Looking for new ways of getting your new members to stick around longer? Group exercise could be the key.
This article explores why group fitness classes are a game changer for retention and offers practical strategies to engage with more of your new members.
Onboarding focus
While onboarding often focuses on individual inductions, integrating group exercise into the process can significantly boost engagement and retention.
It may not be easy – many popular classes are full, and the timetable can be a bone of contention with members trying to book, so staff might avoid exacerbating the issues. But you have to work on the harder stuff to get greater success.
Class members stay longer; an average of 2 extra months
But most operators know that class members stay longer. Our research shows that booking a class is as effective as, or more effective than an induction at increasing engagement.
Members who attend at least one class in their first month make 1-2 more first month visits (FMVs) than those who don’t attend any classes, and they will stay around 2 months longer on average.
Dwelling briefly on why…
- class attendees typically need to book, and therefore commit to visiting at a certain day and time (and they’ll possibly be penalised for a no-show)
- they always get an interaction with an instructor – usually a friendly greeting, perhaps some chat during the class, and then a goodbye and a cheery “see you next week”
- they’re exercising in a group or community with other members, which makes it more probable to repeat the behaviour to be part of the tribe
It’s not purely a retention play though. Members who attend classes or small group exercise (more of which in a minute) are more likely to buy PT in future, will bring more referrals into your club, and will feel more engaged and part of the club, helping to build your communities.
HOW do you get more new members to do classes?
Let’s investigate how to get more members into GroupX.
Making it a key part of the onboarding journey, so that it’s discussed on joining, in the induction, mentioned the welcome mail and subsequent digital communications.
Like the induction, ‘selling’ the first class could be as simple as telling new members that if they attend a class, they’ll likely stay longer. They mostly have good intentions at the start of their journey, so this should be a welcome suggestion to most.
Reinforce the face-to-face message (and the reasons why classes are good) in all new member communications with a call to action (booking link). This will capture a few more new members, or at least make the next conversation easier.
Also, ensure all member facing staff have at least tried some of your classes, or even better, are regular attendees, so they can talk to members knowledgeably and positively.
Segmenting new members (and older members) into groups that have not (recently or ever) attended a GroupX class, and then sending a targeted campaign can have good results too, or at least, will lead to conversations (phone calls, front desk interactions) with members who clicked, but didn’t quite book (the abandoned shopping cart interaction).
The capacity issue
“But all the good classes are full”, you say! There are a few solutions to this problem…
Beginners’ classes
The first is to put on extra classes, that are aimed specifically at new members. This could be a shorter or simpler single class, so new members are not exhausted or intimidated by a whole hour of spin or combat. Or you could launch a 'Try It All' series of beginner-friendly classes where new members can sample different formats without feeling overwhelmed.
Gym floor classes
Another popular option at the moment is gym floor classes, aka small group PT, circuits, or in the LesMills world – Ceremony!
These work really well when you have superstar instructors… gym floor staff running the class, and persuading members in the gym to join in. It takes initiative, a desire to interact with members, and determination to make it work.
Sites that have these are putting on multiple gym floor classes every day for new and existing members, and building a great buzz around the club, with members going for coffees afterwards, and showing no signs of cancelling!
Some sites struggle with this, in which case, you might need to borrow the staff from the successful sites, or simply get some better staff!!
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| "outdoor" "gym floor" classes! |
Gym floor classes are a great way into GroupX, to progress members onto bigger and better things. But in some cases, small group training may be enough for some members. Nevertheless, they’re another way to crack the timetable capacity problem.
Call out the serial bookers
The third and final way, which has worked well a couple of times, but takes more bravery, is to analyse the classes… not for booking capacity, but for attendee capacity. Many clubs have fully booked classes up to 2 hours before, if that is the cancellation window, and then manage waiting lists. It’s an age-old conundrum, but naming and shaming regular last-minute cancellations, or in extreme circumstances, cancelling a membership, can free up booking space. We once published a worst offenders list for each site of a chain, including one member who booked over 120 classes in a month, and attended none, but cancelled them all without penalty. If this behaviour is stopping other members, especially new members from attending a class, it’s worth losing that offending member.
What now, and what next
Think about your joiners, and how many of them book a class as soon as they join. Those members are likely going to be OK.
Now think about the others… how can you convince more new members to book and attend their first class?
Some won’t want to… but some are on the cusp of booking and just need your help to make the commitment. And when they do, they’ll stay longer!
Then track the percentage of new joiners attending at least one class in their first month, and aim to increase that number each quarter.
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