Member retention has justifiably come into greater focus in recent years. Few can lay claim to having the “magic bullet” that actually works to increase membership lifespan and loyalty. However, the man many call Mr. Retention, Paul Brown, seems to have struck a chord with members and club operators alike with his Face2Face approach to finding, winning and keeping members. So much so that IHRSA has partnered with Brown, making Face2Face their official retention program to steer the industry toward its global goal of 120 million members by the year 2010.
Face2Face helps build your profits in five key ways:
1. Increased membership revenue by improved retention and member lifespan
2. Improved sales closing ratios
3. Increase enquiry rates by direct referral generation
4. Maximized Personal Training and Small Group PT profits
5. Improved staff efficiency through innovative software and time-saving systems.
According to health club owners who are using the program, Face2Face is indeed making the difference. Spend a few minutes with Paul Brown (PB), and it becomes obvious that retention is indeed his passion.
“Retention is everything” he told Club Solutions. “Every single club owner reading this magazine would be wealthier if their members stayed just one day longer. In fact, the average club could potentially double its profits, if members stayed just a few months longer. Clubs that take their retention as seriously as they do their sales, already know this and benefit.”
According to Brown, the key to when members leave and why they quit is mostly in how they got started. Get members off to the right start, help them overcome their personal barriers, and your club will rightfully earn their loyalty.
“Nobody wants to fail. Members start out with all good intentions, but they need the club to guide them from beginner to enthusiast – from new kid on the block to familiar face. Most club operators understand this transition is necessary, but they haven’t had the know-how or tools to make it deliverable,” says Brown. “With Face2Face, we make it possible for a club’s own staff to take all their members through this journey, to really set them up for life with guaranteed results in around 30 days.” Following is an interview performed by Club Solutions Magazine (CS) with Mr. Retention, Paul Brown (PB):
CS: You actually guarantee that members will get results within 30 days?
PB: Absolutely, we all want results. No matter what we buy, we expect it to perform. If clubs are willing to promise results and improve peoples’ lives, they had better back it up and deliver.
Face2Face has a 30-Day Results Review that ensures our members are on track. Best of all, we don’t just focus on the visual benefits of exercise, we highlight how much better our members feel – thanks to their new lifestyle.
CS: What are members asked to do to receive a guarantee?
PB: We simply ask members to complete the Face2Face program within 30 to 42 days and attend, and record their workouts three days a week in that same period. If they do that, they will see results.
CS: That’s it? What if the member does not get results?
PB: We refund their membership. However, we’ve had over two million members take on Face2Face in six countries. And, to date, we have not had one single member complete the program, as prescribed, and fail to get results. Anybody can start to look and feel better within a month of regular exercise – if the program is right and the benchmarks are meaningful.
CS: That’s a pretty powerful marketing message.
PB: Yes it is. Clubs with the Face2Face system can rightfully market our results guarantee with confidence, and their members love it. Consumers trust our results guarantee because of the high visibility of the tools that our sales teams use; along with endless member testimonials. We have proof, all over our clubs that we deliver the advice and support we promise.
CS: How does Personal Training factor into the Face2Face Systems?
PB: Personal Training (PT) is a fantastic profit center, and plays a major role in our programs, just not at the induction level. Many clubs try to sell PT packages or give away teaser sessions as their induction system, only to find their Personal Trainers focusing mostly on up-selling themselves for more PT before the client is really ready to fully use their membership. This, of course, can turn a new member right away from the club.
Face2Face transforms your new members – creating fitness enthusiasts and raving fans of your club first. Then, the members are more open to choose PT as one of their on-going solutions and if they don’t, we still win, becuase we have created a member for life.
CS: You are a former Aerobics Champion and veteran instructor, how does Group X fit into Face2Face?
PB: Group Exercise participants can be our most reliable and loyal members. However, the learning curve in many classes is rather steep, so we take great care to prescribe the correct classes within Face2Face. This ensures members go to the right class, and the instructor welcomes each new participant personally. We reward members who follow this process and measure the takeup rate. Class numbers can swell by 40% or more, thanks to this single process alone. Face2Face is full of such simple, but effective initiatives.
CS: What role does Nutrition play in the Face2Face Program?
PB: Face2Face offers a consultation to look at our members’ eating habits and help them adopt healthier options and sustainable choices. It’s voted the most popular of all Face2Face consultations.
CS: Does a club need to hire nutritionists or dietitians to deliver this?
PB: We don’t do diets; so we don’t need dietitians. The information follows nationally accepted, healthy eating guidelines; so we can train regular fitness staff to deliver this very helpful session.
CS: Does any of the Face2Face Program require specialist qualifications?
PB: No. Face2Face allows clubs to recruit nice people with good attitudes and basic fitness qualifications. We provide all the tools, certification training and guidance needed to allow these people to rapidly grow into truly influential consultants.
CS: How do you get a club started on Face2Face?
PB: Typically, we deliver a five-day, on-site, intensive course. Over those five days, we train the fitness team, sales team, reception and administrative staff, along with management. The team morale and unity that comes out is very powerful. Additionally, we have online tutorials and manuals; so remote clubs and smaller businesses can take the self-starter route. These tools are also excellent for bringing on new staff once the program is in place.
CS: How much of your retention systems are reliant on technology?
PB: The magic of Face2Face is best explained in our name. Humans respond best to human interaction. However, we could not run Face2Face anywhere near as well without our technology – namely the F2F-IT software. The main features of the Face2Face software include:
•A total scheduling system for Face2Face programs, fitness, sales and PT appointments
•Automated sales tracking and reporting
•CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and the year-round F2F (Face2Face) Members-For-Life™ auto-contact system
•Health Profile, Results and Medical Profiling
•Scorecards, Retention Analysis and KPI reports.
First, the software makes sure our sales prospects get well-timed contact. So, those prospects choose our clubs, not our competitors. Once a prospect becomes a member, the software takes the hard work out of managing the face-to-face contacts, and warns us when people might otherwise slip through the cracks. That way, we get full efficiency from the staff resource, and we can generate reminders and motivating messages to members at just the right moment to maintain momentum.
No one ever learned to drive a car by email, so if you want to retain members and help them to create positive habits, first get them faceto- face with your team.
CS: You mentioned that Face2Face is available in six countries.
PB: Actually more now. We started in my native country of Australia, then onto New Zealand and right across the United Kingdom, now we’ve spread through Latin America, Canada and my new home of the United States. All of our resources, training materials and software have been translated into several languages – as the message and program is equally relevant wherever people are joining and quitting gyms, leisure centers and health clubs.
CS: So, how does a club find out more about Face2Face?
PB: Anyone wanting more information is welcome to call our toll-free number: 1.888.323.2010, or email us at info@retentionf2f.com We can arrange an online meeting, or maybe even visit you face-to-face. As IHRSA’s official 120 million by 2010 retention program, it will be our pleasure to help you to find, win, and keep more members.
