The Power of the First 100 Days: Cultivating Long-Term Gym Loyalty
Partnership
Sponsored By Zen Planner
Unlock the secret to turning first-time gym members into passionate brand ambassadors with a strategic, tech-centric, purpose-driven approach
Consider the following scenario: Sally has always been a regular member at her gym, working out three times a week. While comfortable, she’s grown a bit bored and is curious about CrossFit. One day, she musters up the courage, visits a nearby CrossFit box, and buys a 20-pack. She’s excited but nervous.
The first few weeks are mediocre — Sally feels intimidated and unsure. She wants to love it but remains dubious. She misses the comfort of her old gym. Her attendance starts to drop, and after 60 days, she decides to return to her old routine. By 90 days, she’s done with CrossFit.
But what if things had gone differently?
Imagine Sally receives a warm welcome text after her first workout, applauding her effort and embracing her into the community. Feeling accepted, her energy is reignited.
Over the next few weeks, constant encouragement, resources and support from the gym keep her motivated. She starts to love CrossFit. She feels connected to the community. She talks about it outside the gym and invites her friends to join. By 90 days, Sally is not only a devoted member, but also one of the gym’s biggest advocates.
Michael Wuest, past CrossFit gym owner and Head of Marketing, SMB at Daxko says when it comes to new members, it really is an “either/or” situation.
“The first 100 days of a new gym membership make or break the trajectory of that member,” he says. “They define how a member feels about the experience and determine how that member will respond and act. Imagine if every member becomes this second version of the story. Gyms, CrossFit boxes and studio owners could have a whole team of ‘ambassadors’ working for the brand organically – and that grows exponentially with each new member.”
Wuest did not come to this conclusion or ah-ha moment overnight. Nor did he build the solution to the problem overnight.
A CrossFit owner of 10 years, once Wuest began realizing the critical nature of the first 100 days, he spent hundreds of hours studying member behavioral patterns and developing a communication and touchpoint strategy to motivate, nurture and retain them. His spreadsheet-based system proved so successful that it was eventually transformed into what is now Daxko’s Zen Planner Engage product.
Zen Planner is a software platform designed specifically for CrossFit boxes, martial arts studios, yoga studios and more and offers member management, scheduling and class management, billing and payments, automated marketing, reporting and analytics and a member-facing mobile app.
The Magic of Purposeful Moments
Wuest’s intensive labor around developing just the right communication delivered at just the right time focused on creating purposeful moments.
“The first step is to define the journey from the perspective of a new member,” he says. “Imagine yourself in their shoes—what experiences do they go through? As the leader, consider what you want them to experience and how you can curate those moments. If you create impactful and purposeful moments and positive experiences through carefully timed touchpoints during the first 100 days members will keep coming back.”
Wuest explains how the system works.
“In addition to human-to-human interaction, for the first week after each class or workout, new members receive communication via email and text, welcoming them to the gym and offering resources that explain what to expect and how to navigate their new experience.”
The next step, he says, is to provide additional support that continues to progress.
“This includes offering advice on recovery, nutrition and how to get the best results from their workouts,” he explains. “We also set goals, such as attending two to three workouts per week. If a member doesn’t meet this goal, Zen Planner will trigger staff to follow up with a phone call or text to check in and offer encouragement.”
This builds what he calls a “feedback loop,” by which a member’s progress can be monitored and the support and communication adjusted.
Throughout the first few months, Wuest says it’s important to focus on helping members establish healthy habits and achieve their initial goals while reinforcing the member’s connection to the gym.
“This might look like offering a discounted T-shirt, which strengthens their identity as part of the gym community, and – as the member wears the shirt proudly around town – strengthens your exposure as a brand,” he says.
Finally, at around the six-week mark, members are asked to share their experience by leaving a Google or Facebook review.
“Again, this public declaration solidifies their commitment to the gym and serves as strong marketing.”
Sustaining Engagement Beyond Day 100
How does the Zen Planner platform continue to perform after day 100: By facilitating additional member experiences and helping to build a strong, supportive community.
An important component of this is Zen Planner’s unique Campaign Marketplace, which hosts dozens of automated campaigns across multiple verticals.
“The platform essentially has a series of ‘playbooks’ ready to go that are curated specifically for Martial Arts Studios, CrossFit gyms, yoga studios and more,” he says. These are additional programs and experiences that can be offered to members.”
Zen Planner also has built-in triggers to identify the risk of churn.
“If a member starts to falter in their attendance cadence, studio owners are alerted right away so communication and corrective actions can take place,” he says. “
Wuest says this ultimately helps in anticipating and addressing anything that might be disruptive — good or bad — during the member journey.
“Life changes happen,” he says. “A member may get a new job or maybe there is a sudden life-change event. Zen Planner acts as a virtual assistant, helping to track such occurrences and even pre-schedule voicemail drops and log notes so box or studio owners – and the community – can provide support and guidance through these major events.”
Driving Long-Term Success
Wuest says the platform ultimately allows studio and box owners to be proactive and appropriately reactive at just the right times, helping to retain members and freeing up time to focus on growing the business.
“Many of the gyms we work with are single owner operators who love fitness, coaching and are in it to help people, but it’s incredibly difficult for them to scale,” he says. “Their marketing dollars are bootstrapped and there may not be a sound retention strategy in place. This is why we created Zen Planner Engage.”
In the end, that sums up Wuest’s “why.”
“I am in this to help gyms win,” he says. “We are not just another software company. I’ve lived the gym owner’s life and want to help others who walk in those shoes to create thriving and successful businesses.”
This article originally ran in ATN’s Technology & Innovation Outlook 2024 report. Read more about the transformative impact of cutting-edge technology on the fitness and wellness industry and download the free report today.