The $0 Retention Strategy: Smile, Name, Repeat
I’ve been reminded of something so simple, yet so powerful: soft skills build retention.
I visited a stunning club recently — incredible facilities, huge investment. But after five minutes chatting with the manager, I realised… she never told me her name. No name tag. No introduction. If that’s how a guest or new member is welcomed, what message does it send?
Retention isn’t about shiny equipment or fresh paint. It’s about people feeling seen, heard, and remembered. In fact every dollar spent on shiny equipment or fresh paint could be wasted if your team cannot make members feel welcome.
When a prospect or member walks into your club, your team’s eye contact, smile, tone of voice, and even a simple handshake can make or break their experience.
Here’s your challenge this week:
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Coach your team to smile, make eye contact, and use open body language.
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Help them practise remembering names — repeat it three times when meeting someone.
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And if (or when) they forget? Teach them to confidently say: “I’m so sorry, I’ve forgotten your name — could you remind me please?”
The smallest skills deliver the biggest retention wins.
Justin is the Managing Director of Active Management, which he began January 2004. He offers coaching to businesses worldwide in everything from start up and design to marketing and sales systems. Justin also facilitates four Australian and New Zealand ‘fitness industry roundtables’ events, which allows him to see a huge cross section of business models.