In order to run a successful health club, you have to focus on building trust and loyalty with your current members. It requires a team effort on your staff’s behalf to truly build rewarding, lasting relationships — relationships that will generate more revenue, per member, for your club.
In today’s club business you must display to your members that you genuinely care about their well-being. Keep in mind — your members do not care what you know until they know that you care. Members have many choices when it comes to clubs to join, so encourage your staff to do the following steps to build better relationships:
1. When a member checks in always greet them by their first name and welcome them to your club. Members want and need to feel welcomed in your club. There is nothing worse than after a member signs up for a membership the communication with that member stops. Make it mandatory that your staff learn the names of all members and communicate with members often. Keeping good communication with members prevents potential problems from going undetected.
2. Make sure you have the e-mail addresses of all members. Having the e-mail addresses of all members will enable you to communicate with your members by conveying important club information and happenings when they are not in your club. Take advantage of technology and reach out and touch your members frequently. Let them know you care.
3. Present special offers to your members first. Always present your current members with your club’s special offer first. Give them first opportunity to take advantage of your club’s offers. This goes a long way in making them feel special. It communicates to them that they are important and have opportunities available.
4. Introduce members to your staff. Whenever possible introduce your members to as many members of your staff as possible. The more warm and welcoming faces at your facility the more comfortable the member will be with their surroundings. When a member joins introduce them to the management team, personal trainers, massage therapists, group X instructors, juice bar manager, child care staff, etc. If you were at a party with your friend and your friend did not know anyone, what would you do? Hopefully you would introduce them to as many people as you could so that they felt more comfortable at the party. Do this with your members. Take the opportunity to make the member feel comfortable.
5. Always initiate conversation. Whenever the opportunity arises, always initiate conversation with your members. Sometimes this will be nothing more than a smile and a “Hello.” Keeping it simple goes a long way in making your members feel welcome. Don’t make your members communicate first. After all, they are the lifeblood of your business; so treat them that way to keep them.
In order to get members comfortable with your club and to be more loyal and trusting, your club’s staff must communicate with them often to build a solid relationship.
Shawn McDonald is the publisher of Club Solutions Magazine.
