Entry points & communities key to a gym's success
After 19 years within the Health & Fitness industry, I have seen many clubs' business models succeed and fail along the way. There are many elements to the success of a gym such as competitive membership prices etc. However in order to obtain higher numbers of memberships and good member retention, clubs need to offer different entry points. Entry point means the different concepts and services at which clubs offer and are what is likely to make people want to join as a member. Some people like tennis, group exercise, a lovely spa/pool, children’s classes etc. The more varied the entry points, the more people the club will appeal to.
If the membership price is competitive, the member is likely to want to join. An area where I feel most clubs fail is member retention. I have seen so many companies that have had gyms for around 10 years plus and still have a huge sales team to try and get lots of new members to join. A big part of the reason members leave is due to not getting value for money or feeling forgotten about. Many members feel that once they have signed on the dotted line, clubs then move and focus on getting other new members. The focus should be creating a club where no member would want to leave. Also if members feel part of a community within a club, they are less likely to want to cancel their membership.
Not only is it a matter of clubs developing different concepts and services within their clubs, they need to focus on building multiple communities within. Whether this is group exercise, tennis, triathlon, group personal training, combat or holistic communities, if members feel a part of something more than just being a member at a gym, they are more likely to want to stay as a member and never leave. If a gym is successful in what it offers long term, large sales' teams at each club should be a thing of the past. The most successful clubs, studios or Crossfit clubs that I have witnessed now have a waiting list to join as they have reached capacity. Some do not even need a sales team to drive business to their clubs which is surely the target for clubs. Therefore the money from needing a sales team can be used to evolve the business model and the offerings at each club to keep the company at the top of the pile.
The purpose behind the concept Colin Lee Berry's Street Defence is to offer clubs another entry point in which members can join. Colin Lee Berry's Street Defence is a life skill and a workout wrapped in one and offers companies the opportunity of building an additional community to their clubs like no other. To find out more about Colin Lee Berry’s Street Defence and what it can offer your clubs, please visit: https://www.streetdefenceuk.com/club-solutions