6 ideas to reassure your members they can train safely at your gym

One of the biggest problems fitness clubs have after a lockdown period is convincing members to safely return to the gym.

Of course, all gyms must comply with safety measures enforced by the authorities. And many clubs have decided to add additional measures to ensure a clean and safe space for members and employees alike.

Nonetheless, many members still don't feel safe returning to the gym, and this phenomenon must be understood and fixed using various communication strategies.

Regardless of why a member is not yet convinced about returning to the gym, you and your team's role is to listen to their concerns and explain all the measures you have taken to address these problems in detail.

Communicating with members doesn't only mean the discussions you carry out when meeting them at the gym. There are several ways to inform your members about the fact that you care about their safety and that you are taking all the precautions to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Put up posters and signs with the new guidelines

Besides the fact that it is mandatory to put up signs and posters with the sanitary guidelines, these materials will highlight that you respect the necessary measures to ensure everyone's protection. The investment in these signs is a one-time effort, and they will help gain your member's trust if they see them every time they visit your gym.

I'm not talking about a single A4 sign put up in some corner. Print large posters with various tips. With the help of those signs, your members will constantly know what to do. What are the areas they need to wear a mask in, where the sanitation areas are, the fact that they need to sanitize the equipment they use, and especially how to do that. Also, don't forget to stick labels on your floors to mark the social distance limit, so members always know where to stand. You can stick such labels in your gym area, and in the aerobic studios, you can mark the space assigned to each class participant.

Don't forget to put up posters in the locker rooms explaining all the guidelines again. Even if you fill up your club with such signs, members will realize immediately that the COVID-19 rules are essential for your gym and that you do everything in your power to ensure their safety.

Post a dedicated section on your website

Your club's website is the place where members and potential clients alike look for the info they need. That's why this is the ideal place to post all the information about how you restrict the coronavirus's spreading. Though you might be tempted to simply add a few sentences on the home page, you should create a dedicated page where you detail every measure taken.

Here you can post the new guidelines, the way you ensure sanitation and disinfection of the area, what ventilation solutions you are using, the sanitary procedures followed by the employees, and other useful details.

Don't hide, and don't diminish the effort you are making towards your club's disinfection. Post images with the cleaning and disinfection crew and write in detail about the applied schedule.

This information will be helpful for members, but it will also reassure them that your gym is making all the efforts necessary to diminish the risk.

Post on your Facebook page as frequently as possible

After you've created your website section dedicated to COVID-19 measures, don't forget to post about them on Facebook as well.

Surely you already know the rule of Facebook posting – if you want a piece of information to reach as many fans as possible, post it multiple times. So don't limit yourself to just one post about the measures you are taking, and that's it.

Constantly publish images and videos about how you respect all the club's sanitary guidelines. Post about the rules for members and visitors, how PT sessions and group classes are taking place, and any other essential detail.

This way, members will constantly see these messages and understand that your gym follows the protocols, and the risk is minimal.

Make videos about how the equipment is being cleaned

One of the new protocols is the mandatory sanitation of the gym equipment after usage. However, even if that seems simple enough for you, that doesn't mean that everyone knows how to do it properly.

So, make a few short videos explaining what the procedure is. They don't need to be complex video productions. Instead, you can use your smartphone to film for a few minutes, just long enough to demonstrate how a piece of equipment is being disinfected. Then, post those videos on social media, on your website, and even in your club if you have TVs.

Film your staff while they are cleaning up

Announcing that you do intense cleaning and sanitize the space is not enough. You need to also show that. Film the crew that is tasked with this aspect and post the images on social media.

This way, members will see with their own eyes what the cleaning procedures are and will have more courage returning to training.

Here is an excellent example of such a video >>>

Send e-mails about the sanitation standards

Another method to ensure that all the members find out about the new cleaning and sanitation standards is to send them an e-mail about it. Detail all the procedures you have implemented, your sanitation schedule, as well as guidelines that need to be followed by employees and members alike.

Don't forget to also include in those details the videos that we've discussed earlier.

Of course, there are even more methods to communicate to your members about the sanitary measures you have implemented. No matter the communication channels that you prefer, it's essential to use them in this period as often as possible to keep your members informed about all those changes. Only then will you win their trust again, and they will return to the gym and feel comfortable during training.