Sean Turner, the CEO at Les Mills U.S., shares the importance of investing in your membership base in January.
January is just around the corner and it’s a chance for members and operators alike to win big. Showing members you’re invested in their goals now, and throughout the year, is key to reminding them their fitness journey matters, increasing your chances of securing their loyalty for the long run.
Show your support
So, what’s the best way to do it? Paying attention to members’ goals is a great place to start. When a new member signs up, many clubs focus on the sale and then assume the member will be fine. Little wonder then that 50% of new gym members quit within six months (IHRSA, 2020). A rigorous onboarding process is crucial to their long-term success and your club’s. Curating an in-club experience that supports new members’ confidence will kickstart the all-important element of routine. It’s a team effort. Make sure everyone from reception to personal trainers nurtures your new starters by checking in with them as they arrive at the club and leave.
Get social
Dialing up the social side of your facility is key. A great place to start boosting connection at your facility is with events. Events are simple, retention-driving moments that bring your members together, boosting the ‘sticky’ social bonds that are crucial to habit formation. They’re easy to segment by audience and are an effective way to bring like-minded people together over program launches and new releases.
They’re also a great place to start winning with your existing members’ extended network. Open days and taster sessions are a great way to let prospects try group workouts throughout the year, offering a sneak peek at all that’s offered and a chance to imagine themselves at your facility.
Tackle trends
There’s no doubt in-person connections are at their best in the group training studio. Directing footfall here eases pressure on equipment and shows your members their goals can be achieved in other areas of the gym. One such example of this is strength training, which is back in a big way. Gen Z is driving this trend, with strength training identified as their favorite way to work out. But this workout is popular with members of all ages, thanks to its ability to increase bone strength, build lean muscle mass and improve all-around mobility.
Other trends set to continue dominating the fitness landscape include yoga, Pilates and sculpt workouts — highlighting the appetite among consumers for workouts that challenge their stamina and their strength.
The star ingredient
With strong consumer demand for social connection, it’s inevitable the people fronting our clubs will have a vital role to play. Great staff is key to winning new members. And your next rockstar instructor could be right under your nose. Keep an eye out for your most engaged participants, and have your team shoulder tap participants they think are ready to make the leap into instructor training.
A successful January is all in the planning and it’s never too late to start. So what are you waiting for?
