7 Winning Client-Retention Tips
Client retention is critical to the success of your business. But are you really doing all you can to let members know they’re your priority? Do your personnel understand your expectations for their roles in client retention? If you don’t have established criteria, it may be time to develop a road map for yourself and your employees. Use these seven basic steps—suggested by Richard Gerson, PhD, in his book Members for Life (Human Kinetics 1999)—to get your retention
program on the right track.
1. Have a clear member service mission, vision and philosophy. Communicate these to your employees, and then train and empower them to carry out the service mission.
2. Provide clients with quality
products, services and care.
3. Listen closely to your clients and then act on their suggestions. Do the same for your employees.
4. When serving clients, pay
attention to your own intuition and have your employees pay attention to theirs.
5. Treat clients with respect, trust, fairness, honesty and integrity.
6. Communicate regularly with clients, including current clients, former clients and your competitors’ clients.
7. Expand your product, program and service offerings carefully, ensuring that you can continue to provide quality member service while you grow.
Reprinted with permission from Human Kinetics.
Trainer
Success
% who already offer and say program is growing
63% online client reminders and information
59% Pilates
58% online training programs
58% Pilates and traditional strength training
56% personal training and Pilates or yoga
55% lifestyle coaching
54% back pain prevention
53% kids-specific fitness
52% chronic medical conditions
52% sport-specific training
50% yoga and traditional strength training
% who already offer and say equipment use is growing
68% balance (BOSU, discs, wobble board, balance board)
60% therapeutic (foam rollers, small balls)
56% elliptical trainers
56% stability balls
IDEA and its members are passionately committed to improving the health and fitness of all people. We are focused
on delivering compelling member value by imparting knowledge, credibility, inspiration, marketability, and personal and professional growth opportunities.
‰ We believe that ethics come first;
fairness and integrity guide all of
our decisions and relationships.
‰ We have a passion for providing
fitness information and education.
‰ Our decisions are guided by the
professional needs of our members.
6%
Canada26%
Northeast35%
West15%
North
Central17%
South
% who say they provide
this equipment
93% stability balls
90% barbells and/or dumbbells
89% resistance tubing or bands
77% treadmills
72% therapeutic (foam rollers,
small balls)
71% balance (BOSU, discs,
wobble board, balance board)
71% steps and platforms
69% pulley equipment
67% elliptical trainers
66% weighted bar
64% plate-loaded machines
64% recumbent cycles
62% upright cycles
61% selectorized (pin-selected) machines
58% stair climbers
% who say they offer this program
94% personal training (one-on-one)
89% fitness assessment
89% strength training (individual)
87% stretching and/or flexibility
80% stability ball based
68% personal training
(2 clients share)
62% sport-specific training
58% personal training and
Pilates or yoga
54% back pain prevention
54% Pilates
50% nutrition assessment
50% walking
Trainer
Success