The Gym Owner’s Guide to Reactivating Former Clients

In the fitness world, we often prioritize our relationships with new leads and current clients, overlooking one of the easiest opportunities: reactivating clients who have trained with you in the past. The Reactivation Framework will help you engage former clients, rekindle meaningful relationships with them, and have them asking YOU how they can get started again!

The Reactivation Framework

Step One: The Plan

Start by assembling a list of former clients who meet some basic criteria:

1. Full List: Everyone who has ever trained at your gym and is no longer a current client.
2. Geographic Exclusions: Exclude clients who no longer train with you due to geographic issues (e.g., they moved away).
3. Cultural Fit: Exclude any clients who were toxic to your gym culture.
4. Final List: Everyone who is left stays on the list. Don’t exclude people for extra reasons!

Step Two: The Question

Craft the perfect question to elicit a fast and honest reply. Your question should be extremely open-ended. For example, “I was just thinking about you and wanted to see how you have been?” You can follow up the question with a short statement to demonstrate that you have an emotional tie to their response, such as “I miss seeing you in the gym!”

Step Three: The Action

Stop overthinking, write a simple email, and push ‘send’. Here’s an example of a finished email:

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Hey [Name],

I was just thinking about you and wanted to see how you have been? I miss seeing you around the gym.

[Your Name]

No logos, no branding, no fancy HTML—just a simple, heartfelt message.

Step Four: The Response

When someone replies, provide a professional and meaningful reply within four hours. Answer their questions, provide feedback and encouragement, and congratulate them on their successes. Hold up your end of the bargain and re-establish the relationship.

Step Five: The Offer

Provide a relaxed but compelling offer to get them in the door so you can provide value. Examples include:

• Free Consultation: Custom tailor the session and provide an exceptional experience.
• Free Body Composition Analysis: No sales pressure, provides actionable information.
• Free Personal Training Session: No pressure, human interaction, set goals that deliver value.

The Reactivation Framework Worksheet

Total Former Clients

Write down the total number of people who no longer train at your facility.

The Question

What’s the single question you’re going to ask your former clients? Remember, don’t go for a sale or anything that requires a commitment. Just connect with them like a human being who cares.

The Benefit

Why will your former clients take you up on this offer? What type of value are you providing them? If you’re having trouble explaining what a person has to gain by showing up, you likely aren’t providing enough value and need to reconsider the offer. Put it on paper!

Exclusions

Write down the number of former clients who are excluded due to geographical reasons or due to being “bad clients” that you wouldn’t want back.

The Offer

Once you establish rapport with the former client, how will you take it to the next level—meaning how will you get them to show up? It’s not about making a sale—save that for after they’re in the door. Just give them some value so they have a reason to continue the relationship!

Next Steps

This is arguably the easiest and cheapest way to increase membership and revenue. So let’s get after it! The Zen Planner Reactivation Framework won’t help move the needle in your fitness business unless you TAKE ACTION and do it. Make the list, craft the question, send the email, be committed to responding, build relationships, get people in the door, and start winning!

How Zen Planner Can Help

Do you have all your follow-up marketing systems and campaigns dialed in? Are you confident that you and your staff are maximizing the value from all your leads, building fiercely loyal relationships with your clients, and winning back former members? If you are a fitness entrepreneur and are interested in getting a one-on-one evaluation of your marketing systems, schedule a call with a Zen Planner team member today!