Get more members like Sal

As a gym owner, you already get the importance of member retention. It’s one key to the success and profitability of your business. Keeping current members is more cost-effective than constantly acquiring new ones. When they stay longer, you benefit from a stable revenue stream.

Customer Lifetime Value is a powerful concept to consider when planning your business growth strategy. Consider Sal, in the photo above. She’s more than a member. Over the 13 years she’s been at your gym, she’s become a friend. Sadly she’s moving interstate so will be leaving, however across her 676 weeks Sal's customer lifetime value was a total of $33,800. You want more Sal’s in your gym. 

The visual below illustrates the ideal gym member journey to attract and retain more people like Sal.

Of course not all members are the same, but let’s begin with the ideal scenario. Consider each phase in the journey and how you guide people from the first time they hear about your gym, through to becoming a word of mouth ambassador, who refers new members to the gym. Spend a moment reflecting on these questions:

1. How do your existing members describe your gym at a BBQ with their mates? What would you like them to say to attract new leads?
2. What new things can you do to find out more about new members when onboarding them?
3. When people show signs of low engagement, what are you doing to re-engage them?
4. List all your current retention strategies then ask are you happy with your retention rates?
5. What can you put in place to turn members into ambassadors who refer their friends?