Saying hello to club members is more than just the polite thing to do, it actually makes good business sense. According to research performed by New Global Survey, club members who are never spoken to are 2.8 times more likely to cancel than those who are regularly engaged in some form of conversation with staff and management. This equates to around 21 extra cancelled memberships a month for every 1000 members. Yikes! Who knew saying hello was so much more than a friendly greeting!
Over half of health club owners believe customer engagement is crucial to running a successful business. So why don’t more club owners make it a priority when training their staff? It doesn’t have to be time consuming or tedious, in fact, it doesn’t even have to be in-person. Customer engagement can mean engaging members online, through social media, emails, newsletters, or surveys.
A study performed by the Customer Engagement Academy (CEA) concluded that 90 percent of members appreciate it when trainers, coaches, staff, or members engage with them. In that same study, 83 percent of the clubs surveyed said they do that. On top of staff engagement, members who felt engaged with other members, were the happiest overall with their club.
The following are some of the best ways to help members feel engaged with the staff and other members.
1. Create a Weight Loss Challenge
Many people join a gym to lose weight, but their motivation often fizzles after a month or so. Help them keep the momentum going while also letting them know they have their support by offering a weight loss challenge. This type of activity provides a great opportunity to get them to try new classes and personal training. When they start to see results faster, retention will improve while boosting your bottom line.
3. Offer Running Clubs
Members that are in great shape might feel excluded by activities like weight loss challenges. To keep everyone engaged, start a running club. Schedule running times for members to get together and log some miles. This can be done outside or as a group on the treadmills indoor. You could even extend the opportunity to sponsoring a 5K or throwing one yourself.
4. Suggest a Recipe of the Month
Everyone knows abs start in the kitchen. Meaning, what your members eat can play a big role in their weight loss goals. Help them stay on track by making recipe of the month suggestions. You could even spotlight certain members by having members share their healthy recipes and send them out in the newsletter each month.
5. Offer a prize for check-ins
Research shows that gym members who check-in to the gym less than once a week are more likely to cancel. You can increase retention by encouraging your members to simply come to the club and check-in. Have your members get involved and track their check-ins on Facebook. The person that checks in the most each month will earn a price. Be sure to offer second and third place prizes, too.
Engaging your customers doesn’t have to be difficult, in fact it can be fun! After all, helping people reach their fitness and wellness goals is why you came into this business in the first place. With a little creativity you can think outside the box and keep each and every one of your members engaged.