When it comes to improving retention in your gym communication is king.
The deeper your relationships with your members the better your retention rates are likely to be.
We explore how industry leaders are using our FitDesk software to develop a highly personalised and engaging member journey.
FitDesk uses a concept called smart automation to allow your gym to establish complex communication processes to engage with your members.
Smart automation involves having a “trigger” which is an event or action taken by a member. These triggers can be used to start a communication touchpoint.
FitDesk’s 12 key “smart automation” triggers are outlined below.
1. A member signs up
This is great for generalised onboarding such as an email welcoming them to your club.
You may wish to set up a series of onboarding communications (3-5 is ideal) to help educate each new member and build a relationship with them.
We recommend using as much video content as possible as this helps build a greater connection with your new members.
2. An appointment has been confirmed
Appointment confirmations are important touchpoints with members. The beauty of FitDesk is that you can have different confirmation messages for different appointment types.
For example, for an initial appointment, you may wish to let the member know what to expect, what to bring, what to wear etc.
This is important to ensure members have the best possible experience and that they get the most out of each appointment.
3. An appointment is completed (choose specific appointment type)
This trigger is ideal to summarise the key messages of specific appointment types as well as frame the “next steps” in that member’s personal journey.
These triggers are triggered as soon as a trainer marks an appointment as complete.
We recommend setting up different communications for the completion of different appointment types.
For example, if an appointment is focused on taking a member through a personalised training program then an email at the conclusion of the appointment could direct the member how to access their workout through FitDesk.
4. There is a no show for an appointment
Keeping members on track and moving through the steps of your retention process is critical.
A missed appointment can really slow the positive momentum of a new member.
If a member is a no show to their appointment is important to quickly engage with them to get them re-booked as readily as possible
The appointment no show trigger in FitDesk allows for an email or SMS to be triggered to a member who has missed any appointment which assists in re-engaging the member and getting them back on track.
5. The appointment is rescheduled
This trigger can be used to simply re-confirm that an appointment has been re-scheduled.
6. An appointment has been cancelled
This trigger can be used to confirm that an appointment has been cancelled. You may wish to include some instructions around how to re-book at another time if they haven’t already done so.
7. When an appointment is due for
Another powerful trigger is “when an appointment is due for X, this can be done for long term appointment reminders such as reminders for re-assessments.
For example, if you wanted to remind new members to see their trainer again after 8 weeks for a re-assessment then you could use this trigger to set a reminder for that specific appointment type 8 weeks after the completion of the previous appointment type.
Ensuring members come back after 8 weeks to assess their progress is a vital step in any gym retention process.
8. The goal is X
Every member is different. Different members have different goals and training interests. The goal trigger in FitDesk can be used to share content that is specific to a certain goal. For example, if a member has the goal “muscle size” you may “drip” a couple of articles about tips for maximising muscle size and strength.
If a member has the goal of weight loss you may share with them a video on tips on how to accelerate weight loss.
This kind of educational content can help engage members and maintain their motivation levels with new things to try.
9. The member has not logged in for the past X days
Think of FitDesk as a tool to not only help your gym operate better but as a tool to help hold new members hands over the initial few months of a new member journey.
We have found that members who engage more deeply with FitDesk tend to stay longer, therefore we want to make sure as many members engage in the platform as possible.
This trigger is useful to re-engage members who have not logged in for a specific time period, such as 30 days.
10. The members birthday
This trigger allows you to send a message for the members birthday. This may be in the form of email or SMS. You may also want to include a voucher in this email for a special birthday gift or offer.
11. The member completes X workout
This trigger is great for reward and recognition. For example, if a member completes there 5th workout on FitDesk we may want to trigger an email or text message congratulating them on their progress so far. You may even want to tie in rewards such as a voucher or special prize if they reach a specific workout milestone such as 50 or 100 workouts.
12. When the member’s workout is attached
This trigger can be used to inform a member that their workout is ready and available for access within their member portal.
We hope this gives you a deeper understanding of the powerful communication capabilities of FitDesk and how it can be used to deepen member engagement, improve communication and strengthen retention rates.
Learn more about how FitDesk can help engage and retain your members with online workouts, communication tools and powerful reporting. Book an online information session today by calling 1300 181 665 or emailing info@greenedesk.com.
