The Power of the Personal Touch at Your Gym

Fitness is a people business.

By now, those of you who are familiar with my writing or speaking recognize this as a familiar refrain from me. Fitness is in the midst of a massive upheaval. The amount of competition in the fitness industry from other facilities and online competitors is staggering, and only increasing.

In such a world, the one, true advantage that fitness businesses have is their community. The connection of the people in your space—the energy that they get from each other—from the front desk to the instructor to the other members to you (the owner) is everything. That is what makes the difference between the membership a client commits to, and the membership they drop.

So the real question is… what are you doing to enable deep, personal connections among the people in your fitness community?

Make no mistake. This is a conscious effort, and everyone who has been successful at doing this has put very hard thought into it. Below are examples of a few ways you can foster meaningful client relationships. Analyze your business for the “personal touch,” and see where you are strong and where you could use improvement. 

Your space

Many fitness facilities design their space for interaction. Gyms that have benches or chairs in the front area welcome people to stay and mingle after their workout Lockers that are in wide-open areas, but far enough away from the floor to not be a distraction, enable people to connect after a hard workout.

Your classes

At many gyms, instructors are encouraged to introduce classmates to each other. Other popular tactics used by facilities such as The 12 and F45 include incorporating high-fives or other forms of positive interaction between participants. 

Your training

It’s amazing how many people miss this small but powerful component. Often, you have to train your staff, trainers, class instructors—and sometimes even your members—to be open and willing to meet each other. Telling your front desk person to introduce two people at the desk simultaneously increases the odds a substantial connection is made. Advising your team to introduce two people in line waiting to speak with them significantly ups the likelihood they will continue to interact.

Your software

This sounds strange, but no owner runs an enterprise without fitness software these days. Some software is specifically geared to create a deeper connection between people. For example, some of the texting software (or automated email packages that have texting capability) such as Mindbody Marketing, ZipWhip, Brandbot, or Loyalsnap allow messages to seem as if they are coming directly from a person at the business. Just by nature, texts feel more personal.

Other software, such as FitGrid, allow more direct communication between trainers and members, exchanging messages through a member of your team that is familiar to the client, rather than an automated program. This gives a much more personal feel and is extremely well received.

Regardless of how you do it, measuring yourself on the “Personal Touch Scale”, as I like to call it, will be a useful exercise for your business.  Keep your members connected and watch your retention soar.