Gym Owner Monthly - The Big Interview with Guy Griffiths

Gym Owner Monthly, August 2020, Guy Griffiths talks data, motivation, bridging the gap between exercise and technology, and recovery in the Big Interview

How did you get into the fitness industry?

My mission is to help operators to support their members’ health and wellbeing. 

After 12 years as a consultant and ultimately as director of sales and marketing for a banking software firm, I was looking for something more meaningful. I wanted to help people to be healthier and fitter, rather than help banks to make more money. I had always been a regular gym member, and knew retention was an issue, but that exercise data was under-used.

I talked to staff at the clubs where I was a member, and other clubs around London, and built connections with a few suppliers. I networked relentlessly online and at events like the FIA (ukactive) conferences, LIW (Leisure Industry Week), and SIBEC. I supported and presented at the IOU (Independent Operators Unite) events at LIW.

Without the experience or biases of working from the ground up, I think from a member’s perspective, often questioning the status quo. When the answer is “because we’ve always done it like that”, it is usually time for change.

Re-opening Reality Check - How many members are coming back?

I'm an optimist, but also a realist. There's a lot of talk about 80-90% of members returning to health clubs when we re-open, but this is mindless optimism.

The video below explains how it's more likely to be 20% in the first month, and for the member engagement campaigns we've sent, and conversations with partners in other countries, this is a much more realistic estimate.

Health, Not Fitness

Now the UK fitness industry finally has a date that we can come out of lockdown, it’s a good time to reflect on the past few weeks, months, and even years. 

There’s been a lot of rhetoric, debate, and disbelief that it’s taken so long for the UK government to allow gyms to re-open (in England, at least). Particularly when pubs opened before gyms. As the fitness industry, we see ourselves as part of the solution, but it shows that we are in our own bubble. 

If we’re talking about fitness, people have managed without gyms and leisure centres over the last few months. There are many other ways of keeping fit, as many fitness enthusiasts and newcomers have found. [There are other ways of enjoying a pint or glass of wine, but let’s leave that for now]. Gym memberships only cater for 15% of the population, and unless we change our message, mission, or purpose, this is unlikely to change.

Inductions – This time it IS about health and safety (and retention) - Gym Owner Monthly Article

It will soon be time to welcome many of your members back to your club. This presents you with a huge opportunity to make a fresh start with all members, regardless of their experience or expectations. First impressions matter, and this time around they matter more than ever.

Inductions are a cornerstone of good member retention that I often talk and write about. Articles in GOM Feb20 and Oct19 both reference onboarding and inductions, but not as mandatory health and safety appointments. As we re-open, we can use the health and safety argument to ensure all members get this key interaction. To be clear, this is not a 45-minute one-on-one appointment, more of a fast-start speech that you deliver to all members.

Why is the induction more important than ever? 

Ask The Expert (The Collective) Ep 19 - Retention Special

This week, Guy Griffiths joined Paul Bedford in a Retention Special, hosted by Alina Cooper on The Collective.

Member retention is on everyone's agenda at the moment - will people return to our clubs, and when? Paul and Guy discuss the opportunities thrown up by the COVID pandemic to improve health club member retention, from inductions to digital engagement.
What does the future look like for retention, and do they think there will be more of a focus going forward?

The Collective is a group of fitness industry people who come together to share, collaborate and grow.. This is the first double bill "Ask the Expert" session on the Collective. Click here to join and learn more.

Personal Trainers... Improve Client Retention: Stop Selling Sessions - PT Monthly Article

One of the most common retention problems for PTs is keeping members beyond the initial block of sessions, whether it is 3, 5, or 10. This month, we’re looking at different models for retention, along with ways of adding value to your PT offering.

The Covid pandemic has highlighted a lot of successful and some more problematic business models. Many businesses have been setting up or switching to subscription services, long before lockdown. Netflix, Amazon, and Spotify are obvious examples, but others include food (Abel&Cole, HelloFresh), drink (VirginWine, Beer52), razors (Harrys, DollarShaveClub), and toilet roll (WhoGivesACrap, BumBoo). Convenience is the number one selling point, but all these have an important back story, secondary mission or value, often about sustainability, environmental, or experience. Note that they all put value before price.

Selling a block of 10 sessions is out-dated, not only because the consumer is more accustomed to subscription, but also because you must keep selling every 5-10 weeks. And selling is rarely a PT’s strongest skill, or favourite part of the job. What’s more, it gives the client an easy ‘out’, particularly if they’ve not got value from the latter sessions.

Experience Recovery Conversation with Guy Griffiths and David Monkhouse of Leisure Net

Guy in conversation with David Monkhouse on the Leisure Net Experience Recovery Series.

Guy and David discuss lockdown exercise, gym membership cancellations and communicating with members as clubs start to think about re-opening.

Reducing the Second Wave - Gym Owner Monthly Article

We all hope to avoid a second wave of Covid-19 infections. A bigger worry for many gym owners and operators is the second wave of membership cancellations as we get closer to re-opening.

Communication is key to maintaining member engagement. Let’s talk about what happened as we entered lockdown, how you should be learning from lockdown messaging, and how to communicate your re-opening and flatten the second wave of membership cancellations.

Adapting Your Customer Journeys - Technogym Talks webinar - on catch-up

Guy Griffiths, founder of gym retention business GGFit presented the latest Technogym talks webinar on Monday 18th May. Scroll down to watch the whole session.

He has worked closely with Technogym since 2009, helping clubs to get the most out of the mywellness system, and use data to motivate staff and members.

Many fitness facilities and health clubs are reviewing their member journeys at the moment. It is important to consider adapting your traditional in-club processes, as well as developing digital membership journeys.

Digital or Die - Gym Owner Monthly Article

The fitness industry has dived in at the deep end of the digital world during lockdown. We were slowly evolving with online offerings and programming apps. Now we must accelerate our adoption of technology to stay in touch with and retain members. If you are waiting for things to get ‘back to normal’, you will be left behind.

It’s critical that you get on the digital fitness bandwagon right now, not only to help your members and your business to get through lockdown, but to come out the other side fit and fighting, and prepared for the next phase of the fitness industry.