It hurts to lose a gym member, doesn’t it? You might take it personally at first.
But crying “Come back!” doesn’t work. And neither does giving them the old “fine, be that way” cold shoulder.
Don’t make assumptions about why a membership has gone inactive or even been cancelled.
Step No. 1 to reactivate gym memberships is to make no assumptions.
Step No. 2 is ask.
Step No. 3 is sell.
Every owner should want to reactivate gym memberships. This should be something you do systematically and regularly, at least once a year. It can be part of a powerful strategy to keep your memberships up, along with bringing in newcomers and keeping current members happy.
And, here’s something you might not know: The holidays are an ideal time to make a push to reactivate gym memberships. Talk about a happy new year!
Gym owner and fitbiz adviser Vince Gabriele says you have to accept that some members will leave. Make a list of everyone who’s left in the last three years or so – and look at it as a pool of qualified leads to contact again.
Read, “Getting Creative: 5 Unique Ways to Engage Gym Members”
In fact, you probably have their physical address, phone numbers, social media addresses and other valuable information to engage them.
“There’s a really good chance that some of them will come back,” Vince says on his podcast, Business Secrets of Gym Owners.
Vince says you’ve got to build reactivation campaigns that are personalized and help build relationships.
He suggests maintaining a reactivation list, regularly reaching out with individualized offers, and using creative tactics like themed campaigns and personalized direct mail to get folks to reactivate gym memberships.
And the time around a new year is ideal to renew conversations because people are thinking about goals, missed opportunities, and new hope.
“Most of the time they leave because they’re busy and life gets in the way,” Vince says.
It’s rarely because they’re mad at your business – so don’t take it personally and don’t hesitate about reaching out to them.
“If you open the door for them to come back, there’s a really good chance that you’ll get them to come back,” he says – and even a small percentage who reactivate gym memberships will bring in a significant boost to your revenue.
“I always feel great when people come back. I’m excited about it. I want them to come back.”
Treat each person like an individual. Call them. Send text messages. Try to focus on a handful each month and do whatever it takes to get them back in the door.
“Write them a real personal letter, something from the heart so they know it’s not a stock letter or text message,” Vince says.
Have fun with it.
- Host themed events.
- Mock up fun items like milk cartons with “missing” members on them.
- Send small gifts like T-shirts in the mail.
Some Are ‘Lost Sheep’ to Bring Back
Sean Greeley, also a fitness business coach, says getting folks to reactivate gym memberships is one of the best ways to bring in a quick influx of cash.
And that doesn’t even include members who are still paying but never show up.
Greeley calls them “lost sheep.”
His advice to get them back to the flock? “Give the folks who’ve disappeared a call,” Greeley says. “Ask how they are doing. And invite them to come back into the gym.”
He says, “They may be embarrassed to come back because they’re now seen as a quitter. Or they think they will be ridiculed for having disappeared for a while. Or they are still recovering from an injury and don’t think they can participate yet, when in reality just coming into the gym and doing some corrections or light training may in fact be exactly what they need.
“The point is that you don’t know. And you’ll only know if you pick up the phone and reach out to them.”
Communicate, communicate, communicate
When someone wants to pause or deactivate a membership, or when you notice their attendance has dropped off, ask why, in a supportive and non-judgmental way. Other common reasons members leave or need to reactivate gym memberships:
- Money
- Lack of time or motivation
- They’ve moved
- Work got crazy
- A family crisis
- An illness
You can use exit surveys or brief interviews. These are opportunities to gain useful feedback and to show that you care about them personally.
Break down your list of former clients by topics like why they left; what kind of member they were; and those who had a specific complaint about your gym.
Then address those needs and target communications to them.
Creative Irresistible Offers to Reactivate Gym Memberships
Next, come up with a powerful deal to get them to come back, such as:
- A discount for the first month
- A free training session or body composition analysis
- A limited-time offer if you want to nudge them along
Make it easy to redeem this offer! Spell out a few simple, step-by-step directions in an email.
Make it clear to them what’s new and improved about your gym, including new pricing options. If you have virtual training options, make sure they know.
Read, “Gym Text Message Marketing: Everything You Need to Know”
Give them a tour of your gym, even though they might be familiar. Show that you’ve been listening to member feedback and improving your equipment, services and staff.
Throw a parade for each person to reactivate gym memberships.
Well, OK – that would be overkill. But highlight them. Make them feel special. Put them on social media, give them some branded swag, and host periodic “welcome back” events.
Keep communicating with them even after they have returned to reactivate gym memberships.
Weekly newsletters are a great way to keep all current members engaged. People want to know when you hire a new coach, replace equipment, or change procedures. They want engaging, fun and useful content about nutrition, sleep, travel, and other relevant topics.
And reach out to returners on a regular schedule to see how they’re doing and ask how you can help.
If this seems like a lot of effort, remember that it’s much more expensive and time consuming to GET a member than it is to KEEP one. And you definitely don’t want to lose the same person twice!
In Conclusion
To reactivate gym memberships, or to re-engaging people who have stopped coming, should be an ongoing part of your business model.
You need to understand them, speak to them as individuals, and offer a clear value to get them to come back and stay.
So, don’t let the wounded pride of losing a member hurt too much. Some will come back if you just have the systems and make the effort. Want to know more about keeping members happy? Get our free “9 Secrets to Increase Retention” here.