For many fitness professionals, tracking sessions is not a priority. Professionals offering group classes or boot camps are especially famous for not tracking attendance and sessions. As long as your clients have paid for their sessions, you don’t need to keep track of how many they do, right?  Or it may feel like it’s time consuming?

Even though not tracking sessions doesn’t have a short term effect, long term this can become a major issue.  Running a successful fitness business requires that you not only be reactive but also proactive along the way.

Photo by .:[ Melissa ]:.'s

Here are three reasons why you need to start tracking your clients’ sessions:

1.  To be aware of when your clients are out of sessions.
   Sales are the lifeline of any business. When you are able to track sessions, you will have the ability to create a seamless renewal system. Renewal systems keep your revenue coming in. The best time to sell more sessions to your clients is when they are actively using your services, but are coming to the end of a contract.
2. To know who is using your services, and who is NOT.
   Did you know that for every one person who is unhappy with your services, they will let ten people know? When you track sessions, you can see who isn’t using your services. Why did they stop? Help resolve issues before a negative review comes out. But remember, some people are just out to complain, do what you can but you will never be able to please everyone.
3. To be able to evaluate and make adjustments to your business.
   Tracking sessions can also help you learn what services or classes are most popular. If you might ever change your business, this is the background work for those changes. Find out what work, what doesn’t, what hasn’t been popular, and what your clients can’t get enough of.

The key to tracking sessions is to find a software program that will do it for you. Don’t run extensive spreadsheets when online fitness scheduling software can do the job for you. Automate the process and benefit in the short term from less administrative work, while you’re preparing for the future.  Adopt an open mind to the technology that is available, you will be surprised how simple and easy tracking your sessions, and your business, can be.