Ep.57 - Membership and customer insights from the Dr of data, Paul Bedford

International speaker and founder of Retention Guru, Paul Bedford, knows the importance of behaviour, because he knows what we all do. Through continuous research, he’s evaluated the effect of four million fitness space and gym member records across 40 countries. 

He’s led data studies that change the way we think in the fitness industry, such as research from 357,000 customers over a four-year period from 100 different operators in a single retention report. This is how to get to know your customer.

Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/wudEgTwffaM

Paul Bedford started in the fitness industry working in a YMCA as a gym instructor. He couldn’t understand why members would come into the gym full of enthusiasm but then either stop doing the programme or stop coming in altogether.

Paul realised the need for a better understanding of psychology over kinesiology when it came to keeping people in the gym. He undertook a Master’s degree in exercise and health behaviour before following that up with a second one in research behaviour and finishing with a PhD.

Paul Bedford and Retention Guru specialise in big scale studies over long periods of time, looking at member behaviour. In addition to industry benefit, he does a lot of work for individual companies such as Anytime Fitness, Mariott Hotels, The Gym Group, Lifestyle Fitness and more. 

It’s all about traditional, statistical analysis to increase the lifetime of each customer in regards to retention. He uses this data to develop strategies, predict trends, and split members into groups based on behaviour. For example, he splits gym users into three groups – savvy, yo-yos or new – and understands how their needs greatly differ in what will keep them interested.

For more info visit retentionguru.com or follow Paul Bedford’s activity on the company’s social platforms. On LinkedIn and Twitter, you’ll find “lunchtime lessons” – a short point of information to help you better understand your members. You can also attend the Retention Convention in Birmingham, UK.

 

Episode highlights : 

• The difference between retention and attrition, and why many gym owners have probably been measuring statistics incorrectly until now.
• How to measure the activity of members to determine its effect on the business, and how you can interpret this information to decide how you need to react.
• Why physiological changes don’t keep every member on board all the time, and how a psychological approach is needed to grow the industry and benefit more people.
• Learn the difference between member types, how much support they need and how they use fitness spaces.
• How to mitigate risk through multiple products, but also why you should brand them separately.
• How behaviour influences thought processes and not the other way around as many had previously assumed.

 

Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Dr Paul Bedford…