Why successful club onboarding is important for extending a member’s lifetime and connection to your community.
As fitness clubs evolve, the importance of creating a seamless onboarding experience has become paramount to retaining members. The first 60 to 90 days of a member’s journey often determine whether they will become long-term advocates or simply another statistic in the churn.
In the latest Thought Leaders digital roundtable, Maria Miller, the regional programs and kids club director at Merritt Clubs; Mary Frank, the vice president of sales and marketing at Cincinnati Sports Club; and Chez Misko, the COO at Wisconsin Athletic Club (WAC), provided actionable insights on how clubs can foster connections, ensure member satisfaction and create lasting relationships.
Onboarding isn’t just about a one-time welcome, it’s about making sure new members feel engaged and empowered from day one. Misko stressed the importance of the initial 60 days, noting that monitoring and promoting usage of the club’s services within this period is key to long-term retention.
“We really went back to the simple concept of figuring out how to get them into and utilizing the club,” said Misko. “That’s done through connecting them to our programs and services and making sure they feel comfortable in the club.”
WAC does this by having an incentive program for all new members. Those who work out at the club 16 times within their first 60 days get their starting fee back in credit that can go toward personal training, massages and other amenities. If they visit twice a week, they’ll become more familiar with the club and likely meet other members.
Another way Merritt Clubs ensures success from the beginning of a member’s lifetime is through revaluating initial meetings between a new member and staff. By changing the language around this initial meeting, they’ve found that more members attend.
“We’ve changed our verbiage, turning our initial appointments into non-optional,” said Miller. “Originally, our lifestyle consultants would tell new joiners their next step was to schedule an orientation which automatically was a red flag to a person. By changing our wording and not making it an option, it makes people believe and feel this is the next step to becoming a Meritt member.”
By refining the language and approach to the onboarding process, Merritt Clubs has seen a significant improvement in engagement during that crucial first step. However, while ensuring members take that initial appointment is key, other clubs take a broader view of club onboarding. At Cincinnati Sports Club, onboarding is seen as a lifelong process. Frank and her team are constantly looking for ways to reengage members and meet their evolving needs, whether they’ve been with the club for three months or three years.
“Onboarding is the entire journey of the member while they’re at the club,” said Frank. “We can help that member from the first steps to the golden years or from the cradle to the grave. We’re a multi-generational club, and they know this is a place they can always come back to, but I think onboarding is just delivering on your brand promise. We can tell them everything, but if we’re not going to be able to back up what we say we’re doing, then they lose that trust. That trust comes with the value of membership.”
Another way clubs are adding value to membership and increasing engagement, is through personalization. Whether it’s offering a customized fitness session or directing members to social activities, all three panelists agreed the more personalized the experience, the better the retention.
Merritt Clubs personalizes the onboarding process by identifying members’ specific interests right from the start. For example, if someone is especially or solely interested in aquatics, the club will connect them with the aquatics director in place of a general orientation.
Connections with staff also increase the likelihood of engagement which Frank emphasized. “More people since the COVID-19 pandemic are experiencing that loneliness and value having social connection opportunities,” she said. “We will do some strategies like offering a complimentary coaching session, but we expand that to finding out what they really want to do and spend more time with. If they’re looking to swim, we’ll give them a complimentary 30-minute session with one of the swim instructors to find out where they’re at and make them feel welcome in that area.”
Similarly, many clubs are capitalizing on the ability to connect members to other members. These days it’s hard for people to create friendships, and WAC has gladly become a place for social gatherings. Misko explained how the club aims to connect members to smaller communities within the larger environment.
“What we’ve found is the fitness members that just come to use our exercise equipment or weights are more likely to quit than somebody integrated in group fitness, personal training or any other programs because there’s a community base there,” said Misko. “We look for how do we get them involved with more of our community base. One of our philosophies is we want everyone to a member of one of our ‘clubs within our club’ so they feel connected to something or a group of people.”
Additionally, all three panelists stressed that the key to a successful club onboarding process is consistency and commitment. Whether through technology, personalized touchpoints or regular follow-ups, ensuring that members feel supported from the start will lead to higher retention rates and a stronger sense of community.
Ultimately, these strategies can build loyalty between members and a club, and consistency and commitment are crucial to sustaining these efforts. Ensuring your members feel supported throughout their lifetime lays the foundation for long-term success and a stronger sense of community.
“Onboarding isn’t just a task — it’s a critical part of the member experience,” said Frank. “If you deliver on your promises and make people feel valued, they’ll stay with you for years to come.”
