I have been lurking the board a while now..... I work at a larger(non-franchised-- thank god!) gym(still new, only worked a little over 2 months) and found that most of the clients will only stay for you for specific peroid of time(they buy a package or a few sessions, then are gone!) ...as all of you know, this makes running a business (I'm a independent contractor) hard! I'm new to Maryland(moved from Cali) and used to train people at there homes... Any idea's on how to retain some of these clients? I have tried telling them that in a month, you really aren't going to see the results that you are looking for...their response(usually)..."well, I have a understanding of what to do now, I feel like I can do this on my own".... My goal is to make enough contacts and train people in there homes again(I do have one guy now).... I only get between 55-65 percent of the money, at the gym...as most of you know, you almost have to double your client base(which I don't want to do) to make decent money.... I need the type of(LONG TERM)clients who realize that trainers not only will help you get in shape; but provide motivation, accountability, etc.....Oh yeah, money is a issue with most as well... Thanks!
-take measurements/pics at the beginning & regularly update them
-agree on short term as well as long term goals
-call/text them a day or two between sessions (or when you think they might be struggling) with encouraging messages
-have regular client appreciation get togethers
-check in with them regularly to see if they feel like something is being missed
-group training
I am currently a dog trainer by trade, but I have to deal with the human end of the leash more than the dog end. That is who I am really training. Things I have done to help with client retention that you may be able to apply to your biz...
1. I usually offer a "free" seminar once monthly on different topics. It helps to build repore' with me which results in more business. I don't hard sell anything, just educate. At least 90% of the people that attend my seminars end up clients.
2. Set small achievable goals that you can reward weekly. When I first started with a PT, my big issue was nutrition rather than working out. One thing my trainer did early on was have me meet one nutritional goal each week and hold me accoutable. These goals, while tiny, were a sense of accomplishment. Previous PT's would try and have me change too many things at once. Don't forget that change is stressful, even when it is good, so it has to be slooow. Remember you are changing habits.
3. Once a client has completed a group class or x amount of private sessions with me, I will reward them with a discount towards a future class or sessions.
4. Oh...and everyone gets a t-shirt or their dog gets a bandanna...free marketing.
I see myself more as a teacher of movement than a trainer so I try to teach people how to work out by themselves. It makes them less dependent on me so they can train at home if they want.
Ironically this seems to make them want to come in more. They feel there's always more to learn and they want that.
I also teach kettlebells and there's a lot of technique involved. So they need a teacher to coach that and improve their technique.
Finally, I've heard a lot of clients mention that my classes are never the same thing twice and they like that a lot. I mix the workout every single time by doing ladders, breathing ladders, intervals, long sets, complexes, circuits, etc. The students never know what exactly we'll be doing and it's always challenging. That keeps them coming back.
And with my teacher mindset, I still enjoy people that just come in for 2-3 sessions and learn enough to workout at home. They usually come back too when motivation flags or they need a program.
People seem to like the fact that I'm not trying to hook them long term. Works for me. Maybe it will for you too.
Dave, I see what your saying. I like to teach a similar way. But, I also would like to have 5 or so consistent people, who will stay with me without having to change things up every workout.....I do agree that changing things up is good, but I'm sort of old school(not a really "young" trainer, I got into thing in my late 30s) and I'm not really into mixing it up everytime I train someone(having ADD doesn't help either, when I try to mix things up to much, I forget what the hell I'm doing!). I like to train similar to what Cosgrove preaches(alternating sets, Metabolic stuff, etc). I do enjoy the kettlebells and I think this is a avenue that can make things fresh and challenging for most of my clients. Do you think kettlebells are okay for the beggining, middle aged woman? I know swings are an easy bell exercise, but I would like to incorporate some other "easy" moves to mix in for the beggining, typical fat loss client.
KBs are ideal for middle aged women. It fixes most of their problems with the posterior chain and that's what they need before they can do anything else.
I mix it up every time but the techniques remain roughly the same: squat, lunge, push, pull, twist. Sticking to those patterns, I mix up circuits, complexes, ladders, etc. and occasionally give variations on basic KB techniques. This way we always do basics but keep it fresh all the time.
I highly recommend Ross Enamait's Infinite Intensity for tips on programming like this.
Again, this is what students tell me keeps them coming back for more. So retention really isn't a problem for me.
As for forgetting the programming, I write down every workout for every client and every class. That way I can assess it, tweak it, and potentially use it later. I also consider it homework to program each workout the night before. Students like to see that you've done your homework.
Dave, thanks for the recommendation on the Ross book! I got it. Yeah, I also write out my workouts, but most of the other trainers at my gym do not do it, which I don't get. I also prepare the night before or early next morning. I think you have to. Any other good programming books, that you would recommend? Thanks for the tips!
Retaining Clients...
Linear Mode
