A recent study by Harvard Business Review highlights that acquiring a new client is anywhere from 5-25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one. What does that mean? It seems like retention is the holy grail of gym management, nonetheless a vital process in keeping your members coming back for more. So how do we change it?
Many people walk through the doors of fitness clubs every day with hope for the outcome, but no love for the process.
It isn’t hard to understand why retention is the industry’s number one issue. How long can we realistically expect people to dedicate valuable time, money and energy to something they don’t truly want to do?
Here’s a list of some of the tips and strategies that actually work:
- Build a community
Simply create an experience that your members look forward to and want to be part of.
If the only person who knows, or cares, that we put in time and effort to exercise is us, it is easy to make the choice not to. Not only are fantastic trainers and club staff essential, but it is crucial to create the right, highly supportive environment for your members too.
Being able to support members throughout their workout and beyond can be incredibly challenging. Creating a strong sense of community amongst members means the environment is welcoming, supportive and fun. If we feel apart of something and have support and recognition of our efforts, the chances are we feel much more motivated to not only join in, but to give it our all.
Exercise can feel alienating, especially if you are new and lacking confidence. A community environment can help overcome this, making us feel part of something greater and know we aren’t alone.
Research shows that members who make friends at their club are 40% less likely to cancel. Myzone users are also shown to deliver 41% more activity when they have 4 or more connections in their app, so the power of community is strongly proven.
- Group exercise
Group exercise is undoubtedly a powerful driver of retention. Those taking part reduce their risk of cancellation by 26%. In 2017, Dr Dayna Yorks from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine found that participants in a Les Mills CXWORX group scored significantly higher in terms of stress-reduction and physical, mental, and emotional quality of life compared to those people who worked out alone.
Making the sessions work for all members depends on creating an inclusive community for everyone regardless of experience or fitness level. Welcoming new people, using names and setting expectations with clear goals is essential. This helps create a strong sense of belonging and achievement which is crucial in motivating your members to return again and again.
- Keep track of your members’ milestones
Every client has certain goals when they first joined a gym. They vary from losing weight, building muscle, or simply becoming healthier. This is where you can really add value and set yourself apart from any competition. With Myzone, you can track and interact with your clients' efforts, because Myzone it's more than a heart rate monitoring system, it's a full social platform.
Myzone means that absolutely anyone can feel good about exercise, whether it’s before, during or after the event. If your members are struggling, you can easily reach out and empower them to stay motivated, as everyone's results are visible with the Myzone App. Myzone provides that instant gratification of accomplishment that keeps your members wanting to come back again and again. When clients reach their goals, you can even send a congratulatory message and reward them with incentives.
Myzone helps to show millions of people around gyms who would frequently be intimidated by the space that you don’t need to already be fit to workout. Instead, reward yourself throughout the journey. Majority of people are not intrinsically motivated to exercise. Instead, they yearn for a reward that makes the act of working out feel worth it, but when that feeling of accomplishment is not achieved, it is easy for members to just give up.
With Myzone, you can provide your members with a platform full of opportunities and support that will give them a reason to keep coming back for more. If you are ready to grab your members' attention and keep them hooked on exercise, give us a call today so we can show you how Myzone can change your club.
