The New Year is well under way, and although things show little sign of returning to normal in the coming months, one constant is resolutions. Some of your member’s goals for the coming year might be focused on staying fit or working on bettering themselves physically or even mentally. Although your facilities may be closed, offering limited classes or only allowing a small amount of members in at a time, that doesn’t mean you can’t help your members stick to the resolutions they made while still following safety protocols.
Touch Base With Your Members
While you may not get to see your members in person or as often as you used to, you can still reach out to see how they’re doing. You have a myriad of options for doing so—all of which are quick and customizable. Send an email to each of your members and see if they made resolutions, ask what they are and see how you can motivate them to stick to them. Call them, text them or even set up a time to video chat. Touch base with them to see where they are mentally and emotionally. Find out what you can do to keep their spirits up and to help them reach their goals. This might seem a bit out of the ordinary for your organization, but personal touches go a long way in retaining members and forming trust.
Offer Online Classes
If you haven’t already, it’s a great time to offer online classes and programs on subjects that your members are interested in. If you’ve emailed or talked to them, you might have more of an idea of the kinds of activities they would like to participate in but are unable to do so thanks to the pandemic. Focus on classes that help them stay physically fit, like yoga or Pilates, as well as classes that center around hobbies, like embroidery, or even offer some mindfulness classes that will help relieve the stress the pandemic has brought on.
It’s your goal to be there for your members when they need you, and it’s a great time to show them that you’re listening to their needs by rolling out virtual classes and programs that can meet those needs.
Offer Retention Programs or Discounts
Retention programs and discounts—virtual or in-person—are a great way to keep your members motivated to stick to their resolutions. Offer a discount on a class after they attended a few of them, or if they sign up for all the classes within a specific program, offer them a small discount for committing to so many.
You could even do a point system where a member gets a point for each class they attend and are able to choose a prize, like a gift card or something you know your members would like, after earning a certain number.
With timely deals and retention programs, your members will accomplish their resolutions and then some.
Send Care Packages
If you have the ability, send care packages to your members with things to help motivate them to stick to their resolutions. It could be a box full of items they need before, during or after a workout, like a small hand towel, sweatbands, protein bars or a water bottle (all branded with your organization’s logo, of course). You could even send embroidery kits, adult coloring books, mindfulness journals, candles, goal tracking sheets, a self-help book, essential oils or a small diffuser.
If your budget doesn’t allow a package full of these items, consider sending (or dropping off) at least one of your choosing. A little goes a long way, and the thoughtfulness behind the action will be remembered for a long time to come.
Let ACTIVE help make this year a great year for your organization. ACTIVENet, ACTIVEWorks Camp & Class Manager and ACTIVEWorks Endurance are there for you when it comes to your organization’s needs. Whether that means engaging your community, streamlining operations or managing participation, our software is here to help your organization perform at its best.
