How to bring in more clients at your fitness gym

This post originally appeared on the OPEX blog. It can be viewed here. 

Many small gym owners are at an important crossroads.  They aren’t 25 years old any more.  They need to grow financially for themselves and their families.  They also want to be seen for what they provide to their communities; health, happiness, and hope. The stories are common:

Gyms go through growth stages like all businesses and if you don’t adjust you will fail.  Failure isn’t necessarily bankruptcy.  It may be wasted years of your life.  Here are some of the most important pieces to continue to grow your client base at any stage of your business. 

Stand for Something through Thick and Thin

People want to be a part of a movement.  They are at your gym for YOU, not for the equipment.  You need to lead them every day.  If you aren’t up for it, get out now.  That message will provide you with a marketing growth engine and a stronger foundation to keep clients for the long haul.  It will also help you enjoy each and every day more than the last! 

Measure and Improve your Retention

History tends to repeat itself.  If you are losing 10% of your clients each month at 20 clients, it’s only 2 clients per month.  But, if you are at 100 clients, 10% churn is now 10 clients per month.  Those percentages hold up rather consistently so as your client base grows you have to bring in more clients just to cover the lost clients you’ll have.  Watch the percentages and build great behaviors for you and your coaches around them.

Market early and often

The idea that you will never spend money on marketing is weak at best.  You may directly spend money on social media ads, hosting events, or buying 3-fold brochures or you may “spend” money based on your own time spent networking.  Either way you need to define your best channels (social, tv, networking, brochures, etc…and hammer the few places that prove to be successful.  If people don’t know who you are they won’t show up and, while your current clients can help greatly with this, you need more channels to bring in more clients.

You are in charge of your destiny.  Set these steps up inside of your business and you will find greater success in place of a slow death.