Only my trainer cracked the code
When I approached a 22-year-old personal trainer last April, I was in a bit of a bind. I had been figuring out weight training on my own for a few years and making okay progress, but I kept injuring myself. I needed help, but I was wary. I had learned years ago that personal trainers were not necessarily on my side. Yes, they’re friendly, have great knowledge, and can be entertaining; but as one trainer once told me, he felt the company’s true focus was aggressive sales and retention. Training could become secondary.
My trial session was surprisingly chill. I was clear off the top that I was looking for a trainer who would teach me how to lift, help me gain confidence, and ultimately transition me to working out on my own. It was the opposite of the sales model. Nevertheless, he listened, agreed and then said a memorable line that sealed the deal: “Would you like to be my client?”
More than a transaction
In that moment, I felt seen. My trainer subtly communicated that he was offering a personalized experience and relationship, not a package of sessions. In fact, this young man, who is also a business student, seemed to have an innate instinct to understand my motivation and deliver on it. It’s what Schwager and Meyer describe in “Understanding Customer Experience”:
“Customer experience is the internal and subjective response customers have to any direct or indirect contact with a company.”
My trainer quickly understood that he should focus on making me better, not making me dependent. Ironically, five months later, I’m having better workouts with him and without him. I’ve renewed twice without him even asking. I’m more loyal, not less. The gym can easily measure how many sessions I buy, how often I renew, how often I go to the gym and how many classes I take. What those numbers don’t explain is why I keep coming back.
Marketers can learn something here. As Schwager and Meyer point out, companies can know a lot about customers’ buying habits, incomes and classifications while knowing comparatively little about the “thoughts, emotions and states of mind” their interactions create. Knowing your customer isn’t necessarily understanding your customer.
My trainer took the time to understand, and as it turns out, the best retention strategy may be to stop concentrating so hard on retention and understand the customer’s experience with a brand.