Despite greater health awareness and interest in sports activities, sports clubs are finding it harder to retain their members. As a result, many sports clubs are now beginning to adjust their business models and products and services offers to satisfy the needs of their members. Although sports clubs can make greater investments in equipments and variety of sports activities, the solution to effective member engagement lies in clever use of member programs and benefits.

It is said that sports club members generally seek a strong sense of community spirit and belonging to meet their emotional and appreciation needs. While price, certainly, is a factor, using the right member benefits programs can be critical for long-term retention.

What Is A Member Benefits Program?

A member benefits program is a method used to provide existing members with special offers, monetary and non-monetary advantages to achieve long-term retention. Many service-oriented organisations utilise member benefits program to provide its members with an extensive array of benefits through its various channel partners and networks to provide a holistic and positive experience of using their services.

An appropriate member benefits program utilises the right combination of instruments, tools and resources to award members with offers and incentives that help exceed their expectations to satisfy their emotional and financial needs to translate into greater loyalty and engagement.

In the context of sports clubs, member benefits programs can manifest in the form of discounts, special events and offers that provide exceptional value to members. The particular method and style used should vary in accordance with different customer groups or segments.

For instance, some sports clubs tailor member benefits program in the form of different types of memberships. This could involve membership exclusively for fitness purposes, tennis, full club activities and services and senior members.

How Sports Club Can Use Member Benefits Program To Retain Their Members?

A gym or sports club members goes well beyond the intended exercise, fitness, or sports activity. Rather, it is an experience that must always be maintained through recurrent use of promotional activities to keep their members engaged continually. First and foremost, sports clubs can improve provide a holistic community atmosphere in their sports club through organisation social events and programs where different members can come together.

Secondly, sports clubs can organise free training sessions to teach how to play different sports to boost engagement. This will help amplify interest in using their facilities and will help spread positive word-of-mouth.

Another more important method is to utilise network advantages. This is where a business or sports club will take advantage of different partners and collaborators to provide a holistic package of services and products. Organisations, such as flight airlines, often make use of various channel partners by offering exclusive discounts on particular stores and outlets.

To achieve this, your sports club needs to opt for the right channel incentive programme. By using  such  programmes, you can retain club members much more cost-effectively and with greater transparency.