Member retention is the biggest focus right now for gym owners as they move to a virtual platform because they have shut down their physical location due to the coronavirus. 

Most have realized that zoom classes are not going to cut it. Your members need more support than a virtual group class to stay engaged. 

Gym owners that have > 75% retention have realized that providing individual support is key to helping their members during these uncertain times. 

Individual support is going to look different for everyone. People need your help more now than ever to find a new normal. At HSN Mentoring, we recommend providing your clients with accountability and support through a habit-based approach. 

I have done about 50 free calls over the past few weeks with gym owners who have said that nutrition is the missing piece of their business, and that needs to change now. 

Providing nutrition coaching to their clients through a habit-based approach is their retention strategy. 

I did an interview last week with Chris Thorndike, owner of Factor Forged. We discussed adding nutrition coaching in gyms. If you are still in the beginning stages, I recommend listening to that interview recording below. 

Here are 3 Steps to Adding Nutrition Coaching:

1. Determine Your Nutrition Philosophy

Not sure where to start? Start with the first 13 words of fitness by Greg Glassman, “Eat meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar.”

Your clients are overwhelmed because there are so many different diets out there, and they aren’t sure which one is the best for them. Stop talking about different diets because they are buzz words and start talking about how you are going to help your clients by creating a clear plan for them and keeping them accountable to that plan. 

When determining your nutrition philosophy, your entire staff must be on the same page. Everyone needs to know what service you are providing and how someone gets started. They need to speak the same language. If everyone is talking about different nutrition programs, you will confuse your clients, and they will not sign up for nutrition coaching at your facility. 

2. Create Systems and Automations

This step takes the most amount of time. In a gym setting, you need consistency between clients because your clients talk to each other. If one nutrition coach is doing something completely different, then another coach, it will devalue the service you are providing. 

We hear all the time from nutrition coaches that they can only handle 10-12 clients at a time. That’s not scalable, and more people need your help. 

By creating automations and templates, you can manage more clients in less time. 

Creating systems looks like client resources, email templates, streamlined ways to manage clients, like the HSN App, and so much more. HSN Mentoring provides the system and all the resources which saves gyms from reinventing the wheel. 

I remember when I first started Healthy Steps Nutrition in 2012, I would write on a piece of paper notes for a client. It wasn’t professional, and I would end up overwhelming the client because I was giving too much information at one time. 

If you are creating these systems, think about nutrition coaching like you would coach a squat. Triage and start with one cue at a time. If you try to change too many things or give too many cues at one time, you will overwhelm the client, and they will leave more confused than when they started. 

Best strategy: keep it simple!

3. Start Helping Your Clients

Now is the perfect time to start providing basic nutrition coaching and accountability with your clients. Use this as your retention strategy! As you move online, offering nutrition-only packages is a great way to diversify your revenue streams! 

Disclaimer: make sure you check out your state laws. In many states, you need a dietitian involved to charge for nutrition services. Find the map >>HERE. 

At Healthy Steps Nutrition, we believe something as fundamental as nutrition shouldn’t be complicated. We provide clients with simple, actionable plans then keep them accountable to what they are committing to. We work with clients to create their plans based on what success looks like to them. 

You don’t need to complicate nutrition coaching. Focus on real food, simple steps, and providing your clients with support and accountability to find a new normal. 

Watch this video as Chris and I discuss the process and the most common questions that I get asked from gym owners as they start offering nutrition coaching. 

Stay Healthy, 

Nicole