Simple starters to improve retention and get more members to stick around
Retention will be one of the key differentiators in 2023. We ran several workshops last month for forward-thinking clubs who want to thrive this year and get their members to stick around longer. Sales is naturally a big focus in January, but if you get your new members off to the best start, you’ll reap rewards down the line.
These are the first three tips in a series to celebrate GGFit’s 15 years in business. Stay tuned for more
1. Sell Retention
Incorporate your retention activities and actions into your sales process. Tell your new members what they get as new joiners, what you’ll do to motivate them, what is expected of them, and start with why.
Why do you have retention processes? Forget about joining fees, health and safety, tours, or programming (for a moment). You want members to stay with you for as long as possible, and for them to get results, which is what they want too.
As a new member joins, they’re not thinking about leaving, but many members will have left a club before, or know someone who has. So, explain how you’ll keep them motivated, you’ll reassure them, and show that you care about their health and fitness. This way, you might even win a few extra sales from your competition by talking positively about retention.
Sell the benefits of the onboarding process, whether it includes an induction or welcome session, programme, first class, or measurement. You might like to attach a monetary value to the new member appointment series. But beware of the ‘experienced’ exerciser who doesn’t want to follow the process (and therefore wants a discount). They’ve left a club before, so you need to help them make it work this time around.
The sooner you start talking about retention in your member journey, the quicker your new members will start the journey, and the longer they’ll stay.
2. Onboard Everyone
The first session is critical, if only to ensure your new members make one visit. A key learning from working with low-cost clubs is that people can join online and never visit. Some will only visit once, never to return. Both kinds of member will soon cancel.
All the research shows that members who have meaningful early interactions with staff stay longer.
Call it what you want, a welcome session, getting started, step one, first appointment, but preferably not an ‘induction’. Every new member needs some kind of onboarding contact, and many will benefit from a follow-up (to make sure they visit twice). It could be a fast-start for members who say they’re experienced, but everyone needs something. Experienced members have left a club before, after all. So, you could say they need onboarding more!
Some clubs use the appointment as an opportunity (or excuse) to exchange access control (membership card, or biometric entry credentials). But they also use this interaction to meet the member, build rapport, offer body composition measurements, book a first class, or a follow-up session, and any other important onboarding activities.
Any new member that misses out on this experience is likely to be at higher risk of leaving
3. Promise Progression
The third tip requires you to really get to know your new members (so make that onboarding appointment count!) Find out about their reasons for joining (more than “lose a bit of weight”).
Help them to map out their journey and show where your member journey will help them (or adapt it for them if possible). Weighing scales, tape measures, body composition devices, photos, or other measurements might come in useful, or progression could be measured on a wellbeing score, time, speed, strength, or by feelings… of energy, happiness, or liveliness.
Ultimately, progression will be down to the member, but you have the power, people, and processes to support them on their journey, and if you show them how they’re progressing, they’ll be members for life.
Here to help
If you would like advice on strategy, definition, or implementation of your member onboarding processes, please get in touch. This is what we do at GGFit. We work with public, private, and independent clubs, bringing learning and experience together from different models with a single focus on getting your members to stick around longer.
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