Smart Client Retention Strategies: How to Win at Keeping Clients at Your Gym

Today we're talking about reducing client attrition, which is a fancy way of saying "let's talk about keeping our members happy so they don't cancel their memberships."

There are some very costly (and not so smart) ways to reduce attrition, and I'm sure you can think of lots of expensive investments you could make to keep your clients happy.

Here are a couple of pretty pricy examples:

• You could spend $100,000+ on renovating your locker rooms. Expensive, yes, but clients do love a great renovation!
  
  

• You could extend your operating hours. I've done the math for you and it's not cheap: adding 3 hours/day, 365 days a year, and based on average expenses would cost about $109,500/year.
  
  

Now for the real talk: it isn't easy for most of us to afford these kinds of investments. Since it's not affordable, it's also not smart.

There are inexpensive, but still high-value investments you can make to reduce client attrition, like a body composition scale.

These scales run $350-$2500. Even the highest end investment isn't bad relative to the other $100,000+ investments.

But here's the smartest reason to make this investment in keeping your clients happy and lowering your client attrition:

• It engages your clients. Members who use the scale regularly have a reason to ask for support, earn your trust, and become a member of your fit family.
  
  
• It boosts sales. When clients step on the scale regularly and don't make progress despite their best efforts, that invites you to provide personal training support.
  
  
• It educates and informs. Many gyms don't help their clients get a sense of health metrics beyond the number on the scale, which isn't always that helpful. A body comp scale helps clients see trends in body fat, muscle mass, hydration, and so much more.
  
  
• It provides accountability. Many of your clients are at the gym because they're not disciplined alone. Offer the body comp scale to provide an extra layer of accountability. 

Bonus tip: the body comp scale is just one smart way to keep your members happy and reduce attrition. As fitness professionals, we are in the service business and it's crucial to always listen to client feedback. 

Use feedback to make smart investments that support client retention and who knows, maybe you'll even have some extra cash left over for that fancy new piece of equipment you've had your eye on.

Looking for more client retention tips? Grab them here.