How to Create More Value for Your Clients During COVID-19
The COVID-19 crisis has created so much financial uncertainty, and businesses everywhere are struggling to stay connected with their communities. Now more than ever, fitness and wellness businesses need to be looking for ways to keep their clientele engaged, informed and interested, while building on relationships and loyalty created in pre-pandemic times.
Connecting with your community, reminding them why they chose you in the first place and showing appreciation for that support is how your business is going to get right back on track when this is all over. Your clients look to you for guidance, information and comfort, so take the time to re-assert yourself as their go-to health and wellness expert and enjoy the fruits of your labor when normalcy returns.
Creating client value hinges on you being able to walk in their shoes. Think about what they need from your business, consider what you’re able to offer and meet in the middle with a strategy to provide the best service – and value – you can, while socially and physically distancing.
Streaming online
While your doors are temporarily closed, it’s time to get creative and adapt your business model to make it viable for today’s climate. Online streaming is the way that successful businesses are still offering their clientele a way to use their services without leaving their homes. Get set up to offer online classes, workouts, sessions, appointments and lessons for your clients, so their memberships still make sense.
It also provides a much-needed connection, especially if you stream live, so people can ask you questions and have real-time conversation. An additional advantage of taking this approach is that when it catches on, it could become an extra revenue stream going forward. Use this time as a lesson to build up your clientele and services so that you’re ready to hit the ground running.
Rewards and discounts
Creating value can sometimes look like giveaways or freebies to your community, and that’s OK. Incentivizing your clients to sign up or rewarding them for their loyalty keeps them happy and invested, while providing you with a growing bottom line.
Show that you can relate to what they’re going through by offering a discount for online classes, recorded classes or appointments, even if it’s just an introductory sale to attract their attention. The lowered rates and added service will show that you’re willing to do whatever it takes to provide value for your customers, while remaining compassionate about so many people out of work or on a limited budget.
Another option is to offer rewards when they sign-up for classes, purchase a membership or refer a friend. This doesn’t have to be expensive! It could be that a one-year membership includes 15 months instead, or that a purchase during the month of April includes free towel service when your business re-opens. It could even be that you offer a free gym bag with a purchase over $50. You need to look at what’s viable for your business and what your clients will recognize as value.
Increase your social media activity
Social media provides the perfect platform to interact with others while staying apart! Add value by focusing on your community. We’re all feeling isolated and we’re facing new social challenges every day, but you can bring people together with your social media channels!
Facebook Groups can really be a saving grace in times like these, offering a smaller, more focused community where people can connect. You could have people sign up for a focused group to more easily promote discussion or go all in with a weekly challenge group! You could issue a hydration challenge, a step challenge or even a positivity challenge to keep excitement up and momentum going. Add value by creating a community that benefits your clients – and your business.
Be THE resource for your community
Your clients will definitely see value in your business if you’re offering them online content that will keep them informed. There are so many sources for information competing for attention – if you become the expert, your community can rely on your updates to stay on top of current events.
Take the time to develop a COVID-19 information hub of resources including blogs, COVID-19 health resources, links from the government and all the reliable information you can gather to keep your community educated.
Make it personal, too. Publish case studies and testimonials from clients on how they’re benefiting from your online classes, learning from your posts and how they value the efforts your business is making. It doesn’t hurt to promote the fact that you are offering value to try and build an even bigger community for your clients.
Update clients
Keep your clients up to date on your business by sending out daily text messages on how you are handling COVID-19. It also helps establish you as the expert, proving you’re being proactive and staying on top of things. Another benefit is that it shows you’re still interested in the wellbeing of your clients and making sure they have the information they need to manage their lives during this time.
Keeping your clients informed will keep them connected to you, while providing them with the peace of mind that if you can brave this storm, then they can, too. You might just give them an idea about what they can do to cope. When they see you taking action and doing everything you can to address their needs, you’ll inspire them to do the best they can on their end. Sometimes the value you’re creating isn’t tangible, but it’s vital nonetheless!
Add a personal touch
A personal touch is how you built your business and building on those relationships is how you’re going to keep that loyalty when you re-open. Spread a compassionate message expressing your concern for your clients and your gratitude for any support they’re offering. Encourage them to reach out with questions or concerns so you can help put them at ease.
You might even make personal phone calls to your most loyal clientele to check in and make sure they’re coping. Ask how they’re doing and tell them you miss them. Mention you’ve moved your classes online. Along with expressing your genuine love for your community, this strategy will also keep you top of mind and have you standing out from your competition. This added bonus will keep you first in line when the crisis passes and your doors re-open.
Bringing Your Community Together
We’re all in this together and while we’re distancing, connecting to your community by showing them how much you care is what adding value to your business is all about.
In these turbulent times, it can be tough to bring value to your clientele, while trying to adapt to a new and difficult climate. Don’t despair, you’ve got this! You want to be able to add value to your community, be of service and build on those relationships. Adapting your business to get more active online, offering incentives, and showing compassion by staying in touch, are all ways to offer more value for your clients during the COVID-19 crisis.
While this crisis continues, keep an open mind, be flexible and do the best you can to keep your clients engaged in your business. They are counting on you!
