Bootcamp owners must know that keeping clients happy after graduation is essential. It is important to treat your first students well because they will be your future referrals. Bootcamp owners’ goal is to focus on the factors that prevent people from losing interest in working out and keep them motivated until graduation. If retention is a problem for you, don’t worry; you can solve it with a few minor adjustments. Keep reading for four ways you can increase client retention after graduation as an owner.
There are many choices out there regarding where to go to get a great workout. This means that simply giving your clients a “good workout” isn’t going to give you a competitive advantage nowadays.
It would help if you considered distinguishing your fitness programs and services from your local competitors.
Bootcamp owners must consider distinguishing their fitness programs and services from their local competitors. People don’t realize the difference between training styles. They know they got a great workout when they are sweaty.
Because of this, I had to figure out ways to differentiate myself from the competitors and develop ways to keep the clients from walking into the front door and out the back.
Below is a list of the eight things I decided to implement into the facility that took me from eight clients to over 127 in just six months. Not only did we gain a bunch of new clients, but these clients are staying longer than the usual 90 days.
Retention is a HUGE factor in my facility’s success. This is mainly because I took the time to develop a system for client retention.
Bootcamp Owners Create an App for Their Bootcamp
You can use a rewards program to increase communication and engagement between you and your students. Bootcamp owners create an app that allows you to send messages and notifications directly to your students’ phones, making it easier to stay in consistent contact with everyone and reminding them that you are there if they need you. Alternatively, you could also try implementing a rewards program at your Bootcamp. A rewards program might include free swag like t-shirts, stickers, pens, or other items branded with your logo, free classes for milestones like birthdays or other special occasions, or a system that allows students to buy courses from you with a gift card.
Run a quality ad campaign
Another essential part of keeping clients coming back is convincing them to sign up in the first place. There is a direct connection between conversion rates and retention rates. Running a high-quality ad campaign is one of the best ways to drive more visitors to become clients. Using Facebook, Google, Instagram, or other platforms where fitness or Bootcamp classes might be advertised is one way to do so. Many fitness businesses struggle with creating compelling ads.
This is a two-part system:
One part is what we do behind the scenes daily to stay in constant contact with our clients outside the Bootcamp.
The second part is what we do during our Bootcamp session, creating an addictive training experience that people can’t get enough of.
Here are four things we do behind the scenes every day that help retain clients outside of the gym:
- We miss your calls for everyone who has missed a week of boot camp or training sessions.
- Please take pictures of people working out and post/tag them on Facebook.
- Mail out birthday cards and gifts if it’s someone’s birthday.
- Send out congratulations cards for everyone who has achieved their 30-day goal.
Here are four things we do in the actual Bootcamp sessions to skyrocket retention:
1. Set a High Energy Standard
I know there are times and places that going green is a good thing, but during your Bootcamp session is NOT the time. You want to expend a TON of energy during the session. People are going to follow and mimic your energy levels. This means by the end of the session. You should feel energy dumped or drained. If you are, it usually means you exert all of your energy to create a pumped-up and energizing boot camp session.
2. Host Special Events in Your Bootcamp Once a Month
This is something that will take all of 15 minutes to figure out, so don’t think to elaborate on this one. Keep things simple.
The extra classes work great because they don’t technically cost you anything except 30 minutes to an hour of your time. Your clients feel like they are getting extra attention, making them feel warm and fuzzy inside, and now you are adding more value to your current boot camp program without breaking the bank. That’s a win/win.
If you aren’t adding extra “one time per month” education classes, you should start now!
3. LOUD NOISES!
Again, this may sound basic to you, but I can’t tell you how many times I have watched a boot camp session, and the noise level was that of a local library.
I don’t know about you, but I prefer getting my butt kicked with lots of noise. This makes me push harder and keep moving when I feel like stopping. Your clients are the same way.
4. Don’t Just Train, ENTERTAIN!
It is always a good idea to introduce variety into your boot camp to break up the monotony and foster a sense of enjoyment among the members. There are many ways to pull this off. The method I chose to go with is the use of Boot Camp Games at the end of my session.
I chose this method because it allowed me to keep my current Bootcamp format, and it only takes up maybe all of five minutes at the end of the session. Plus, the games end the session on a high note, meaning the clients are going home and Facebooking about how awesome a boot camp session they just had. This is great for generating referrals and keeping retention rates high.
If you have never tried to use a boot camp game at the end of a session, you are in luck!
I have put 33 NEW Boot Camp Games into a package that will plug and play into your boot camp sessions right now. This means you don’t have to sit around and figure out what games to play or how to end your boot camp sessions. I have done all of the work for you.
Well, I hope these retention methods can help you make your program the new addiction of your town. Remember that it costs SEVEN TIMES more to get new clients than to retain the ones you already have. This is why retention needs to be a staple of your business.
Rock on and keep those clients smiling!
CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video of Brian Kalakay, CFT, CTT Creator Boot Camp Games
