Use one or both of these strategies to take all your new members to the next level
January was a good month, and if you've followed the first 3 tips in our series of 15, you’ve Sold Retention, Onboarded Everyone, and Promised Progression. All your new members are super-engaged, building up their health habits, and feeling great about being a member of your club.
What Happens Next?
[my favourite round on Question of Sport, read in Sue Barker's voice, or for older readers, David Coleman or David Vine]While the first month, or first 7-10 visits are most important for your new members, you can boost their loyalty and enthusiasm further with a couple more steps. So don’t take your eyes off your new recruits this month, but do take your graduates from last month and try one or both of these tactics.
These are tips 4 and 5 in a series to celebrate GGFit’s 15 years in business.
Stay tuned for more.4. Upselling for Retention
Think about all of the services, products, classes, programmes, or activities that you offer. Make a list if you can, and consider how your members progress along a pathway engaging with those offerings. Which are the most popular, the easiest to ‘sell’, bring in most referrals, and where are the links between them?
More PT packs
For example, very few members will buy a pack of PT sessions in their first month. A ‘free’ PT session might help sell a handful, but there are better ways for your members to get to know your PTs; a small Group X taster, programme review, exercise correction or acclamation. For every exercise correction interaction in the gym, a good instructor should try to do at least two acclamations (aka “good technique, well done”).
More Classes
Take members who have not attended a class or Group X session in their first month and invite them to a taster class. If classes are not included in their standard membership subscription, then extend the free class access they got in their first month (you did give standard members a free class upgrade in month one, didn’t you?)
More Shakes
An even simpler idea is to give a new member a free coffee, shake, or smoothie after their tenth workout. It might register as a random act of kindness, but clubs that hand out a high-five drink every ten visits will tend to see higher food and beverage sales.
While these actions might result in members upgrading their membership, the intention is just to get them to try more of your services, which will boost engagement and retention. Some will be happy with standard membership, but giving a little extra is a simple bonus for your newest recruits. It’s also really important for them to experience more of your club, so they can understand more about you, and review and recommend you to their friends. Which brings us on to…
5. Referrals and Reviews
The best time to ask for a referral is right after a new member joins. They feel good about their buying decision, and if you ask them in the right way, will be happy to share with their friends.
Why & WIIFM
Asking in the right way is critical though… WHY do you want a referral, and what’s in it for the member (WIIFM). This is not about sales (really) but about retention. Friends who train together stay longer, train harder and push each other, and therefore get faster results. So, you're asking for a referral because it will help the (existing) member. Any financial incentives (for the club or for the member) should be secondary.
Ask for a referral after a new member joins, and then ask them again after the first month. Ask again regardless of whether they referred anyone before, and especially if they did (bring another friend down!) Tell them it’s expected, and explain why you're keen for them to bring a friend… it's for their benefit more than the club's!
Make the process as easy for them as possible, they can either take a card or code for their friend, bring them to the club with a guest pass, or whatever else works seamlessly. For those that refer someone, help them build the habit of referring more! Offers and financial incentives can help, but the main benefit is increased membership retention, for the member and the club. Referral challenge months are a great way to get more members referring friends and colleagues.
Five Star Reviews
Reviews could be a separate section, but we’ll cover this in point 5 too, as it’s something else you should ask your members to do regularly. A review done properly has three purposes; it re-enforces your new member’s great decision to join, gives you some feedback (usually positive), and helps to promote your club to others.
As with referrals, you need to make it as easy as possible for your members. Direct them to two or three options, independent sites like google reviews or a review platform such as feefo, perhaps a social media site like facebook, or your own webform or paper form. By asking and directing them, you know where most of your reviews will be hosted, and you can reply promptly and say thank you.
As well as pointing members in the right direction, you can be suggestive with what you want from a review. Don’t turn it into a Daz doorstep challenge. But a couple of questions, or a quick survey after their welcome session or first exercise class can provide useful feedback, or marketing collateral for future members. By completing a quick feedback survey, many members re-affirm that they’re getting value from their membership.
Aggregates are Really Great
If you have a partnership with an aggregator such as Hussle or GymPass, one of the benefits is the independent review platform. Make the most of this to get more people to use that service and visit your club. Responding to, and publishing those reviews (positive and negative) will help your wider web reach. Be sure to ask and follow-up with any visitors through third party services for a review, just as you do with new members.
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