The Hidden Goldmine: Why 90% of Fitness Leads Aren’t Really ‘Lost’

Keepme AI agents are transforming dormant prospects into revenue streams for forward-thinking fitness operators

Every month, fitness operators generate thousands of leads. Sales teams work tirelessly making calls, scheduling tours and following up with prospects. It’s a never ending race that requires persistence and consistency. 

But despite this hustle, the numbers tell a harsh story: most gyms convert less than 10% of their leads into members. That means 90% of the people who show interest in joining a gym or studio never do so. 

“For large operators, that’s tens of thousands of potential members every year just disappearing,” said Ian Mullane, founder and CEO of Keepme. 

This represents an industry-wide blind spot with steep hidden costs. Mullane argues operators are writing off millions of dollars in potential revenue, calling it “just the cost of doing business.”

However, Keepme, a tech brand providing AI-powered CRM, lead management and member retention tools for fitness businesses, says that with the right tools, gyms can boost conversion rates. The savvy ones have already recognized that as well. 

Why Prospects Say No

Re-evaluating that cost starts with looking at where it comes from. Most “no” responses from potential new members aren’t about lack of interest, they’re about timing. Someone fills out a form during lunch but can’t take the follow-up call because they’re in meetings. A week later, they’re dealing with family issues. By the third call attempt, they feel pressured and stop responding. The sales team then moves on and the prospect receives a “not interested” tag.

That person might genuinely want to join a gym, but only after finishing a big project at work or comparing it to a few other studios. The “no” really means “not now,” but operators hear “never.”

“When hundreds of new leads arrive monthly, sales teams naturally focus on fresh prospects,” Mullane said. “Why spend time on someone who didn’t respond six months ago? Old leads get forgotten.”

The Real Opportunity

At this stage, most gyms or studios will refer to these as “dead” leads, when in fact, they’re anything but. Many contain future members who just need their situations to change.

That could come with someone starting a new job, resolving health issues, managing a family situation or simply reaching a point where fitness becomes a priority. The consumer comparing gyms is now ready to move forward with one. The consumer who had the big work project to get through is now done with it.

Seasonality also plays a factor. January brings people who inquired last summer but were sidetracked. Beach season motivates people who weren’t ready in winter. When life events like moves, job changes or health scares occur, they create new opportunities with old prospects.

In most of these scenarios, forgetfulness is the obstacle between gyms or studios and more members. A fitness inquiry from six months ago feels ancient in our busy world. However, someone interested then might be ready now. They just need a reminder and an easy way back in.

Why This Problem Hasn’t Been Solved

Mullane argues the numbers make manual outreach to old leads impossible. How do you personally contact thousands of individuals? How do you write personalized messages that don’t feel like spam? When people actually show interest again, how do you handle all those responses?

Traditional email marketing doesn’t work either. Generic blast emails feel impersonal and get ignored. They’re also one-dimensional. 

“You send an email, and if someone responds, a human has to check the inbox, read and understand that response and then reply back at a time that’s probably not optimal for the prospect,” said Mullane. “At scale, this becomes impossible to manage effectively.”

Resource allocation is tricky as well. Sales teams busy with new leads and current members have no time to manually nurture thousands of old prospects. 

“It isn’t realistic,” Mullane said. “It’s not economically smart either.”

How AI Agents Solve Everything

AI agents take all this, which seems unattainable, and make it accessible for operators. Unlike basic automation, they hold real, personalized conversations at a massive scale. They understand history, context and different prospect types, and few do it better than Antares by Keepme.

Antares’s “Re-engage” feature lets operators upload entire databases of dormant leads or set automatic criteria for recent drop-offs. Operators can re-tap all their leads that went cold over the last two weeks instantly. The same goes for prospects from the previous six months. 

After reaching out, the agent nurtures any leads that re-engage, presenting opportunities to take the next step toward a membership, whether that’s booking a tour, scheduling a trial or enrolling right away.

“The transformation is dramatic,” said Mullane. “Without using sales team resources, operators can now automatically nurture thousands of prospects. Every old lead gets a second chance with the right message at the right time. When someone shows renewed interest, the system captures it instantly and moves them forward.”

Antares also works 24/7 without wear or bias against old leads. Six-month-old prospects and yesterday’s inquiries receive the same treatment as the program systematically works through databases using intelligent criteria for optimal timing and messaging.

The Industry Transformation

While they’re an important piece of the puzzle, better conversion rates are only the beginning when it comes to Antares. The program promises to fundamentally change how the industry thinks about prospects.

Instead of treating leads as disposable, brands will start seeing them as relationships with longer lifecycles. Rather than accepting massive waste as normal, they turn old databases into revenue sources. While customer acquisition costs rise and competition intensifies, mining existing prospect databases offers a real, competitive advantage. 

It’s not about generating more leads. It’s about maximizing the value of leads you already have. Those who recognize that will end up on the right side of this turning point in the industry, which Mullane believes we’re headed for. 

“Operators using solutions like Keepme’s Antares are gaining significant advantages over those who keep accepting 90% waste as normal,” he said. “The gold was always there. Keepme just gave the industry the tools to mine it.”