The Gym Onboarding Process as Member Retention Essential

That's why giving your new gym members a positive onboarding experience is in your best interest. In this guide, we explore the gym onboarding process and provide tips you can use to convert new members into loyal clients.

The Importance of the Onboarding Process for Member Retention

Many fitness business owners think the deal is done once a new member signs on the dotted line. Unfortunately, the stark reality is that many new members cancel their memberships within the first few months.

An effective onboarding process that makes new members feel welcomed and supported can prevent members from canceling their memberships. In fact, a successful onboarding process can result in 87% of gym members remaining active six months after they first joined.

This means a well-structured onboarding process can be a win-win for customers and your fitness business. It can result in:

• Higher customer satisfaction
• Lower customer acquisition costs
• More gym revenue

The CAP Principle: Guiding Your Onboarding Strategy

When new members join your gym, that's the prime time to turn them into loyal customers. New members are highly motivated to achieve their fitness goals, receptive to new information, and likely to visit the gym more regularly than other fitness enthusiasts.

So, how can you establish a successful onboarding process? That's where the "CAP Principle" — which stands for connection, attendance, and progress — comes in. The principle can streamline the onboarding process and make it easier for new members to settle in.

Connection

Let's face it. The gym can be pretty intimidating, especially for newbies. Establishing connections between new members and gym staff, particularly within the first month, can make new members feel more at home in their new environment.

Staff interaction has a significant impact on member retention. Members who feel recognized, supported, and valued are more likely to continue coming to the gym.

Some excellent ways to help new members forge connections include offering personal training (PT) classes, group fitness classes, or even introducing new members to other regulars and staff.

Attendance

Many new gymgoers attend gym sessions regularly within the first few weeks of joining. Then, somewhere along the way, their attendance starts to wane.

Make sure new members sign up for at least four personal or group training sessions from the start. This will make them more likely to prioritize going to the gym and eventually make it a long-term habit.

Progress

When learning a new skill, people want to see results. They want to feel like they're improving. Fitness is no different.

Whether it's losing weight, building muscle, or improving stamina, most people join gyms with specific fitness goals they want to achieve. Unfortunately, some members stop going to the gym when they feel they aren't progressing with their fitness goals.

Want to keep new members motivated and boost member engagement? Provide them with simple goals they can achieve within the first few weeks to give them a sense of accomplishment and make them want to stick with their fitness routines.

You can help members see their progress by offering cardio tests, strength tests, or even just tracking sessions attended using a fitness app.

Tips To Nail Down Your Gym Member Onboarding Strategy

Following the CAP principle can help new members ease into your gym. Beyond the CAP principle, here are a few more tips for effectively onboarding new members.

Personalize Their Welcome

First impressions matter. Potential customers may take just seven seconds to form an impression of your fitness business.

Additionally, first impressions typically last longer due to a psychological phenomenon known as the primacy effect. So, you really can't afford to drop the ball when you first interact with clients. Give new members an excellent first impression by giving them a warm welcome.

But don't just stop at a simple hello. Provide a personalized experience for each prospective member. For instance, instead of sending a generic welcome email to all new members, send them personalized emails with their preferred names in the salutation. While this may seem like a small gesture, it can make a world of difference and make new members feel valued.

Help Them Set Effective Fitness Goals

Many people join the gym to achieve specific fitness goals such as losing weight, gaining muscle, or improving endurance. That means you can't use a one-size-fits-all approach for every member.

Instead, it's essential to take the time to talk with all your new members to understand their fitness goals. This helps you formulate goals that reflect their aspirations.

However, while goals may motivate members to stick to their fitness routines, they could also demoralize them if they feel impossible to achieve. So, use the SMART goals formula to help members set specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound goals.

Ideally, SMART goals should contain short-, medium-, and long-term goals. This mix helps new members see their progress early on and keep them committed in the long run.

Provide Educational Support During Onboarding

Many gymgoers struggle to achieve their fitness goals because they're unfamiliar with fitness basics like proper workout techniques, equipment usage, and nutritional guidelines. For example, gymgoers who want to build muscle may lose motivation if they exercise regularly but don't bulk up. This can happen if they need to consume more protein to build muscle.

Equip gymgoers with the knowledge and skills they require to achieve their fitness goals by providing them with resources on topics like gym safety, exercise techniques, and nutrition. These resources could be video tutorials, blog posts, or even seminars.

For instance, you could send a weekly newsletter to new members who acknowledged wanting to lose weight, covering topics like simple aerobic exercises, foods to aid weight loss, and staying motivated.

Build a Community and Foster Connections

Joining a gym and meeting lots of other members can feel daunting. Help new members feel less intimidated about signing up for your gym by creating a supportive environment and integrating them into your gym community. You can do this by encouraging new members to join group fitness classes with other gymgoers at their fitness level.

Members joining group fitness classes are more likely to develop a sense of belonging and stay committed to their routines. This sense of belonging and connection with others is also likely to make them less inclined to cancel their gym memberships than members who exercise alone.

But don't just encourage new members to join group fitness classes. If you have a closed Facebook group or other online social group, invite new members to join it. This helps new members foster connections with other fitness enthusiasts with similar interests and goals and makes them feel like they're part of a community.

Plan Follow-Ups To Celebrate Their Progress

The gym member onboarding process is dynamic. That means it's important to follow up with members after workouts. Schedule regular check-ins with new members via email, social media, or one-on-one chats to find out how they are doing, celebrate their progress, and keep them motivated.

For instance, you could send new members weekly check-in emails to gather feedback about their concerns. You could also send new members congratulatory emails after they achieve certain milestones, such as attending four personal training sessions.

Keeping tabs on new members after their first few sessions is essential to setting the right tone for their entire gym experience and helping members stay committed to their fitness journey. It's also an excellent way to show new members you genuinely care about their satisfaction.

Finally, don't hesitate to contact new members who stop coming to the gym before the 30-day onboarding process ends. Sure, you might receive unfavorable feedback. However, if there's an issue with your onboarding process, you'll gain invaluable insights into how to refine your gym retention strategies.

Improve New Member Retention With Fitness On Demand

A well-structured onboarding process is critical to the success of your fitness business. You can significantly improve your membership retention rates by giving each new member a warm welcome, personalized support, and educational resources to help them achieve their fitness goals.

At Fitness On Demand, we provide digital solutions to help you lower customer churn and grow your business. For instance, our Flex App — which offers over 1,200 on-demand classes from prominent fitness brands, simplified booking, and push notifications — can appeal to new members seeking convenient and flexible workouts.

Ready to take your gym onboarding experience to the next level? Book a demo today to discover how our digital solutions can promote long-term retention.