Expert Tips for Member Retention

At Zen Planner, we talk to thousands of gym owners every year. When we ask what keeps them up at night, they always say the same thing — member retention. Retention is an issue for gyms across the board. Even if a gym adds new members to its community, retaining existing members is still a top priority. Member retention is critical because it costs 10 times more to win a new member than it does to keep a current one. Plus, members are more valuable the longer they stay at your gym. Often, they refer family members and friends, growing and adding value to your community.

Retention Takes Work

There are some simple things you can do to build a culture of retention and keep your existing members happy. Many of the concepts we share in this guide come from industry leaders and the most successful gym owners we know. These strategies are also backed by research from top retention experts. So, if you’re looking for gym member retention ideas, you’ve come to the right place.

Proven Retention Strategies

You know those businesses that provide such an amazing experience that you never think to check out their competitors? Our retention strategies will help you provide that kind of experience. Whether these strategies serve as a reminder or spur a new approach, we recommend you adopt them to keep your members happy and loyal.

Strategy #1: Offer an Elevated Member Experience and a Convenient Class Schedule

Your members will be more likely to come back if they receive an elevated member experience and a convenient class schedule. Evaluate your classes, hours, and offerings from time to time to ensure they meet your members’ needs. Offer reservations and check-ins to help you monitor and optimize your class schedule. By tracking attendance, you’ll gain valuable insight into which classes and class times are most popular and profitable.

Pro Tip: Enforce a six-hour reservation window to know in advance if a class needs to be canceled due to low attendance, saving your instructor an unnecessary trip.

Strategy #2: Show Appreciation for Your Members

The easiest way to make your members feel special is to slow down and really listen when they talk to you. Showing genuine interest in your members improves retention because it makes them feel valued by you and your community. Try to remember at least one fact from each conversation and ask about it the next time you speak. Celebrate accomplishments and personal events like birthdays, gym anniversaries, and personal records.

Pro Tip: Engage online too. Shout out a member’s progress or consistency on social media.

Strategy #3: Make It Easy to Be a Gym Member

Audit your processes occasionally to ensure they are simple and efficient. Automatic billing saves time and energy for you and your members. It also helps with retention by removing the monthly payment decision. Choose a gym management software with automatic billing and integrated payment processing built right in, like Zen Planner.

Pro Tip: Provide an added convenience for members by selling basic retail items like water, recovery drinks, and snacks.

Strategy #4: Engage Your Members

When training is routine and boring, people lose interest. Keep training fresh and interesting by adding variety and making it fun to be a member of your gym. Plan fitness challenges, host workshops, hold outdoor classes, and incorporate new fitness trends.

Pro Tip: Use workout tracking integrated into your member management software to show members their progress and keep them engaged.

Strategy #5: Build a Strong & Inclusive Community

Plan fun events to give your members an opportunity to get to know each other better. Create a member hangout area in your gym where they can chat and connect. Use social media to reinforce community by creating a private Facebook group or an engaging Instagram feed.

Pro Tip: Try to schedule an event every month and don’t be discouraged if the turnout isn’t great at first. Interest will grow as your community grows.

Strategy #6: Start Members off on the Right Foot

First impressions matter. Ensure your website is modern, responsive, and built to drive leads. Provide a great first impression when new members visit your gym by being attentive and helpful. A foundational program is critical to help new members transition safely and easily into your community.

Pro Tip: Help new members form the habit of exercise by asking them when they’ll be back before they leave your gym.

Strategy #7: Know Your Numbers

Your business metrics tell you a lot about your members’ happiness and your overall rate of retention. Metrics analysis identifies trends, highlights trouble, and lets you intelligently address issues as they arise. Use member management software for progress tracking, attendance tracking, and metric reporting.

Pro Tip: Track metrics like member retention rate, churn rate, and attendance per member to understand and improve retention.

Now, Go Make Your Members Happy!

Retention is the key to unlocking your success as a gym owner. By being proactive and building a culture of retention, you can ensure your members are happy and getting what they need. And by knowing your retention metrics, you can continuously monitor overall retention trends and address any issues if they arise.

How Zen Planner Can Help

Zen Planner is your day-to-day software that simplifies every aspect of gym management. With stunning websites, robust reports, integrated payment processing, automatic billing, attendance tracking, retail, marketing automation, customer relationship management (CRM), and community engagement, you have everything you need to streamline operations, increase revenue, and engage members.

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