I got a little carried away writing this, but there is a simple reason why…
It’s way cheaper to keep clients long-term than it is to get a new client!
Getting new clients also requires time to generate & chase, plus money to get in front of that audience.
But keeping a client, a client that already trusts you, has had results with you & believes in you, is way easier & cheaper.
Happy clients are also a source of new clients with referrals.
So let’s dive into an initial 8 ways we used at FitHub30 to keep clients happy & retention HIGH 💪
1️⃣ Support Group – This is a private online members group where clients and yourself can interact with each other outside of sessions. Posting in there once a day, asking questions, giving shoutouts & gathering feedback. Creating this community allows clients to connect with others they have met in sessions and expand that friendship.
After a couple of days from yourself posting & proactively getting clients to participate, you will see that the group will almost start to run itself 🤩
2️⃣ Weekly Check-In – This is a big deal for us! We’ve debated it with other FitPros, but we really feel it’s important. Checking in once a week with a personalized message, outside of sessions, makes the client feel valued & held accountable when you set it as a check-in message.
Accountability is always a great way for maintaining retention 💬
3️⃣ Member of the Month & Milestone Certificates – Who doesn’t like a reward for hard work, right? Especially if they are being picked from a number of candidates. Member of the Month is a great way to single out specific clients who need that extra boost & give special praise to those that have really made significant changes.
Meanwhile, having Milestone Certificates as part of your retention strategy will give clients something to aim for & feel proud of when achieved. It could be the number of sessions or the number of months or years as a member. It could be weight loss or the amount of weight lifted.
4️⃣ Social Events – Building a community makes all the difference when it comes to retaining members. That’s why having social events & events to boost the community feel is a MUST! This could be as simple as a monthly trip to bingo or holding a summer BBQ 🍖 Out-of-gym events WORK!
If you are looking for the best event you can run, then 100% look at running a charity event. There are so many positive outcomes to running one a year 💪
5️⃣ Clothing and Merchandise – The community feel & the sense of belonging to something will always make a huge difference. That’s why when a new client signs up, we give them their own FitHub30 T-Shirt with their name on it, quickly allowing the client to feel part of the team.
We don’t stop with one design either; every other month, we have a new design available, with our most devoted clients wanting to make sure they have purchased all designs.
Not to forget the number of clients that drop their children off in our branded clothing & walk around the shopping center in them 💪
6️⃣ Equipment – There are 2 ways we use this to our advantage when it comes to retention.
The first is simply purchasing something like MyZone, having clients follow their session efforts on the TV screen, making fitness gamified for your clients wanting to keep pushing to new levels & overall boosting retention.
Another way is always purchasing a new piece of kit each quarter, sometimes it’s large items, other times just new bands. That new kit feeling always makes the clients feel like we keep investing & making the gym even better!
7️⃣ Birthday Cards – Sometimes it’s the small things that make all the difference, we found.
Some clients have large social groups & this doesn’t mean anything to them, but those that don’t have a large social group, this means the world to them. Having the postman/woman deliver a birthday card handwritten by their gym!
We have clients come in & say a BIG THANK YOU; others take pictures & post it all over social media.
We also send out cards for any occasion that fits!
8️⃣ Guest Events – Fresh faces can make a difference & giving the clients a chance to try something different made all the difference.
We poll clients on what monthly guest event they want, then we get it booked in. They range from Yoga & Zumba sessions to Menopause & Nutrition Chats, etc. Planning these sometimes months in advance gives clients something different to look forward to.
At the end of the day, it really comes down to showing you care about your clients. Not everything on this list has to cost. A quick message after a session to say great work can mean a lot to someone.
Want to chat FB Ads Management or System & LeadDec? –>> https://go.fitproleadgen.com/chatwithus
Want to chat FitPro Incubator? –>> http://m.me/iamdavidkyle
David 🙂
