Retention, Brand Identity, Excellence – More ways Independent Gym can stand out from their local competitors

For this week’s article in our running series about what Independent Gyms can do to stand out in an increasingly competitive and sophisticated marketing and fitness environment, we will be focusing on what goes on in the gym. 

While our last article was mostly focused on how to get people into your gym, we all know that isn’t the whole battle. You’ve got to keep them coming back time and time again.

Unlike some of the issues we have covered, retention is an issue that plagues independent gyms and chains alike, but the solutions each can leverage to solve it are very different. While the inflexible chains have to march in unison, independents can rely much more on their versatility and resourcefulness when it comes to adapting to their operating area. 

By asking and answering the simple questions at the heart of retention, we hope to pool the knowledge independent gyms accrue every day in their business-as-usual operations. 

So today we will be going through some of the best ideas we’ve heard from independent gyms when it comes to satisfying members. How to stop their eyes wandering from one gym membership to another and taking a look at what has been proven to work. 

Health Kick or Habit? The First “60” Days are a vital period when it comes to gym membership retention rates

We’ve put 45 days as an aggregate of what we have been told, but different gyms may find different time frames work for them.

What we wish to stress as important is that independent gyms conceptualise their members’ first weeks and months in this manner.

Even if they’ve signed up for a full membership, this time period represents a sort of trial period, and it is important to acknowledge it as such.

Complacency has been a drain on many good independent gyms. Some gyms we spoke to said it heavily depended on the first few weeks, others the first two months. 

We aren’t here to give you a golden rule or a silver bullet time period. Ultimately each member is going to be different.

But in order to maximise retention, it is important to keep this introductory period in mind for as many members as possible.

Not only is it important that key resources aren’t withheld or gated behind pay-walls during this introductory period (for more on this, please refer to our first article in this series), it is also vital that the member’s process, ingratiation and ultimately, comfort be paramount in the first weeks and months.

Scientific American says that the average time a person takes to formulate a new habit is 66 days.

As such, we can generously say that the first 60 days (or two months) will be vital for determining whether they are in the process of forming a long-term habit or a short-term jaunt. 

The attention, methods and systems you put in place at your gym will help determine whether this is a health-kick or a habit. 

There is no set way to go about this, much like the timeframe, each gym will have a different approach.  But we will lay out methods that our partners have found success by applying. 

Personal Trainer Led Engagement:

Engaging your personal trainers to get involved with new members can be a great way to encourage them through their journey. Whether it is building in an introductory session (or multiple introductory) sessions with a PT or merely some form of check-up system, a short period of time with a staff member can help add focus and positive reinforcement to a new member’s gym journey. We’ve received great reports of this PT lead tactic being used to reduce the ‘gymtimidation’ of newer members and forging an early sense of community. 

Staff Interviews and Engagement:

If your PTs are understandably engaged, utilising other staff members to engage in check-ups or interviews to understand what these new members are enjoying, not enjoying and what they could benefit from is a great way of capturing information from a vital demographic.

Opening these simple lines of communication between staff and new members can help reduce the sense of isolation when entering a new fitness environment and allow for feedback and advice to be more easily shared. Whenever anyone is in a new environment, they always appreciate a friendly face. With only a little time per member, your staff can be that friendly face!

Preferred Method Of Contact:

Not everyone is going to want to be consistently reached out to, and that is okay. Understanding what new members want and expect of your gym is a fantastic first step to retaining their business.

As well as in-person and on-site meet-ups, arrange for an e-mail address or in-app support where new members who are a little more online can get the support, motivation and guidance they require.

Keep Track Of Progress

Not matter which method or methods you end up going with, keeping track of new member progress can be a fantastic method of motivation and retention.

Most people want their efforts to be acknowledged, especially at the beginning of a process, where successes can come quickly but the learning process can be tricky. Reassurance and guidance during this period can be key.

If, at the end of the 45 or 60 day period, your member can look to something definitive to show their progress, that can be a powerful source of motivation. It will also be an indication that your gym or club is taking their journey seriously.

Again, not every member will be a fan of this approach. Some people just want to go in, work out and go home.

But to those that do, these initiatives could be the difference between calling it quits and going the distance.

While we appreciate that the scale and scope of these initiatives will depend on the size and resources of your gym, these initiatives have been met with great success up and down the country and are well worth your consideration. 

Make sure Staff and Personal Trainers can be easily identified by their clothing and, if possible, name badges

These next few segments will be in support of our main, opening point above.

If your staff are going to play a role in the customer journey and ultimately the retention rates of your gym, it is important that they are easily identifiable.

While there has been an increase in uniforms and the standardisation of dress across independent gyms in the last decade, it is by no means a given.

We appreciate some gyms that like to keep the more casual, laid back approach. It has its strengths and its charm. But when it comes to making staff and personal trainers easily identifiable, professional and approachable, there is really on one way to go.

It is daunting to walk into a new gym and not know anyone. It is even more daunting if you can’t tell who the people who are paid to help you are!  Monogrammed or name-tagged clothing not only looks sleek and professional, it also helps these members quickly identify who is working and who is just working out. 

This proven technique helps build up not only brand recognition but personal recognition between staff and members. It can help create a sense of community and identity, as well as allowing your staff members to wear the authority and expertise of your fitness establishment quite literally on their chest.

Craft the Brand Identity of your Independent Gym. Understand what that Brand Identity means to your members

Speaking of brand identity, this represents another powerful tool when it comes to retention (amongst many, many other things). As with any good business, a gym’s brand identity should effortlessly communicate and reinforce their values.

While we will write another article developing brand identity further, for the purpose of this segment we will focus on it through the lens of retention.

Because an independent gym’s brand identity isn’t as simple as the logo above the door or their name on the website.

It should be a set of values, implied and explicit, that your members will think of and your staff will display.

This all takes time, but it carries significant rewards if done correctly.

When you think of the great businesses, you think of their branding and the culture that inspires. Try to pick colours and theming that is not represented in the local area. If several businesses in the area are already represented by a big letter ‘F’, adding another to the mix might not be useful.

Ideally and eventually, your branding and logo will become synonymous with your gym and values. By displaying them on uniforms, at events and promptly within the fitness space, this can start to form the powerful link between imagery and values. 

A Centre of Expertise: Display your Staff and Gym’s qualifications and certifications in pride of place

We’ve talked about how independent gym’s should consciously strive and reinforce that they are centres of expertise before here on the Gym Owner’s Forum…And we are going to do so again.

Because this approach has a vital role to play in member retention.

Members want to know that they are getting the best value for their money in the area, as well as receiving the best advice.

With the rise of homeworks post-pandemic, many people are now paying for gym memberships not just for the equipment, but for the expertise that is available in an independent gym or fitness club.

It is your job as an independent gym to show those members that you ARE a center of expertise.

Luckily, as we’ve said before, many independent gyms already are and have the qualifications to show it.

Joining and displaying the membership of relevant trade associations and professional accreditation bodies will help give your gym or club a visible credibility that has a powerful effect on the right type of member.
It can also help to reassure current and prospective members that you have achieved a certain standard. This can be vital when, as discussed above, they are relying on your choice of staff for their fitness journey.

And the journey for accreditation shouldn’t stop there. By encouraging or even sponsoring your PTs to achieve the highest levels of professional qualification that they can, you can not only help advance their careers but your gym’s prestige.

Display these achievements and celebrate them on social media to further enhance your brand identity as a gym that supports your staff and enables them to give the best service and expertise to your members. 

Expertise is going to be one of the key factors for a significant section of your member. Whether it is the classes your gym runs or the personal trainers, if someone feels like they can get exactly what is being offered at your gym somewhere, they might just leave.

But if they feel that the collection of experience, expertise and equipment is truly unique and exemplary for the area, that is going to be what keeps them coming back month after month.

It won’t be free, but it will be the path to creating a competitive, sustainable gym that inspires loyalty in its members. 

Conclusion

While this won’t be the last time we talk about independent gyms and retention here at the Gym Owner’s Forum, that is it for now.

But our article doesn’t end here, we are always interested to hear the opinions of motivated independent gym owners. Have you agreed with our recommendations? Disagreed? Have you put them into practice? Do you have better ideas?

Whatever the answer, we want to hear it. Our expertise is built on the contribution of independent gym owners, refined through our visits and talks with dedicated and skilled members of the fitness industry.

So don’t hesitate to shoot us a message and join the discussion with hundreds of other gym owners. 

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