Reactivate Those Long Lost Clients

 By guest author Logan Strain

If you have been running a personal training business for a few years, it is almost a certainty you have an easy way to get a ton of “new” regular clients with minimal cost.

Now, if you just scoffed at that statement, it is probably because you know how challenging it is to get regular clients through marketing.  Typically, it is a huge investment in both time and money to get people’s attention and convince them that you have a service from which people can truly benefit.  And even if they schedule a workout, there is no gurantee they will come in more than once or twice.

But you can avoid a lot of this hassle by going after the one group of people who are most likely to seek and enjoy your services: the people who have enjoyed your services in the past.  It might sound obvious (and don’t get me wrong, it is) but far too may trainers do absolutely nothing to retrieve these inactive patients. 

There are lots of reasons why people stop the workouts.  Some stop going once they achieve the results they wanted.  Others simply get a bunch of new responsibilities on their plate and don’t feel like they have the time.  Whatever the reason, odds are the majority of them would love to come back to you if only they were reminded of how great they looked while they we're part of your program.

The first step towards giving those lost patients the little push that they need to come back to you is making sure you have your clients information logged on your computer. Some choose to keep this information in a simple spreadsheet, but it might be preferable to invest in a good software program that lets you easily record and keep this info.

With this information, you will be able to see who suddenly stops showing up.   With these clients you are going to periodically send a pleasant little letter. Since a client who only recently stopped coming to your office is the most likely to come back, you should start sending out these letters at frequent intervals at first.  For example, you can start by sending out a letter after one month of their lost patronage, then three months, then six, and then after a year.  Most trainers who practice this marketing technique stop sending out the letters after a year because by that point the odds that a former client will respond drops dramatically. Even so, it pays to continue sending out these letters for at least once a year for a few years.

What should these letters contain?  While each letter in the chronology should be different, there should always be a basic reminder of the benefits of of your program and a statement explaining how much you appreciated their business in the past.

They should also be as personal as you can make them.  Bulk mail or postcards might be cheaper sometimes, but they are too impersonal to make an impact. If you can, hand write the address on the envelope and personally sign each letter. Do what you can to make each recipient feel like they are the only person receiving this letter. To add an extra incentive to come back, offer them a special promotion or discount.  Of course, there will be a deadline on this offer so they are extra motivated to act as soon as possible.

 This has been a  post by guest author Logan Strain about marketing personal training and fitness