The Paradox of Choice with Retention Initatives

One of the problems that clubs face (and to be honest, that we retention consultants sometimes create) is that there are so many retention actions and areas to look at, it can be challenging to know where to start, or where to best focus your efforts.

This choice overload becomes harder still when you’re also looking at sales targets or dealing with day-to-day operational issues. Some lucky organisations have a retention manager, but for many it’s only part of their role, or the responsibility is split across several people. So, it’s no wonder that retention rarely comes to the top of the to-do-list. 

Putting it very simply, the key to good retention is talking to people. 

However, the secret to great retention is talking to the right people, in the right way, at the right time. 

GGFit Mini-Masterclasses for Improved Member Retention

In 2018 GGFit will be producing Mini-Masterclasses in Membership Retention. This extends our mission to increase awareness about retention initiatives that work, to educate the fitness industry and question the status quo, and to help you to get your members fitter, healthier and happier.

As well as getting lots of ideas as to how you can measure and improve your member retention, you’ll also learn how to implement those ideas. Plus, you can expect your staff to be more engaged and motivated, your members to stick around longer, and your bottom line to look more positive.

The format will be short, focused sessions for 5-10 minutes on a key retention message or initiative each week. These will be live-cast over the web on our webinar platform, as well as being live-streamed to Facebook. As such, all sessions will initially be free, but you can catch-up on previous sessions, and get reminders for future sessions if you register here.

Stick Around Seminar – Thanks & Feedback

It was great to have so much interest in our recent Stick Around Seminar. Thanks to the really interactive room of delegates asking questions and sharing their thoughts and experiences with each other. And a big thank you to ProInsight and SWIMTAG for presenting their ideas and tactics for member engagement alongside our talk, and to Technogym UK for hosting and providing a delicious lunch.

We’ll summarise the various presentations here on the blog over the next couple of weeks, meanwhile, here’s a selection of feedback from delegates:

Stick Around Seminar - 10th November 2015 - Get your tickets here...

Member retention is not a secret. We all know what to do - engage and interact with members as much as possible... it's not rocket science. But so many clubs are still failing to keep members, and it's not down to competition or the economy, but basic member communication, and effective measurement of those communications.

Who you gonna call?

We’re really pleased that several of our Stick Around Service clubs are taking it to the next level and calling either new and/or absent members.

Messages are good at retaining members, but as we've explained here before, a phone call can have a much better effect. Lack of resource is often given as a reason not to make the calls, but here’s three ways of making the most of limited staff time and helping your members stay active:

Calling new members

Ideally, you want to call ALL new members to see how they’re getting on, but if you only

Thank Yous & Congratulations! Why are new member communications so important

We've been focusing a lot lately on absentees and how you can get recently absent members back into the club. But as we approach the New Year, we want to ensure all of your new members are engaged and stick around as long as possible.

The face-to-face interaction such as a good welcome session and setting goals with a new member are really key (for a full service club) to engage with new members. It's also critical to get the new member communication journey right, whether you're running a traditional or budget club. There are loads of reasons why, here are our top three. Please add yours in the comments below, and we'll include them next month:

Say Thanks and Congratulations

The new member has just bought something from you. So say thank you.

Social Media for retention?

We've been really surprised by discussions and questions* at LIW and other events over the last couple of weeks about social media about how clubs should use social media for retention. 

Social Media is a useful marketing tool for clubs looking to engage and interact more with members, and while it is possible to run targeted social media marketing campaigns, sending targeted retention messages is practically impossible, and certainly not as cost effective as sms, email or direct mail.

Will messages make members cancel?

Part of the GGFaqs series: Will sending messages to absent members cause them to leave your club?

The short and honest answer is ‘Yes’. If you send messages out to members who have not visited for a few weeks, then (contracts aside) some will cancel their membership. However, there should always be many more members who return because of these communications, making the overall effect worthwhile.

Here are three details that will help more absent members return and less cancel;

What’s the best way of contacting members?

A great question submitted by Mark on the GGFaq website this week. There are many reasons for contacting members; we’re going to focus on absent members for this answer. 

Considering all absent member communication methods, a phone call is nearly always the most effective, as you are having a meaningful interaction with the member. But phone calls are time consuming, and it’s often difficult to get through. If you encounter voicemail, we always recommend leaving a message, as it shows you’ve made the effort.

Get the message right (part 2) - "Pop in for a chat"

We know that in-club interactions are most effective and most valued by members, but we can also boost contact between members and staff in the club through external messaging like SMS, email and letter… if we get the message right. 

Some new members need that extra nudge to make their next visit or to talk to an instructor. As a club manager, you should know how many visits your new members have made, so give them that nudge if they are below your minimum threshold. Include a call to action; for example try a class or speak to an instructor.

Retention Focus - Do we need people?

The LFX event in Ireland last month was a great success, with some really good audience interaction and debate around member retention. There were many good questions, one of which we’d like to expand on here – please let us know your thoughts in the comments below?

“Should we focus more on staff coaching or member messaging… surely staff are more effective at interacting with members and improving retention than sending messages.”

LIW 2013 review - payasUgym, GYMetrix & Joggle

Leisure Industry Week 2013 brought the usual busy build-up, particularly as it coincided with the launch of our book Stick Around, and we had back-to-back meetings for a couple of days in Birmingham.

There were some big changes – a new location in the NEC in hall 4, which was a little cosier that the usual large space of Hall 18. This seemed to create more of a buzz, and the exhibition floor felt busier than the last few years,

Stick Around

The health-club member retention battle continues, but there is a light in the darkness... I'm really pleased to announce that my new book, Stick Around is available to buy from ggfit.com. It brings together everything that I've learnt and shared with all the clubs I've worked with over the last 5 years. 

The book sets out the three cornerstones of good member retention: people, communication and systems. It has proven techniques to increase and improve member interaction within your club. You will find out how to communicate better with members outside your club. It also describes how to build a retention system, as well as how to best use more complex retention and exercise management systems.


The first half of the book runs through the member journey from start to finish. Each stage is accompanied by easy to understand diagrams and flowcharts, as well as real-life examples and case-studies to illustrate the key points. Part two explains the people, communication and system processes in more detail.

Summaries and checklists for each chapter, along with message, survey and report examples provide an invaluable resource