As much as the owner of a fitness business can systemise the client journey and experience, and devote time to solving problems and delivering value, client loss is an inevitable part of the business.

With Range of Motion Business Mentoring clients, we teach that client loss is an opportunity.

In some cases this is beyond our control. Clients leaving the country or moving interstate for example is an obviously acceptable reason for client departure.

In other cases, client departure is preventable, and an awareness and sensitivity to red flags by the business owner can often predict the departure before it happens. In these cases, it’s a matter of communicating with the client and reassessing the direction they’re heading in. Then, either adjusting the service you’re providing, or suggesting another service provider who can better help them reach their goals. Often, the reason for departure is because the client isn’t aware of the breadth of services you can provide. If they’re injured for example, they may not be aware that you have a background in exercise rehabilitation, or are able to modify their exercise around injury. Once again, in cases such as this, open communication and dialogue can solve problems before they become major enough to cause real issues.

The third category of client drop-offs are the most damaging to your ego and business. These are the people who leave because the service and experience you’re delivering doesn’t deliver value equal to or greater than the resources they’re committing to you (be they time or money). This can happen as a result of a reduced financial situation on their behalf, or reduced value provided by you.

If it’s the latter, and the value and experience you’re providing aren’t sufficient, it becomes a matter of fixing your broken models or faulty systems. Again, client acquisition is effective only if the ‘bucket’ they’re entering doesn’t leak.

There are two ways to respond to this situation. You can take it personally, blame the client and experience no growth. Or you can take responsibility, see it as an opportunity to learn, and grow.

‘Never let a good crisis go to waste’. A client departure provides an opportunity.

The best way to handle it is to contact them to open a dialogue to establish why they left. If multiple people give the same reasons, you have a clear path of improvement laid out ahead of you.

Ideally, chat with them face-to-face. Sometimes people are reluctant to do this, as (even if there isn’t) people often perceive ‘bad blood’ when ending a relationship like this.

In this case, a form on your website that you can send them a link to is a great approach.

Here’s an example of the wording used at Range of Motion:

We’re sorry to see you leave Range of Motion.

If you feel comfortable, we’d love to know what we could have done better. If we can learn from your experience we can improve how much we’re able to help people better in the future.

Of course, if you’re not comfortable with this, it’s absolutely fine – but if we would like to share, we’d be really grateful. We promise not to be offended, we genuinely want to be better.

Then, under this text, have a space for their name and space for them to leave comments.

Don’t miss an opportunity to plug the holes in your bucket. A client departure is an opportunity to get some of the most honest and constructive feedback and advice you will ever receive in your business.