Industry statistics show group fitness activities are one of the most effective tools for member retention and long-term club profit.
According to IHRSA’s Guide to Membership Retention by John McCarthy, “Retention rates are higher for ‘group fitness’ members than for ‘machine’ members.”
In addition the guide states, “Every club has hundreds, and sometimes thousands of machine members, i.e., members whose only interactions with their club are with the particular exercise machines on which they exercise. Such members tend to be deficient in both member-to-member connections and member-to-staff connections. Their only connection to the club is the connection that they have to the cold metal machines on which they perform their exercises.”
IHRSA makes another sobering point: “Machine members are, by definition, high-risk members. They belong, as it were, in every club’s intensive care unit. The loyalty of such members is paper-thin. For them, their club is no more than a place that stockpiles exercise machines.”
When looking at how an average club services its members, the breakdown looks something like this: 2 to 5% personal training members, 10 to 15% group fitness members and 80% machine members. This 80% represents high-risk members.
When clubs utilize a branded group fitness system that includes marketing, management, programming and training resources, they turn what once was an instructor product into a real club product that drastically reduces the red, from 80% to only 42%. A system approach will enable you to integrate all departments, such as sales, personal training and front desk, to work together to change the way you service members.
A branded group fitness system approach will enable you to consistently market your services, control your member integration system, and ensure a high quality, consistent exercise experience for you members, regardless of what instructor is teaching. It is the business approach needed to service members in the most advantageous manner.
Group fitness members are the most loyal because of the social network they are part of; they are less price sensitive because they value the social network-which is not replaceable-and they will bring friends because group fitness is social. Now that is the type of member you want.
Don’t be a place that just stockpiles cold metal exercise machines. Service more people through memorable group fitness experiences and reduce the red!
Terry Browning is the President of Body Training Systems, a division of The STEP Company. He can be contacted at 800/729-7837 or by email at twb@thestep.com.
