Are you dedicating all your time at work to making your business run more efficiently? Don’t – you might not know it yet, but it’s chipping away at your profit margins. Here’s what you need to be focusing on instead: building deeper client engagements.
But let’s step back for a second: what is client engagement? Well, it’s the depth of the emotional connection a client has with your brand or business. And for any business looking for sustainable growth, client engagement is critical.
Why Client Engagement is Key
You can think of highly-engaged clients as your business’ ardent fans. Not only are they more willing to accommodate changes in price, but they’re also more likely to make more repeat purchases.
According to Marketing Metrics, you have a 70% chance of successfully selling to an existing client, compared to the dismal 5 – 20% chance you have of selling to a new customer. Now – who would you approach for that upcoming promotion you’re running?
Most importantly, engaged customers – by nature – are brand evangelists. Guess whom your engaged clients are going to recommend when a friend or colleague says they’re looking for a gym or trainer. Yes, you!
And as you might already know, word-of-mouth marketing is an incredibly useful mean of client acquisition because every recommendation comes from someone close and trusted.
The best part? You didn’t have to spend a single cent on marketing!
The 3Cs of Client Engagement
If you’re wondering how you can get started, here are the 3Cs of client engagement you need to know: Challenges, Community, and Coaching. Each of them provides your clients with the avenue to become more involved – depending on their comfort level and preferences.
Let’s take a look at each of the 3Cs and how you can make use of their principles to boost your client engagement:
#1 – Challenges: Gamify Fitness and Wellness with challenges
Fitness challenges are an effective tactic of boosting client engagement as its inherent competitive element makes working out fun.
Tap on your clients’ competitive nature by creating online workout or nutrition programs and mini-challenges that clients can join anytime and anywhere.
You can also ‘gamify’ the challenges you create for better results. But – what is ‘gamification,’ exactly?
Well, it can be best explained by a quote from Yu-kai Chou, one of the pioneers of the concept:
“Gamification is the craft of deriving all the fun and addicting elements found in games and applying them to real-world or productive activities.”
In a 2017 study, 200 adults tracked their daily steps. Half the participants were placed in a game with their family, where they individually worked to earn points as they advanced through levels to compete with each other.
The ‘gamified’ group reported a 161% increase in their daily steps, in comparison to a mere 73.5% increase in the control (non-gamified) group.
Create fitness challenges and offer rewards for the completion of small goals. This way, you’ll keep your clients coming back because they are motivated to conquer the next challenge.
#2 – Community: Build and unlock the power of social support
“At the end of the day, technology can never replicate the power of camaraderie.”
Tim Tanguay, CFO of Orangetheory Fitness
Communities enable comfort and trust, and you know what that leads to: yes – client engagement! Build a community: create a place for your clients to interact, ask questions, and get peer support.
Seeing how others are crushing their workout sessions or nutritional goals can ignite the fires in your clients. The positive results are quantifiable as well: the American Society of Training and Development reports a 65% increase in the chance of your client achieving a goal when held accountable to another.
And the best part? This group provides motivation and inspiration 24/7 when the group members interact – even when you’re not available!
#3 – Coaching: Provide 1-1 Coaching anytime, anywhere.
Understandably, many clients may not be comfortable with participating in a community. For these clients, 1-1 private coaching will be more beneficial.
The direct supervision and increased accountability levels you provide your clients with can enhance their chances of achieving their fitness goals by at least 30%!
Also, 1-1 coaching sessions provide you with the opportunity to get to know your client and build rapport – perfect for strengthening your client’s emotional connection (and engagement) to your brand.
Bottom Line
Ultimately, the key to a successful health and fitness business is its ability to foster stronger emotional connections between the coaches/trainers and clients. Bring the human touch back to your business and discover how better client engagement elevates your business to the next level.
