The time of year is here when newly anticipated members are beginning to consider their New Year resolutions and goals. More than likely on the list will be getting healthy. The good news is that means a spike in your club’s membership revenue.
Once they join the question then becomes, how do you help them want to stay? An easy way to help that process along is to find ways to create enjoyable workouts and community-driven workouts that engage each new member, so they have more than one reason not to leave. Here are some ideas about how to not only engage your members, but also maximize your physical space within the club.
An easy first place to look is your group fitness studio. How is that space being utilized and does it have times during the day where virtual classes could be taking place? A fabulous partner to use as a resource in this space is Wexer. Not only is Wexer leading the way in the virtual class offerings, they can also advise on mobile content and how to really optimize your Group X schedule by way of virtual content. If there is always a space and time to grab a workout buddy and take a class, then the chances of that member finding a routine go way up. Optimize every single minute of that room to support your new members.
Once you have your group fitness room packed to its full capacity, the next place to evaluate is your functional training spaces and how you can utilize that space and help people build relationships along the way.
MYZONE, well known for the gamification of group training, has become a staple in many boutique fitness studios’ strategies for engaging participants. If you are committed to outperforming the person on your left and right by seeing their results stacked up next to yours, well, it is easy to see how that might not only create some new friendships, but also help you get and stay in shape. I appreciate the way that MYZONE has so easily bridged the gap between knowing stats and seeing them in a fun and competitive way, an it’s an easy addition to small group training that goes a long way.
Once you have your group fitness studio booming and your small group training space full with competitive vibes, you might be wondering, where else is there to look?
Cardio equipment is oftentimes accountable for taking up a large amount of space with many treadmills, elliptical and stairmills in a row. One of the most recent tools to empower your knowledge of actual usage is ECOFIT. Through sensor technology, ECOFIT allows you to measure and monitor your cardio equipment usage, thus deciding if 10 treadmills is really the best utilization of that square footage, or if maybe you need to have twice the amount of stairmills and half the amount of bikes. Regardless of the intel the product gives you, you walk away knowing a ton more than you would have before about how engaged your members are with the equipment in your facility.
As this year comes to a close and the evaluation of how to best engage your new members is on your radar, consider how you want to help your new members stick with their new routines and how are you best maximizing your physical space to do so. As fitness industry experts, when people make the life-changing decision to begin a journey with exercise, we can do our part by having the best programming, spaces and environments for them to meet and exceed their goals. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about?
Lindsey Rainwater, also known as Lindsey RainH2O, is a sought-after business consultant, leadership coach, writer and presenter to the fitness and wellness industry. For more information about Rainwater, follow her on Twitter @LindseyRainH20.
