How do you retain clients?

[Zero_Degreez]

I'm curious. How do you maximise client retention?

[bigw10921]

results

[Jbonito]

By making sure they get results, and making them feel like more then just a paycheck. I like to give all my new clients gift certificates to a local organic market, do things for there birthdays. Pretty much putting in the extra effort to show them you appreciate the fact they chose you to reach their goals and spend their money.

[BC02]

gimmicks,playing off their mental weaknesses, not mentioning anything about automatic renewal

[fast40]

Delivering what we promise. That is sometimes driven by them and their motivation. You gotta keep their goals first and foremost and remind them of that and what it will take to achieve it. Little goals build to the end goal. Let them see their own results as they go for motivation.

Now...they reach it. Now what? Well, for starters, show your excitement and appreciation for sticking with it. Offer something to reward them, like a discount, a reward session for free, anything to remind them...its not over.

Let them know that achieving this goal is just the beginning of a lifestyle change that involves you, the trainer. If they are very motivated...ask them if there is an event they would now like to train for. Competition event? Change to a more sports related training to get back on the court, field, running, etc.?

You want to be a part of their lifestyle change and set a new goal. Something they never would have imagined doing, but always thought about it.

"Not mentioning their automatic renewal"...that made me crack up...good one dude...lol You made my day with that one...good stuff.

[JulianBee]

People don't quit what they enjoying doing

[sanman918]

I'm curious. How do you maximise client retention?

I think the things mentioned above are all very important the most important things you can do. make sure you have these things in place as they are the main focus points of your retention. However in order to achieve greatness, in anything you do, its the little things that take it from good to great.

So some little things that help improve retention:

- Get them on EFT.
- Get a newsletter
- Refer to your organization/clients as a "team". They are on a "training team". People love to be apart of something. With this being said, give them things for being your client that go beyond training (perhaps access to a forum, nutritional programming online, discount to local health places).

[Zero_Degreez]

Thanks everyone. Great answers!

[extremenergy3]

Be a great coach. Here is an awesome article from elitefts that I really enjoyed:

http://articles.elitefts.com/article...s-perspective/

If you don't worry about the money too much and just be a great trainer who is actually interested in that person's health & well-being, people will want to stay and will recommend people to you.

[Zero_Degreez]

Be a great coach. Here is an awesome article from elitefts that I really enjoyed:

http://articles.elitefts.com/article...s-perspective/

If you don't worry about the money too much and just be a great trainer who is actually interested in that person's health & well-being, people will want to stay and will recommend people to you.

Yeah, definitely. Be your client's friend as well as their personal trainer and support them through and beyond their journey.

[fast40]

Yeah, definitely. Be your client's friend as well as their personal trainer and support them through and beyond their journey.

Yes mam...so true. Keep it professional and know your boudaries with people. They tell you stuff you may not want to know...God knows I hear it..

But you may be the only person that WILL listen to them in their lives. If you blow it off and disregard them or put them down...you just lost that client. There may be something they need to hear from you that day that puts them back on track to say, "I can do this"

Win a fight, lose a sale.

[Tessien]

I've found the easiest way to retain clients is honesty from the start.

You have to make it clear that getting fitter is in a lot of cases going to suck, and some days they just won't want to do it.

If you let a client retain unrealistic expectations, you will lose that client in the long run, and you may possibly damage their chances of being healthy.

Unfortunately this makes it harder to get clients in the first place.