When considering marketing strategies, it is all too easy to get caught up with attracting new clients. But, you will do a huge disservice to yourself if you leave your current clients out of the marketing loop.
It is less time consuming, and less expensive to keep a client than it is to attract a new one. Having a credible knowledge base and offering exceptional service is the first part of this equation. If you have a solid background, continue your education and obtain results for your clients – retaining your client base should be a cinch! But, just in case you need a few creative marketing suggestions, here are three helpful tips.
Rewards
Everybody loves presents. This is why a reward system works well in the gym. Come up with rewards that are financially viable for your business. As long as they are thoughtful or practical the reward doesn’t have to be big or extravagant. It could be something expensive like an iPad or something at no cost to you like a $100 gift card for your services.
Deciding on how to dole out rewards is up to you. Get creative and have fun with it. A three-month transformation contest would be fun and effective. Client referrals always deserve a reward. Or just throw a party for your clients with cocktails and healthy appetizers.
Create a Community
Transforming your facility from gym to community will ensure high client retention. Don’t expect this to just happen. A gym can be a scary place, and if you aren’t taking the steps to encourage interaction between members, there won’t be a sense of community. The good thing for you is the common denominator is already there amongst your members – they all enjoy fitness. All you have to do is bring them together.
Ways to bring clients together:
- Hold fun fitness classes regularly for “members only”.
- Host outdoor relaxation events.
- Encourage everyone to do a “fun” 5k event like Run for your Lives or The Warrior Dash.
If you can get members coming back to have fun and enjoy each other, your job is much easier. Facilitating friendships will go a long way in building loyal clients.
Be the “person” in “Person” – al Training
The number one thing you have to offer that no other trainer in the world has is your personality. Do the little things that make your clients realize they are more than just their membership fee. Show them in your actions that you care about their overall quality of life.
- Personal, handwritten cards, sent through the mail still have a tremendous impact- even in our digital age.
- Keep track of birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. Send out a nice note with a personalized message on these occasions. Each note will run you a couple of bucks, but to the client it means so much more.
- Facilitate a healthy cooking class and show how to adopt an overall healthy lifestyle.
None of these steps are difficult or expensive, yet it is the little things that will go a long way to help you retain your current clients – and friendships.
How do you show your clients you appreciate them?
