The ‘weight loss/body transformation challenge’ is not a new concept, but is still a great tool for 3 reasons.
It….
1. Motivates existing gym members (which helps improve culture and boost retention)
2. Attracts new members (people don’t want a facility, they want a result)
3. Differentiates your gym, from everyone else (very few gyms can deliver strong results.)
In 2014, one of my trainers named Brett Cullen, helped a local plumber named John Wagstaff lose 25..1 kilos in 9 weeks – you can imagine how life changing this result was for John and how inspiring this was for other staff and members of our studio. Through careful planning, we averaged 65 to 80 people registered for each challenge and made Personal training compulsory each week.
6 TIPS for running your BEST ‘Weight Loss Challenge Ever!
1. The quality of the ‘member experience’ and their actual ‘results’ for each challenge is directly related to the number of people who choose stay on as gym members AND the number of referrals it brings after the challenge. So prepare well.
2. Start promoting your challenge 4 weeks before it starts. This allows participants time to clear their social calendar, clean out the fridge and mentally prepare for exceptional results.
3. Post weekly updates on email and social media – Example. “Movers and Shakers” e.g.. Big Congrats to Dave Wilkes who lost 3kilos last week and started jogging for the first time in 10 years ………”
4. At the completion of the challenge, set up a system to get quality photos and testimonies from your 10 best people. Use these photos to decorate reception = Social proof and promotion for your next challenge
5. Train/up-skill your staff weekly, to deliver EXCELLENT weight loss results. Remember: This is not a skill taught in cert 4. Trainers need to be taught what KPI’s to keep members accountable to each week.
6. Anticipate most participants will start fast and lose a couple of kilos in the first few weeks, but then lose momentum. So schedule a BIG group exercise session/ cooking demonstration or guest speaker around week 4, when enthusiasm starts to dip to help re-charge their batteries.
