Raving fans are the people who pay the most and refer others to you. Your fitness business will really take off when you know how to keep them on board.

As gym owners and fitness coaches, we tend to focus too much on attracting new clients. We believe that getting more people to buy into what we offer leads to making more money.

Nobody can deny the truth in that!

But finding new clients can be costly. You have to market your business. That means spending money on Facebook ads. You have to invest your energy and cash into finding new people.

While you’re busy doing that, you’re taking your eyes off the clients who have already taken your offer.

These are the guys who have already bought into what you’re selling. They’ve seen the transformations you’ve created for other people. Not only that, they’re undergoing their own transformations with your help.

These existing clients are just as important as the new people you’re trying to get on board. And if you play your cards right, it’s these clients who’ll become the raving fans you need to help you to scale your fitness business.

You need to do everything you can to keep these people on board.

The Problem With Losing Clients

A lot of my clients come to me with a specific problem. They don’t have any problems getting new people to take their offer. What they’re really struggling with is keeping those people on board for as long as possible.

You’ve probably experienced this with some of your own clients… 

It usually goes like this… Somebody new comes on board and they’re really excited during the first month. They’re doing what you tell them to do and they’re laying the foundations for true transformation.

Then the second month comes around and you can almost feel their enthusiasm starting to wane. They’re not as responsive to your messages anymore. They’re not as quick to implement and take action on the information you give them.

That’s when you know the client’s starting to disengage…

And by the third month, they’re gone. 

Of course, that kind of client loss is going to create cash flow problems for you. Every client who leaves means less money in your pocket.

But there’s a bigger problem here… and it’s all to do with your mindset.

Let me ask you this:

How do you feel when a new client loses enthusiasm and drops off in just a couple of months?

It’s a huge blow to your confidence, right? You felt really good about bringing this person on board. But when they leave that quickly, it feels like they’re completely rejecting what you have to offer.

And when several clients leave in quick succession, you can find yourself doubting your abilities. You’re might start to think that you’re not able to deliver on the promises you’re making.

Then those doubts can start to creep into every aspect of your business.

As a result, you hesitate to post content because you feel like you’re not as much of an authority as you should be. Your level of service to the rest of your clients may start to slip, too. 

This isn’t happening because you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s happening because your confidence is so rocked that you lose your certainty in what you’re trying to show your clients.

In the worst-case scenario, you create a vicious cycle: A client leaves and you lose confidence. That loss of confidence makes you start to doubt yourself, which affects what you’re putting out into the world.

Another client sees you slipping and they leave too. That dents your confidence even more…

And so on, and so on, until you’re left with nothing.

What You Should Aim For

This high customer churn rate is the last thing you want for your business.

When clients leave almost as quickly as they joined, you lose confidence and money. You also have to find more time to invest in searching for new clients to replace the people who’ve left.

That can lead to you burning out and starting to resent the business you’re working so hard to build.

And you definitely don’t want that.

Your aim is to build a community of raving fans who refer people to your business left, right, and centre. These are the people who are going to stick with you for the long term. Plus they’re going to help you find new clients whenever you need them.

So, who are your raving fans?

They’re the people who absolutely love what you’re doing. They’ve experienced an amazing transformation thanks to your help – and they’re not shy about telling others about it.

They’re the people who are going to talk to their family and friends about how amazing you are. And if anybody questions them, they can use their own transformation as proof that what you do works.

However, to turn clients into raving fans, you must first learn how to keep them on board long enough to fall in love with what you do.

That’s the really tough part. But the good news is that I have three principles that will help you to keep your clients for longer.

Principle #1 – Get Quick Wins for New Clients

Showcasing the value of what you do is one of the biggest challenges you face when you start working with a new client.

A lot of coaches focus on long-term results, which is not a bad thing to do. Getting a client to where they need to be is a long-term process.

However, focusing solely on the long-term goals means that you miss out on the chance to provide the client with quick wins. Ultimately, it’s the quick wins early on that will show a new client that you can transform their lives.

Quick wins give you that initial feeling of trust, and encourage the client to really buy into what you’re selling.

Now, the nature of that quick win will vary depending on your business and your clients. The win may involve losing a certain amount of weight in a set timeframe. Or it may involve the client making certain strength gains within the first month.

The key is that it’s something tangible you can both point to as a win for that client. 

Also, remember that every client constantly evaluates what they do and don’t value in life. If you’re not helping them obtain something they value, they’re not going to stick around for long.

Principle #2 – Have a Plan

It’s crucial that you give each of your clients a plan when they start working with you.

That plan will act as a roadmap for what they need to do and what results they can expect.

This type of planning is something I help every one of my clients implement. I’ll work with coaches to help them create plans to ensure their clients are really clear on what they’re going to achieve. 

The simple fact is that if your clients don’t have a plan, they get lost.

It’s like you’re sending them on a treasure hunt with no map. They’re never going to find what they’re looking for, so why would they bother searching?

Your plans get your clients excited about what they’re working towards. Plus you can use these plans to give your clients a sense of routine and predictability.

Principle #3 – Share the Wins

This one is all about building the community aspect of your business.

A lot of your clients are going to experience amazing wins with your help. They’re going to lose weight, build strength and generally feel happier about their appearances.

You’ve got to share those wins with the rest of your community. When you do that, you’re doing two things.

First, you’re celebrating the client who achieved the win. You’re giving them the proverbial pat on the back, which makes them feel great about working with you.

Second, you’re showing the rest of the community that what you do works. If they stick to their plans, they’ll create transformation in their own lives.

Your winners are all of the proof you need of that.

Now, you’re also going to have a few clients who experience disappointments during their journeys with you.

The big mistake a lot of coaches make is that they shy away from talking about these failures. They don’t discuss them with their community, and instead try to sweep them under the rug.

Don’t do that.

Use every failure as a lesson, for yourself, your client, and all of the members of your community. Be honest and transparent when things don’t work out. You can use these situations as an opportunity to build deeper connections.

After all, none of us are perfect. But the best of us have the ability to embrace our defeats and learn from them.

Focus on Keeping Clients

When you have a strong community that’s full of raving fans, you’re going to accelerate the growth of your fitness business. But to create that community, you need to rise to the challenge of keeping your clients for as long as possible.

The three principles I’ve shared in this article will help you to do just that. 

Creating a community of raving fans is just one part of a large puzzle. I’ve put together an ebook, 10 Commandments for Building a Successful Fitness Business, that will help you put even more of the pieces in place.

I hope that this helps you keep hold of more clients and create the raving fans your fitness business needs. Take care.

Ps. Whenever you’re ready there are 3 ways you can partner with me and my team to grow your fitness business.

1. Check out Fitness Business Growth Kit → Here

This is the entire end-to-end system for plugging into any fitness business. It’s a 8-week build out of business foundations, sales, client delivery, scaling, and a custom 30 day challenge. Lifetime access. But it’s an 8-week drive for the growth you’re ready for. 

2. Apply for Authority Network and Partner Directly With My Team → Here

Direct mentorship with me and my team started by assessing your current business strategy, assessing blindspots, fixing immediate weaknesses… 

And building new scalable foundations. Specifically to coaches and entrepreneurs looking to crack £10K months, get out of the gym, and grow online. 

3. Discover More About Power Room

I take on a specific group of already 6-figure fitness entrepreneurs and dial into their goals. Sometimes it’s more freedom, sometimes it’s a wealth machine, sometimes it’s both. 

This is limited, extremely private, and intimate. If you’re reading this and have reached a level where you’re above everyone else, apply here → Here