Five Easy Ways To Keep Members Coming Back!

As a fitness leader, I get to present workshops to new professionals at events such as the Canfitpro Global Conference and Trade Show coming up in Toronto, ON from August 18-20. 

As I was building my presentations and trainings, I stopped to think about what I would want to tell new fitness professionals about what makes a successful fitness program in 2023. 

Surprisingly, I couldn’t recall a specific exercise, a particular coaching cue, or even a playlist that keeps my clients coming back.

Because, what I’ve learned over the years is that retention in fitness classes comes from the connections that I build with my participants and clients.  

Maya Angelou said it best: “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” 🥰

Retention is an important metric to track because it means better attendance, more energy in classes, and it is also directly linked to greater revenue in our businesses.

Here are five easy ways you can build retention and create connections in your fitness classes: 

🙋🏿‍♀️ NAMES: Learning your member’s names is one of the foundational ways to build rapport.  Simply asking them their names before class, and greeting them by their name when they enter can go a very long way in building lasting relationships.

📣 SHOUT OUTS: Nothing boosts motivation and infuses energy like hearing your name - try calling out members’ names in a positive and supportive way during class. 

👀 EYE CONTACT: If remembering names isn’t your forte, try making eye contact with each member at least once during the class. This can make them feel seen and eye contact is a basic human skill that automatically builds connections between people.

🤸🏿 MOVE AROUND: Getting off your stage, or stepping away from your ‘teaching spot’ to move throughout your class will  put you in closer proximity to individuals, which increases engagement and makes members feel closer to you. 

😃 SMILE: Smiling or nodding at someone when you see them achieve an exercise can go a long way in helping your members feel recognized. 

There are many other (more involved) ways to build connections with members - here are some of my favs:

❤️ Talking time to ask questions about members lives and following up

🧡 Taking a moment to thank each member before they leave

💛 Noticing if someone isn’t there - saying you missed them!

💚 Celebrating milestones- birthdays, retirements, new births

💙 Hosting themed classes or challenges

Have any of these worked well in your classes? 

Do you have any other ways you build connections and increase retention with members?

Summer is half-way done, but the fun is just getting started!

I hope to see you in a few weeks at the canfitpro conference!