Everyone knows and expects the first of January to bring a crowd of new people that have made new year resolutions find their way to your facility. According to research, only about 8% of those making resolutions, keep them.

My personal belief is that people make big, general resolutions without and real plan. “I’m going to eat healthy!” What does eating healthy even mean? Where do they start? “I’m going to join a gym!” To do what? Weights? Cardio? Yoga? These generalities make it difficult, if not impossible, to succeed. People come in, they flounder, they fail, they quit.  How can we keep these new members and clients, help them reach their goals and sustain them?

My suggestion (and I know many of you know this), is to catch them early and get them started right. Every new member should receive a complimentary consultation, or strategy session, or whatever you’d like to call it. We need a chance to listen to what they hope to accomplish, help them clarify their goals and set priorities, discover strategies to overcome past obstacles, and help them decide on the best first step.

I know. I hear the naysayers in the back (sometimes in the front) say that we should be charging for this, that it is a service of value. You’re not wrong. It is a service of value, BUT… a fee is a barrier to taking advantage of it. If half of the new members or clients don’t take part because they think they can go it alone and don’t need to pay for the guidance, we are losing out on their potential long-term business, not to mention condemning them to probable failure (remember, only 8% stick with their resolutions). Nobody wins. Whereas, offering a complimentary consultation is likely to get them in our office to have that discussion. It helps put them onto the path to success and buys us the trust and loyalty that we hope to have with all of our members and clients.

So, don’t let them slip in unnoticed or uncared for. Offer all of those resolutioners an opportunity to find the success they are looking for. Make time to sit down with them and help them discover the next, best step in their journey to better health.

Have a healthy, happy, and prosperous new year!