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As the days grow darker and colder during these autumn to winter months, getting out of bed in the morning to hit the gym becomes more and more challenging. Noting this, it should come as no surprise that some 90% of new gym-goers quit within the first three months.
And this statistic relates not only to those who start during the new year, but also those who joined after a summer full of barbecues and perhaps a few too many beers.
You already know that attracting a new client is five times as expensive as retaining your current ones, so how can you successfully hold onto these autumn sign-ups? We’ve compiled our best tips for helping your clients to reach their goals and stay on track.
So keep your clients motivated and engaged through the autumn months!
Keep it Personal
accountability buddies are so popular in fitness today. Having someone to keep you accountable makes all the difference in showing up for a scheduled workout when it’s cold or raining outside.
This is where you step in- or their personal trainer or coach, to offer motivation and support. When you see clients in the gym, make sure to call it out, and offer tips to keep them going.
This helps them to feel noticed and proud they made it there. If a client feels that someone outside themselves is truly invested in their success, it becomes more effortless for them to keep the forward momentum going.
Build in Flexibility
There are some days that making it to the gym just isn’t feasible. You can make it easier for your clients to adjust to these days by offering personalized training plans with built-in flexibility. Is there a home workout they can do when they’re unable to make it to the gym after work?
Learn more in How to Help Your Clients Stay Fit with Home Workouts .
Is there a step target they can hit each day if they’re feeling run down and unable to do their weekly run? Allowing for some of this flexibility within a program, even if the solutions might not be optimal, will help your clients not only achieve their goals but also feel like you are truly in their corner, helping them to succeed no matter what obstacles they may encounter.
Ultimately this will build trust with clients that can keep them as a client for longer. For more information on personalizing your digital offerings, see these Virtuagym features.
Engage Your Community
Group classes have always been a way to motivate clients who prefer the camaraderie of a class setting. Not everyone is successful working out alone.
If a client is struggling to stay motivated in 1-1 training, don’t hesitate to offer them to join small group classes. The feelings of community and socialization associated with group activities helps them feel more engaged. So ultimately they will be less likely to skip their workouts.
Another way to build on the sense of community is to help clients find workout or accountability buddies within your facility. As mentioned above, these buddies can help one another stay motivated and add an aspect of socialization to their workouts, which can foster greater engagement.
Clients that have social groups within the gym not only visit the gym more frequently but also stay longer on average than those who do not. Happy, engaged clients are the single best marketing tool you have in your arsenal.
Satisfied clients happily spread the word and recommend your business to other friends and family.
Ready to grow your fitness community remotely? Check out how to Keep Cultivating Your Remote Fitness Community With The Help of Tech .
Use the Power of Video
Finally, in today’s fitness market, video is absolutely crucial in the hybrid business model. If your facility is not capitalizing on the power of video, you are missing out.
There is a massive market segment to be won. As everyone has become more comfortable working out at home, it is no longer just a replacement for on-site workouts. But rather, one of the most attractive aspects of a flexible and customizable hybrid workout schedule.
Video allows you to easily adapt to the life and needs of the client while keeping their goals at the forefront. Now, clients no longer need to postpone or alter their health and fitness goals. Video is a viable and effective alternative option that can keep them sticking to their routine all through the autumn and winter.
Discover our brand new Video Workouts Platform
Fitness operators can now build their own video libraries with the Video Workouts Platform , sharing their branded workout videos with clients through their custom-made app. It’s a win/win as your business is able to cultivate a new income stream while simultaneously strengthening your brand. Clients stay engaged brand while enjoying the flexibility and freedom to work out when and where suits them best.
set to get started promoting your new video offerings and bringing in more revenue? Don’t miss 7 ways to promote livestream classes and workout videos online .
