Part 4 is written by Bill & Karianne, owners at CrossFit Morristown and industry experts in the affiliate world.
Care. Educate. Have Fun.
When it comes to CrossFit member retention, caring about your members is non-negotiable.
At CrossFit Morristown, Karianne and I make every decision in an attempt to answer yes to the question:
“Will this make the member experience better?”
This is not always as simple or easy as one might like to think. Often, the hardest decisions are not the most popular ones. A strong leader needs to be able to make these decisions because they believe is in the best interest of the entire community.
When people feel cared for, and truly are cared for, decisions that might not be popular or always agreed with are accepted and respected because the members know you have their best interest at heart.
Education never ends.
Educating your members extends beyond just teaching about midline stabilization.
It’s important to outline to your staff and your members:
- Why we do what we do
- What the impact is or can be (both in and outside of the gym)
- How CrossFit is for everyone
- Why it works.
Further, educating from within and having your coaching staff together in a constant pursuit of more knowledge is crucial.
We offer our coaches a yearly stipend for continuing education, have a culture of constant feedback, and regular coaches meetings. We’re always striving for ways to increase our education, share our knowledge with our members, and grow as a community.
CrossFit should be fun.
Hard, but fun. Challenging, but fun.
If you aren’t having fun, something is wrong. You have a unique opportunity to provide your members with the best 60 minutes of their day. Get fit, have fun, do so in the company of others.
It’s an amazing recipe when applied, so don’t lose sight of the fun.
Care. Educate. Have fun. You need to have all three components to establish a truly long-lasting Crossfit member retention strategy, as missing one will prevent your community from fully flourishing.
Create these pillars for your business-to-member methodology. Apply these elements within your community and, over time, your culture will help grow into a thriving fitness community.
Part 4 of 4 Part Gym Owner’s Growth Guide Series.
