Fitness Client Retention Strategy: After Session Follow Up

WHY?

ACCOUNTABILITY

This takes maybe 1 minute per client but it adds a layer of accountability and a touch point that shows you are thinking about their results.

CLIENT RETENTION
By sending encouraging messages or asking questions after a session, you show it’s more than just workouts the client is paying for. So when they are deciding to maybe leave your gym, they have tangible reasons to show it’s more than just a place they workout.

BUILDING A CULTURE

A culture of accountability and communication which is big towards people focusing on working on their results and relationships.

WHAT SHOULD BE IN THE MESSAGE?

Encouragement, any PR’s, anything you might have talked about or questions they asked, goals they are focusing on, anything that gives it a truly personal touch.

HOW?

ONE COACH VS MULTIPLE COACHES

If you’re the only person that coaches then this is pretty simple, pick a couple people you trained for the day and send them a text. I’d send a text after the morning sessions are done and again I’d send a set of texts after the evening session to people from those sessions.

It is best to text from a non business phone as this allows you to spend time with family and focus on life outside of the gym when you need.

Also creates a level of professionalism.

If you have multiple coaches, it's the same process, they just each text someone from the sessions they coached from the day.

The difference is how you check in on them. I’d have them all text from the same phone (not their personal). That’s why in our Level Up software we have texting in there so all your team can just text through either the app or the computer so it’s all captured in the same spot.

This allows you to check in to see if the coaches are doing their consistent reach outs, as well as someone else can follow really easily if the question isn’t directly something that coach needs to answer.

If you don’t use Level Up, then you can use a spreadsheet that they fill in on your google scorecard every week for you weekly huddles with your staff.

GROUP VS PERSONAL TRAINING

If you are doing personal training or semi-private (5 or less) I’d most likely text them all after each training session. Saying what they did great, some improvements, and something you want them to focus on until the next session. If you train group, I would probably have the coach reach out to 3-4 after each session. Have them try to reach out to a different 3-4 each session.

That component probably doesn’t need to be tracked, it’s more a mental thing for the coach, but in a software like Level Up, they could easily see the last time someone has reached out to a person.

WHY TO SYSTEMIZE BUT NOT AUTOMATE?

There are ways where you could automate this text after class. That whenever someone attends your CRM automatically sends them a thank you text or great job email. But that takes the personal touch away and that’s the key to this retention system.

Also, you’ll need to follow up if they say any comment back so make sure your staff is aware to check-in on that the next day.

Especially for first session people - the wow experience.