Every health club wants new members. In fact, nine out of 10 health club owners claim their biggest issue is getting more leads into the business. While that is an important topic, it is actually more important to focus more on the happiness of your existing members rather than worrying so much about prospects.
Look at it from a cost standpoint: attracting a new client costs at least five times more than it does to keep a current member staying and paying longer. Yet some club owners tend to forget this simple truth. They get into the habit of forgetting about members as soon as they sign the agreement, and focus on the next sale.
This is not good business — both in terms of customer service and overall business strategy. You absolutely must give more attention to and more emphasis on your existing paying members. Without them, you wouldn’t be able to run a business in the first place.
With a fitness offering on every corner, consequently your slice of the membership pie keeps getting smaller and smaller. The key to your success lies within your current membership base. Make them loyal to you and your club, get them paying more for ancillary services, get them referring more friends, and you will have far greater success than trying to drive new traffic through your doors.
Here are a few ideas to turn your members into raving fans:
Create a Success Story Wall. Cover it in pictures, testimonials, before and after photos, and success stories. Your members will love the recognition, AND your prospects will see that if they become a member, they too will be recognized for their efforts.
Collect member surveys. This might seem like a bit of a chore, but I promise you that it is worth it. Your members want to feel that they are a part of your club. We forget what the moniker “member” means sometimes. They are a part of your business, and therefore deserve a voice in the overall direction of the business. Ask all members as they check-in at the front desk to fill out a quick questionnaire. Ask both closed-ended questions and open-ended questions, allowing them to elaborate on what they like and dislike about the club. Ask if they have any recommendations and be sure to implement them, within reason. It wouldn’t hurt to give them a gift for filling out the survey. A free bottle of water or a guest pass will be appreciated.
Introduce your prospects to your most loyal members. This makes your member feel like an integral part of the family, helps create the social atmosphere in the club and makes your prospect feel more at home. If you are with a prospect and a member needs your assistance, be sure to help the member. The prospect won’t be upset. Rather, they will recognize that your paying members are valued and taken care of. If you take that extra moment to take care of your existing member in front of your prospect, you can then use it as a selling feature. “Sorry about that. At least you should feel good that we would drop anything to assist one of our members!”
Become friends with your members. Know them by name and make sure your staff knows them by name. A good game to play with your staff is to give them $5 if they can name three people you point out in the gym when you quiz them.
Always pay attention to your members, always say hello and goodbye to everyone and make it a point each day to get to know all of your members a little better. Ask them how their day went. Ask how their family is doing. Show them a new exercise. Introduce them to another member with similar interests.
Make sure you take care of your existing members, and they will always take care of you.
Curtis Mock is the host of www.FitnessBusinessTelevision.com the TV show for fitness entrepreneurs. He is also the executive director of gymsuccess.com. Curtis can be reached at curtis@clubsolutionsmagazine.com.
