The HealthCheck went well. They were interested, the conversation was useful, and they left with a better understanding of their health. So what happens next?
For years, the fitness industry has been built around a fairly familiar journey: generate a lead, book an appointment, sell a membership and get someone started on their fitness journey.
But what if the person you've just helped doesn't want to join a gym?
What if they want to sleep better, improve their hydration, manage their weight or simply have more energy? What if they found their HealthCheck genuinely useful, but have no intention of becoming a gym member?
Have we done our job if we simply send them away with their results and hope they come back?
This is the second challenge in developing the HealthSeeker model. We've talked about identifying the people who want to be healthier but don't necessarily identify as gym members. Now we need to work out how we help them take the next step... and the one after that.
The HealthCheck isn't the destination
Our early HealthSeeker projects taught us some valuable lessons.
People came along for HealthChecks. They were intrigued by the measurements, enjoyed the conversations and often benefited from the coaching. Some even rejoined the gym, which was a positive outcome for the operators.
But relatively few booked a follow-up HealthCheck.
This is important, because rejoining the gym wasn't our main goal. Our aim was to help people who didn't necessarily want to become gym members to become healthier.
If we simply offered a HealthCheck and then left the next step up to the individual, we were relying on them to take the initiative, book another appointment and keep themselves moving forward.
A few would. But many wouldn't!
We needed to build what happens after the HealthCheck into the service itself.
From measurement to a meaningful conversation
A HealthCheck is much more than a set of numbers from a body composition device.
The measurements provide insight, but the conversation helps the individual understand what that insight might mean for them.
What matters to them? What would they like to improve? What changes feel realistic? What support would help?
This is where coaching makes the difference. Rather than immediately prescribing an exercise programme, we can help someone identify their own priorities and decide what they want to work on.
For one person, that might mean improving hydration. For another, it could be nutrition, sleep, activity or managing their weight. The most important thing is to start with the person, not the product we want to sell them.
But a good conversation, on its own, isn't always enough. People also need a practical way to turn that conversation into action.
Give people something to continue with
There will always be people who simply want to book another HealthCheck. That's a perfectly reasonable option, and a useful way to revisit their measurements, discuss progress and decide what to do next.
But we shouldn't make a repeat appointment the only next step, especially when we know (and they know) that there's a good chance we won't see them again on that journey.
So what if, instead of just offering people another HealthCheck, we offered them a supported journey to take them to that next appointment?
That's the thinking behind the HealthSeeker programmes.
One Month to a Healthier You
One Month to a Healthier You (OMHY) gives people a simple, structured way to get started.
Over 30 days, participants receive nudges, encouragement and support to help them work on their health. The journey includes another HealthCheck at the end, giving them an opportunity to review their progress and discuss what comes next.
There are two important differences between this and simply suggesting someone books another appointment.
First, they have committed to a programme. They've chosen a product with a defined timeframe and a clear next step, rather than being left with an open invitation to return.
Second, they are being supported along the way. The nudges and ongoing contact help keep their health on the agenda, rather than relying on the motivation they felt when they first walked out of the HealthCheck.
In our initial projects, we found that people who entered this programme journey were much more likely to return for their follow-up HealthCheck. Having committed to the programme, and been nurtured along the way, gave them more reason to continue. The follow-up becomes part of the journey, not another appointment they have to remember to book.
And, importantly, the journey doesn't have to stop after a month. People can continue with another month of support, building consistency and working on the next step in their health.
Feel Five Years Younger
For those ready to make a bigger commitment, there's Feel Five Years Younger (FFYY).
This is a more structured, 12-week programme designed to help people make meaningful changes to their health, with coaching, support and four HealthCheck and coaching appointments across the programme.
The aim is to help people feel five years younger by giving them the structure, accountability and guidance to work towards their health goals.
It's not about asking everyone to commit to 12 weeks from day one. Different people will be ready for different levels of support. Some will prefer to start with a month. Others will be ready to commit to a longer journey.
The point is that we have options that meet people where they are, rather than expecting everyone to follow the same path.
The destination doesn't have to be membership
This is an important shift in thinking for the fitness industry.
Traditionally, we've tended to measure success by how many people join the gym. Membership remains a valuable outcome, and some HealthSeekers will discover that the club environment is exactly what they need. But others may not want to use the gym at all.
They can still benefit from coaching, health measurement, practical advice and ongoing support. They can work towards goals that matter to them without first having to become a gym member.
And that creates a different kind of relationship between the operator and the individual. Instead of a one-off interaction, there's an opportunity for regular contact, repeat HealthChecks, continued coaching and programmes that evolve as the person's needs change.
The commercial opportunity comes from providing something people value enough to continue with, not from insisting that everyone buys a membership.
We don't have to turn every HealthSeeker into a gym member. We do need to give them a reason to keep working on their health with us.
Build the journey, not just the appointment
Think about the difference between these two approaches.
- The first is to offer a HealthCheck, explain the results, perhaps recommend a membership and hope the individual returns.
- The second is to use the HealthCheck to start a conversation, agree what matters to the person, offer a suitable programme, support them as they make changes and measure progress together.
One is an appointment. The other is a relationship.
And that relationship creates more opportunities to help the individual, while giving the operator a more sustainable way to deliver health services, generate revenue and make better use of its staff, facilities and measurement technology.
The journey might look something like this:
Identify → HealthCheck → Conversation → Coaching → Programme → Repeat measurement → Ongoing support
Not everyone will follow exactly the same route. The aim is to create a framework that allows people to continue at a level that works for them.
The HealthCheck starts the conversation. The programme helps turn intention into action. The ongoing relationship gives people somewhere to go next.
A different way to think about growth
The HealthSeeker opportunity isn't simply about finding new people to sell memberships to. It's about recognising that people can want to be healthier without wanting to become gym members, and creating services that meet that need.
That means changing the question we ask.
Instead of asking, "How do we get this person to join?", we can ask:
"What would help this person take the next step towards better health?"
Sometimes the answer will be membership. Sometimes it will be another HealthCheck, One Month to a Healthier You, or Feel Five Years Younger. Sometimes it will be continuing with the small changes they've already started to make.
The important thing is that we give them a next step, support them along the way and make it easy to continue.
Because identifying HealthSeekers is only the beginning.
The real opportunity is helping them become healthier, and building a business around doing that well.
Want to explore how your organisation could build a health journey beyond membership?
The HealthSeekers Accelerator helps operators turn health measurement into coaching-led services, structured programmes and ongoing customer relationships.
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