Do You Know How Much More It Costs To Acquire New Clients vs. Retain Current Clients?

It costs 7x more to acquire new clients than to retain the ones you have now. 

That may be a surprising difference, but think of it this way: the costs of serving your current clients are fixed. 

You're already paying for your facilities, systems, payroll, etc. Your membership fees support that, so the cost of keeping your current clients happy is small and incremental. 

Little things like knowing your clients' names, regular check-ins, and creating a sense of community go a long way here. 

Even more surprising…if you increase your client retention by just 5%, you can increase profits by as much as 25-95%. 

Sure, 25-95% is a big, big range. And those changes aren't going to happen overnight. 

But there are some simple steps you can take to start chipping away at your goal to increase retention by 95%.  

Step One: Love Up Your Current Clients

Make sure they want to stick around! This supports the membership fees that run your business. 

Keep it simple. Call clients by name. Take care of your facility, and use technology tools to offer more personalized service. 

Consider wowing your clients with extra-special towel service. There are so many options here.

Step Two: Provide Extra Value That Builds Loyalty

I've said it one, and I'll keep saying it time and time again:

Offer complimentary body comp check-ins every 6-12 weeks and you'll build client loyalty while opening yourself up to sell personal training services to clients who aren't seeing results. 

You have a 60-70% chance of selling to your current members because you've already earned their trust. Talk about a real opportunity to boost revenue!

Compare that to having a small 5-20% chance of selling training services to new clients and you'll see it makes sense to focus on retaining your existing clients. 

Step Three: Work Towards Word-Of-Mouth Marketing

When your body comp check-ins lead to personal training sales that have measurable results, you feed referrals that cost a fraction of traditional marketing.

Those referrals are super-valuable because they're so authentic. 

Remember, it's also easier to sell new referral members because their friends and family are already there. 

Tapping into referrals from existing customers is where you'll see your conversion rates soar when you do it properly. 

How To Begin Focusing On Client Retention 

• Offer free body comps from Day 1 to get a baseline for each client.
  
• Provide free check-ins every 6-12 weeks. If clients aren't making progress, provide a training plan that will move the bar forward.
  
• Create a warm, friendly atmosphere in your gym so clients feel at home, unjudged, and completely supported. 
  
• Know your members' names and greet them personally. 
  
• Offer unique perks that make your gym feel special, like upgraded towel service.