Most fitness centers gear up for the busy New Year’s resolution season in December, bring lots of new members on board in January, but by March, start to see drop off. Members who were gung ho about reaching their fitness goals in January lose steam and cancel their memberships. Making the most of this season doesn’t only mean attracting as many new members as possible in January, it also means taking steps to help keep them motivated, and retain them as members.
1. Assign a mentor to new members. When a new member joins, assign a staff member to guide them through their first few weeks of membership, and be a point of contact for any questions or concerns. In an era of apps and automation, having that personal contact will set your facility apart from others. Mentors can make sure each member has gotten their orientation, and are familiar with other amenities your club has to offer. They can also head off any lags in motivation before it causes a member to quit.
2. Run challenges. Many challenges are designed in a 21-30 day format, which means that they end right around the time many resolutions are starting to lose steam. Consider running a longer challenge with incentives and prizes along the way. Another idea is to follow a shorter challenge with a team challenge. Members who have completed a shorter challenge can join a team, and benefit from the motivation of camaraderie.
3. Provide useful resources. Help members with educational workshops on healthy cooking, learning how to shop healthy on a budget, or other topics that will support their healthy lifestyles. This positions your center to be an authority on healthy living, and not “just a gym”.
The new year is a great opportunity for fitness centers to increase their membership base, and help more people live healthy. Please contact us for more ways to market your fitness center during resolution season and beyond.
