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The first 12 weeks are crucial for establishing exercise habits and member retention. In this blog, we share tips for automating and strategically utilising contact moments. Think of rewards, feedback, and motivation. Discover how a good onboarding process motivates members and increases their loyalty.  

The importance of the first 12 weeks in the onboarding of new members

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We all know that first impressions count. But it's the first 12 weeks that really make the difference. This is the period when new members either develop their exercise habits or don't. If they continue to come regularly during those three months, there's a good chance they'll stay members.&nbsp;In this blog, we share useful tips and tricks on how to give the right attention to the right members. We use practical examples to show you how to use and automate contact and attention moments. These insights will help you create an optimal onboarding process, allowing you and your members to build habits together that lead to long-term engagement and ultimately loyal members.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_4dbe0ab6fc.png" alt="image.png" srcset="https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_4dbe0ab6fc.png 245w, https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_4dbe0ab6fc.png 500w, https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_4dbe0ab6fc.png 750w, https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_4dbe0ab6fc.png 1000w" sizes="100vw" width="1000"></figure><h2>Habit formation in 21 days</h2>You may have heard that it takes 21 days to form a habit. But did you know that it actually takes longer? Research shows that it takes an average of about 66 days for something to truly become a habit. On average, it takes between 21 and 254 days, depending on the person and the activity. This means that the first three months of a membership are crucial for forming a fitness routine.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>The first 12 weeks: A critical period</h3>You may have noticed that the first few weeks at the gym can be challenging for new members. But with the right attention and guidance, you can ensure that they don't drop out and achieve their goals. The importance of the first 12 weeks in creating loyal members cannot be overstated. This is particularly evident when looking at the benchmark analysis of new customers.&nbsp;This report compares the figures of fitness clubs in the Netherlands that use ClubPlanner. Here you can see the relationship between the visit frequency of new members and the percentage of them who cancel their membership within a year of joining. This is called longitudinal retention, and it shows that members who consistently visit the gym at least once a week during this period are much more likely to still be members after a year. This emphasises the importance of good onboarding and continuous engagement.<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_4a23f29ba9.png" alt="image.png" srcset="https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_4a23f29ba9.png 241w, https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_4a23f29ba9.png 500w" sizes="100vw" width="500"></figure><h3>Longitudinal retention and behavioural change</h3>Longitudinal retention measures how loyal members remain by tracking them from the start of their membership. It provides insight into their behaviour and when they are likely to drop out. Especially in the first three months, we often see a significant drop in engagement. Members often start out full of energy, but other priorities and less frequent training can cause that engagement to slowly decline. Training less is often a sign that they are about to cancel their membership.&nbsp;It is therefore important to guide members during this period and help them build a new, healthy routine. This can be done by taking them by the hand and supporting them in their training habits. In reality, this often turns out differently than you might want. As the Research Director at Activity Workx, Peter Wolfhagen has noted: ‘No matter how hard you try, you cannot follow every customer on every visit.’ That is why it is essential to make strategic choices in distributing attention and guidance. Which members do you give attention to and which do you not? When are the best times to give them attention? And how do you give attention to your members?&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_71b42e6df4.png" alt="image.png" srcset="https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_71b42e6df4.png 245w, https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_71b42e6df4.png 500w, https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_71b42e6df4.png 750w, https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_71b42e6df4.png 1000w" sizes="100vw" width="1000"></figure><h3>Three forms of attention</h3>There are three forms of attention that fitness clubs can use to support new members:<ul><li>Guaranteed attention</li><li>Necessary attention</li><li>Surprising attention</li></ul>&nbsp;Applying all three forms of attention is an indispensable part of building a strong onboarding process and retaining loyal members. Would you like to know more about these forms of attention and their importance for member retention? Be sure to read Peter Wolfhagen's blog: Retention management is managing attention.&nbsp;<h3>How can you apply all this in practice in your own club?</h3>You may be wondering how these insights can be applied in practice within your fitness club. Our onboarding report, for example, gives clubs insight into the status of their new members:<ul><li>Good status: Members who have been at least once a week in the past three weeks.</li><li>Status Caution: Members who have not attended at least once in the past three weeks.</li><li>Status Poor: Members who have not attended two or more times.</li></ul>&nbsp;This report allows you to take immediate action, such as scheduling a call. This kind of proactive attention can make a big difference in retaining members.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_639cb1ba65.png" alt="image.png" srcset="https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_639cb1ba65.png 245w, https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_639cb1ba65.png 500w, https://cdn.clubplanner.com/media//image_639cb1ba65.png 750w" sizes="100vw" width="750"></figure><h3>Practical tips for implementation</h3>Here are some practical tips and tricks to make the most of the first 12 weeks and improve your customer journey:&nbsp;<ul><li>Automate contact: Use a messaging module to automatically send communications to members based on their status in the onboarding process. This ensures that each member receives the right attention at the right time, without you having to intervene manually. This optimises the customer journey and guarantees personal attention at crucial moments.</li></ul>&nbsp;<ul><li>Rewards and motivation: Reward consistent members with small extras, such as a free shake or a thank you gift. This strengthens their motivation and commitment, which helps with retention.&nbsp;</li><li>Ask for feedback: Ask for feedback at regular intervals via automatic emails. This makes it easy to make improvements based on member experiences and ensures a better customer journey.</li></ul>&nbsp;<ul><li>Monitor visit frequency: Set triggers for when members visit less often. By sending an email or scheduling a phone call in good time, you can take quick action and prevent dropouts.</li></ul>&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Conclusion</h3>Finding the right balance between engagement, attention and guidance is difficult, but once you've achieved it, onboarding and retaining new members at your fitnessclub becomes a lot easier. By strategically using attention and the available tools, you can automatically reach the right members and increase the chance that new members will develop good habits and remain loyal. Whether it's giving a warm welcome, offering personal guidance or using surprising moments of attention, the focus should be on creating a positive and motivating experience for your members.&nbsp;So, what are you waiting for? The first 12 weeks are your chance to turn new members into loyal members of your club. Use the power of a good onboarding process to your advantage and see for yourself how your members stay longer and become more loyal.&nbsp;Are you curious to see how this could work for your club? Book a demo!