They come, but they don’t come back. It’s a fact of business. But if you knew exactly what made people want to return to your classes, would you encourage that? Uh... yes!
There are two big reasons drop-ins and first-timers don’t turn into members:
- Your marketing is attracting the wrong kind of new customers
- New customers aren’t getting what they need from you on their first visit
We looked into that second possibility, and asked… what encourages people to return after only one class?
Luckily, we have Fitness Journey data...
When we asked Pilates, CrossFit, Pole, and Bootcamp customers “what made you realize that this business was right for you?” they said...
Run a friendly business
The friendliness of the instructor, the location of the class, the class sizes in particular.
I loved the first classes I went to. It was such a great atmosphere, everyone was incredibly friendly and I was drenched with sweat after my workout.
I arrived expecting to feel incredibly self-conscious but that didn’t happen, there is a welcoming atmosphere and I felt included from day one.
The first day. Left the class thinking, oh wow we've met some neighbours, this is cool. So the social aspect surprised me. I felt good after it. I liked the fact it was all outdoors.
So, friendliness is important. How can you demonstrate friendliness?
- Ask newcomers about their day
- Introduce newcomers to others
- Pair or group people together
- Explain concepts to newcomers
- Ask newcomers to come in 10 minutes early for an introduction
- Put newcomers in the centre of the room so they can see what others are doing
- Prepare them with an email (see bottom of this email for more)
Be attentive to individual needs
The quality of the classes and the individual care and attention. The fact that you registered my knee issue and remained aware of it felt very professional. The consistently high quality of the classes and the fact that you both look as if you are enjoying teaching rather than 'going through the motions'.
The support of the instructors, that I could progress and that they were here to help me in my own personal journey.
Instructors call us by our names and partnered us up or put into teams. There's a strong team spirit which I really like and not just a number in the crowd. Definitely made new friends as everyone is very friendly and encouraging.
How can you demonstrate attentiveness?
- Addressing them by their names within the first 15 minutes of class
- Asking about their aches and pains
- Remembering whether they like to be touched
- Use TeamUp’s dashboard to help you with notes on students
Flaunt your passion by learning more
Just as soon as I stepped into the class I could see that she just takes it very seriously. She shares with us that she's gone through other courses.
Oh, Lorna, she's just, she's amazing. She just welcomes you, and even though you can't do anything and, you know, it's surprising even I started with an advantage really because I'd done a bit of sport already and I was quite strong. But it's amazing how different it is. And yeah, she just welcomes you in with welcome arms and you just never want to leave.And you don't get that at climbing.
Just the whole session she was paying attention to my form and encouraging me.
How can you demonstrate passion?
- Take courses to always upskill
- Talk about new things you’ve learned
- Focus your care and attention on individuals
- Read books about what you do, and show your library at the gym
- Post on social media about what you do
These are the three most important things that fitness customers listed as a reason to return.
Let’s go one level deeper, though. You already know how to be good one-on-one with customers. What would growing your reach look like? How can you demonstrate friendliness, attentiveness, and passion before they even walk through the door?
You could send them an email. An introductory email could include...
- A video showing what to expect
- Introduction to your studio values
- A link to the instructors page on your website
- Pictures of the studio space
- A list or logos of the instructors’ qualifications
- A testimonial from a customer about the friendliness of the studio
- A testimonial from a customer about the attentiveness of the instructor
TeamUp helps you send automated emails for exactly these use cases. To find out exactly what we can do to help you book a call with one of our expert team.
How does customized messaging work in TeamUp?
In TeamUp, you have the ability to send any number of customized message to your audience.
You also have the ability to link to any autoresponder or messaging system that you want to use via one of our integrations including Zapier.
Using the in-built system couldn’t be easier, and once you have it set up then it will run on autopilot.
First, set up your branding and template.
Then customize any of the notifications including adding triggered notifications.
Some popular choices are:
- Before a customers first class
- After their first class
- After a membership purchase
- Pre-class reminder
There are hundreds of possibilities for how to tailor your customer experience with TeamUp. To find out more, sign up for a free 30 day trial or schedule a call with our team.