop their wellness system (now mywellness) dashboards, for clubs to easily monitor their KPIs.
In 2012, I wrote my book; Stick Around – Strategies To Keep Your Gym Members Motivated, which has sold over 500 copies to date. It is a guide to the pillars of good member retention; systems, processes and people, and includes member journeys from joining through to leaving and ex-member re-engagement. While a lot has changed since 2012, it still receives good reviews; readers say it is straightforward, uncomplicated, with ideas that are easy to understand and implement.
What sets GGFit apart from its competitors?
An unusual combination of crunching data into meaningful visualisations, and soft skills to understand and motivate people. We don’t just display the data, we help people to understand the insights, develop an action plan and follow-up to get results.
For example, we send bespoke communications on behalf of clients to their members; SMS, email, letters, and phone calls. Triggering communications is only the first part, reporting on the outcome is more significant. How many members return after an absentee message? Or how many members feedback on their induction appointment? Crow Wood Leisure is a long-term client and independent family owned club in Burnley. They were initially shocked to discover over 20% of their members became “Absent 21” each month over the summer. But after receiving one or more messages, 76% of absentees returned within 10 days. SMS is usually the most effective return channel.
Working with people is as important as working with data. We ran monthly retention forums with Stevenage Leisure for three years, bringing together fitness and centre managers to redefine and measure the member journey. By facilitating the meetings, we worked with staff and the senior management team on buy-in and processes. Introducing mystery joiners helped the qualitative measures, and the front of house system provided quantitative metrics. We increased new member step 1 (induction) bookings from 55% to 83%, which increased DD revenue by £94k per annum across 14 sites.
What are the biggest challenges you face in your business?
GGFit’s biggest challenge is one of the industry’s biggest issues, an inexplicable focus on sales rather than retention. It costs up to 7 times more to recruit a new member than retain an existing one, but clubs continue to pour resources into new membership sales, instead of working on existing member engagement. We’ve worked hard to change this, with some success, but there’s more to do.
The COVID-19 pandemic will shift this focus. Increased competition means some clubs will be fighting for survival, and member engagement will become critical. There are more ways than ever to keep in touch with members.
Another challenge we have worked hard to overcome is the fear of contacting absentees. Club owners worry that they might cancel, but we’ve demonstrated that most come back if contacted in a timely and appropriate manner. Right now, many members have been absent for months, and we need to know if they are coming back or not. No contact is not an option.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from the fitness industry?
Collaboration is key, and openness is best. Most of our work has come through partnerships, referrals, or through speaking at conferences and events. Sharing knowledge helps the world go round. It is no good keeping ideas to yourself, particularly if someone can help spread the word, or pick up the ball and run with it.
Working with a variety of clients is also important, both from a security and an interest perspective. Some people still hate budget gyms, but they have shaken up the industry, created opportunities and new ways of working that have been adopted across other sectors. There is always something new to learn.
What’s next for GGFit?
I’m excited to have formed the Collective with Alina Cooper from FitLinks to help the industry collaborate, share and grow. There is a plethora of expert content and debate on our facebook group. We are hosting regular online networking sessions for gym owners, personal trainers, bootcamp and studio operators to share their wins and issues and help each other out. There are no sales pitches, just a safe, trusted environment to support each other and collaborate. Search The Collective on facebook to find out more.
I’m also working with two friends and industry veterans, Ray Algar and Adam Campbell. Together, we are Newton: The Movement Architects. We are using behavioural science, digital tools, and strategic thinking to help people to choose and maintain active habits.
As for GGFit, we’re helping our clients to recover their members following lockdown. Some are looking at new models of membership, building and blending physical and digital journeys to improve engagement and create stronger connections with their members for the future.
In your opinion, what is the current state of the UK’s fitness industry?
The global fitness industry has taken a massive hit from the pandemic, and it will be a long hard road to recovery. In the UK, I worry about the public sector facilities, some of which may struggle to re-open due to financial pressure on the leisure trust model. It is imperative that we support these communities. They look after the majority of UK gym members, but deliver so much more to the nation, from kids swimming to elderly wellbeing, casual users to team and elite sports.
Big box chains and boutiques appeal to fitness enthusiasts. They will be affected by new ways of working; reduced commuting and working from home. However, they should be able to ride it out with their ability to invest, particularly in new digital models.
On a positive note, there is a bigger appetite for health alongside fitness, and this is where the independent gym sector will thrive. There are over 4,500 privately owned facilities in the UK, which epitomise the definition of a club; a collection of people that come together for a common purpose. A club is not the building or the equipment, but the members, staff, community, and a common cause.
While the shift to digital fitness will continue to develop, this personal support and community is the answer to reaching more new members. This is how we will help more people to be healthier and fitter, rather than make banks more money.
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