One common concern we hear from affiliate owners is that they are “stuck” at a certain amount of members.
Maybe its 50, 100, or even 200, but it seems that for many gyms, once they reach a certain point, growth can become stagnant. Plateaus are a normal part of the business cycle and how we handle them can set the foundation for months or years to come.
First, consider how much of a problem your current plateau is by asking yourself the following questions:
- Does my current amount of members support my business’ bottom line and my salary requirements?
- How long has the current plateau lasted?
- From the start of the plateau to now, has my per-member revenue remained the same or somehow changed?
If your current membership base is sufficient for your business to sustain itself, you can focus your attention towards improving existing members’ experiences, which we’ll explain in detail below. If the plateau has lasted for longer than 6 months and over that time your per-member revenue has remained the same or decreased, its time to start opting for some of the business growth strategies outlined below.
Strategy #1: Improving the Current Member Experience
For many gyms, being “stuck” isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the world. Oftentimes, its easy for owners to become caught up in the selling cycle where all of their thinking involves getting people through the door and somewhat neglecting the people in your classes. Sure, you’re still providing great coaching and WODs, but what are you doing to supplement their experience with you and your community?
A plateau can be a perfect time to fix this. During a plateau the relative consistency of members makes it easy for people to get to know one another and become more entrenched in your community. When was the last time you hosted a cookout or in house competition-this may be the perfect time! Are some of your members asking for a powerlifting cycle? Put one on the schedule and charge for your time. Not only are you improving their experience by giving them something they want, you’ll also improve your per-member revenue without adding a single member or increasing your base prices.
Strategy #2: Identify Your Brand & Promote
One reason a gym may plateau, is that overtime there is nothing that separates them from the pack. “World Class Coaching” and “Community” are vague terms that don’t mean anything to the uninitiated. Find what you can do differently from anyone else and base your offering around that. For some gyms this can be an obstacle course racing program, an awesome women’s only group, or anything else you have a passion for. Determine what is your company’s strategic advantage and let everything else speak to that.
So what are some ways we can promote who we are? Well there is the obvious such as website improvements, brochures, and other take homes. But don’t neglect the rest of your web presence: tag photos of your members working out on Facebook, create an Instagram and encourage your members to participate in hashtag campaigns or contests, or create a closed group on Facebook for your members to post questions and talk to one another. Find ways to develop your community and let the world know what they’re up to. Finally, there’s always the opportunity to let people experience your facility for themselves. “Bring a friend” days and referral incentives work great for some affiliates.
Finally, with all of this work don’t forget to measure your results.
Pick a starting date and track the amount of interest coming into your gym and your conversion rates. In a standard week how many phone calls and emails are you getting for information? Of those calls/emails how many people schedule a free intro? From there, how many of those people show up for their intro and sign up? Compare these results week over week and search for improvement. You may just have an issue with your basic follow through or follow up that can be easily fixed or avoided.
Post by:
Amy Duchene and her husband Marc own CrossFit 915 in El Paso, Texas. They also have their own kid’s fitness company, CuzImABeast, that offers informational articles, WODs, coaching videos, and cartoon learning aids for Kids programs. Amy also is one of 321GoProject’s specialty business coaches. Amy helps Affiliates build their kid’s fitness programs.