Guess what gang, Contrary to popular belief people are still purchasing memberships this January. Although they are more savvy, more price conscious, and not as quick to pull the trigger as in years past.

Make sure your salespeople are not taking shortcuts that sometimes crop-up during high volume feeding frenzy that was January past. When you see a lot of people there can be a tendency to rush the process. DON’T!

Treat the prospect as if they are the only person you will see all day.

1. Get guest contact info (Just in case)
2. Take time to build rapport
3. Find hot buttons by asking questions  identifying needs and wants
4. Give a complete benefits based tour
5. Trial Close (Does the club have everything you need?)
6. Present programs in an easy to understand format
7. Overcome concerns(everybody has them)
8. Re-close(ask for order)
9. Get Referrals(boost the numbers)

If you’ve followed this blog for any amount of time this stuff may seem basic and it is . That said, usually the basics are the first things to go when salespeople think they have gotten too slick to follow a plan or there is a ton of traffic and they get sloppy. Get back to the techniques that produced the results which convinced them they were good in the first place.

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With January 2010 underway I’m sure most of your health clubs are experiencing a bit of a revival. New prospects are banging down your door and all of the sudden people you haven’t seen in months are coming out of the woodwork. We love the extra activity and certainly all  smart owners and operators out there are capitalizing on the increase in the gyms activity to help bolster up your clubs profit centers, training, pro-shop sales, boot camps,  massage and other revenue drivers. Any area where we can up sell  should  be on overdrive.

However, with all the excitement there is another advantage to the increased population in our clubs that I don’t want you to overlook. This often missed opportunity is something that will pay dividends all year long and beyond. SO in addition to selling a bunch of stuff to all these people running around your club make sure you have an easy way for the members we are servicing to voice their opinions.

Comment boxes, surveys, and member interviews are great ways to get the straight dope on what people think about your club. What direction the gyms programming should head, what services club members really want, and how well the members feel they are treated by your staff. By harnessing the power of this information and using it to improve and evolve  your fitness facility every January will be better than the next. Now with all the extra input there is never a better time to get the widest array of  input and USE IT ! Don’t take members comments lightly if you don’t respond to customers wants they will find someone that will.

For even more advice on how to improve your club and make the most out of 2010 why not check out what the experts are saying at GymSuccess.com

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Hope everyone had a great holiday. I know some of you are still getting geared up for the party on New Years Eve however,  January is fast approaching  in the health club business. We all need a plan to cash in on some of the biggest  months in the fitness industry. Here’s a checklist for you evaluate your preparedness.

1. Is your 1st quarter gym marketing plan ready to execute? (Do you have a results-oriented message and gym promotion schedule  that’s been tested and  guaranteed to deliver tons of memberships for the next 3 months and beyond)
2. Do you have effective health club management systems in place? (club operations are always smoother with proven systems)
3. Is the gym staffed adequately? (Is there awell-trained reception staff & strong membership sales team, Sales oriented PT Director)
4. What are your member retention activities ( keep people on board after resolution fever wears off)
5. Can you capitalize on the additional membership activity in the club?(capture new revenue streams through boot camps, PT, Nutrition counseling , Kids Programing, Tanning, Smoking Cessation,Massage,ECT
6. Is there a plan for the 2nd quarter in your fitness business?( Don’t get caught off-guard by the rush there’s still 9 months left)

If you answered YES to all 6 of these questions then Congratulations! you’ve been paying attention and best of all  You should have a banner year in 2010.

If not, where have you been …….Uh ohh you better get cracking!

If you need assistance putting your gyms marketing plan in place , developing effective club management systems, honing your membership sales-team and staff skills, and finally maximizing your health clubs profit potential for the upcoming year YOU should get some help as quickly as possible or you will miss out!

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Most of you probably have monthly goals for your club. At least I hope you do! It’s hard to manage anything that you don’t have benchmarks and expectations set, Right? We hold our staff and managers accountable for these numbers. The question is do we hold ourselves to the same standards?

Maybe you are not an onsite club operator or maybe you are but, because you own the gym are not setting measurable goals for yourself. If that’s the case how do you know how things are going? If any of this hits close to home NOW is a great time to change it.

With a couple days left in 09′ be sure and reflect back on your professional/personal accomplishments for the year and goals for the coming year. I approach it like this:

1. What did I do well?
2. What could I have done better?
3. What outcomes suprised me the most? Positive/Negative
4. What can I do differently to maximize results?
5. What activities will I limit/forego since they have proven to be a waste of time?
6. What were my personal/health club  income goals for 2009?  Did I hit or miss
7. What were my non-monetary goals and projects for the gym/ personallly in 2009? Did I hit or miss
8. What are my personal/health club income goals for 2010?
9. WHat projects  do I want to accomplish in 2010 in the gym business/ personally?
10. What steps will I take to hit my 2010 goals

Asking these 10 questions may not be that easy but, it is simple. If we expect results than we have to hold ourselves accountable. And while it is one thing to talk the talk it’s another all together to practice what you preach. Have a great Holiday season and use this time to reflect on waht a great year you had and establish a gameplan to make next year even better.

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Used to be nothing polorized health club business owners  more than whether to push memberships for cash upfront or build the draft. Over the years we’ve come to our senses and acknowleged  big recievable bases are  key to long-term sustainability of  a gym. Regardless, of which camps theory you subscribed to, there are times we find ourselves wanting or needing to push some cash memberships.

In these circumstances there is an alternative to the traditional deep discounting PIF MEMBERSHIPS of yesteryear or hard line NO discounts or PIF all draft approach. This little used option actually can support both maintain cash down while still boosting the draft quite a bit.

How about a  90 Day same as cash program.

 If needed you may even want to discount the price a little to sway people to go this route.

Here’s how it works.

Lets say your gym monthly membership is $39 with a $69 enrollment for 12 months. Total membership cost is $537. Why not have  a $499 PIF membership for 12 or 12 + 3 free months that saves them some money but, isn’t so deeply discounted prospects  automatically jump on it.  If there is  interest  however present the 90 SAC program. In this case they can pay $199 to get started which more people can afford to do than have $500 to drop and set up  $100 drafts for the next 3 months. In effect you just cleared a bit more on the downpay compared to a monthly enrollment and boosted draft $100 which is equivalent to  2.5  monthly memberships. Now keep in mind you have to replace deals sold this way every 90 days because your draft is only increased for 3 months but if you are consistent with this program you can get a good number of these  per month.

Forget  about big discounts, get a little cash boost  and build draft. Not too shabby! Try it and see what you think!

Yours in Good Health,

Frank Emanuel, THCP

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For those of you “ in  the know” fitness business pros this is old news but, I still thought I’d make an announcement since some of you have obviously been living under a rock. J/K . SO… what is all the hubbub about?

Well, only the biggest thing to happen to our industry since GymSuccess.com(shameless plug). Anywho, If you haven’t heard the first show dedicated to today’s Health Club Professional @  http://fitbiz.tv/ goes live tomorrow. This is the launch so you won’t want to miss it. Curtis has been working on the show for months and I can’t wait to see the finished product. This episode is so chock-full of useful goodies. Supposedly Curtis has packed so many gym marketing tips, unique fitness club management techniques, and club membership sales tactics into this show that  he couldn’t fit it into the regular 12-15 minute format. If the rumours are correct this inaugural episode is a double shot of Curtis(YIKES!)

If you haven’t already registered what are you waiting for @ http://fitbiz.tv . Not only do you get to see the show but, there are all kind of CRAZY FREE bonuses just for signing up. If you take the success of your health club business seriously you can’t afford to miss this! I’m not sayin, I’m just sayin’!

AGAIN, THE PLACE TO REGISTER FOR FREE  IS  http://fitbiz.tv 

Go register,grab your crayons and some paper to take some notes and eagerly sit in front of your computer and wait for the show to begin!

Yours in Good Health,

Frank,THCP

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I’m sure you missed me. Or maybe you didn’t even realize I was gone. Either way I’m back from a much needed 2 week vaca to Costa Rica. Needless to say I was too busy sunning and funning to keep up with the news  so when I get back.  Florida  Gators lost, Bobby Bowden to coach a final game and Tiger is out of golf. (Weird).

I guess nothing is a sure thing and there a a few health club management lessons to take away. Don’t get too comfortable with the here and now, always have a plan B, things change in an instant.

I hate to sound like a broken record but, if you run your health club today like you did 5 yrs ago I’m surprised. If you market your gym in the same way I’m shocked and if you expect the super star salespeople and responsible club manager you count on today will always be around you are fooling yourself.

In all these scenarios we must be able to continue to enhance our club management skills, We must use new and unique gym marketing strategies, and we should always recruit and groom staff that can grow within the business.

I see way too many owners relying on past experiences and measures of success as barometers for performance and definitions of success today. This is a mistake.

That said, let me get back to pulling the sand out of my ears and figuring out what all changed in the good ol’ Gym Business in the last 2 weeks.

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It’s a bittersweet day for those of us in the  Seminole Nation. Sources say FSU head coach for the last 34 years  Bobby Bowden and 2nd winningest coach all-time in College Football will announce his retirement later today.  

Sorry, but we are passionate about football around here. Actually, this story also carries some weight in the club business arena as well. Many times club owners/ mangers are reluctant to make necessary changes because of past success. Let’s be clear. What worked  yesterday may not work tomorrow. All businesses evolve and while 5-10 years ago the gym industry would be considered somewhat stagnant, today things change constantly. As club owners we have to keep up with these changes or better yet create the changes.

Coach Bowden was old school, he built programs through discipline, he recruited the best talent, and surrounded himself with top tier assistants. Bobby and his staff were innovators and the first to develop the high-speed defense and 5 wide all out passing attacks on offense which are now commonplace in today’s game and consequently not as effective as back in the day.

Likewise, the old school gym management tactics, hardcore sales approach, antiquated advertising strategies, and 3 year contracts of  yesteryear are done. Listen, I like to sit back and reflect on the old days as much as the next guy but these played out tactics largely have run their course. Living in the past,  comfortable might be won’t make your fitness club money and you certainly won’t stay competitive. So what can you do to stay current. Here are some tips!

1. Borrow from other industries (Starbucks became a 3rd place to be have you?)
2. Create raving fans (Not new just more important than ever)
3. Offer innovative programming (Is Step  your latest  addition to  Group fitness)
4. Invest in some new equipment (I assure prospects have seen elliptical before)
5. Shop the competition( Are you getting outpaced)
6. Take calculated risks with unusual services( Even with questionable outcomes you are evolving )
7. Embrace technology ( Plan in advance for capital intensive  improvements)

Somethings in the fitness industry will never change, Most things do. It’s our job to learn from past experience  and help shape the future through constant evolution! As hard as it is sometimes even the best ideas, stratagies, and traditions run  their course. It’s okay to reflect on the past but don’t live in it!

I think Bobby would agree!

“EVERYTHING THAT OCCURS WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION REFLECTS BACK UPON ITS LEADERS.  This burden comes with the territory. Why? Because you set the standards of acceptable behavior - athletically, academically, socially. It is up to you to establish these standards, reinforce these standards, and enforce these standards. It’s these standards that have a big bearing on what will occur on your team. Keep in mind that you typically get what you expect of your team - so long as you also expect it of yourself.” - Coach Bowden

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I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.I finally recovered from my turkey hangover last night.

Now it’s time to get back to playing health club. I see a tendancy in gyms to sort of coast into the New Year. I don’t know if there is a lingering tryptophan problem or if they listen to other people in gym industry who say “December is slow, it’s the calm before the storm” .

I won’t dispute activity can be down a little. Heck, even regular members start to say I’m going to take my workouts easy during the next couple weeks.  Club prospects we follow up with or talk to about memberships  try the canned excuse ”I’m going to start after the Holidays”. It’s like  playing defense in the red zone and getting to use the after the holiday stall like the back of the end zone extra defender. Remember they’re checked out your health club for a reason. What changed about their fitness goals? Did they lose a bunch of weight over  Thanksgiving weekend?  Is it easier to get  into shape if you put it off a little longer?

There is no such thing as slow gyms, or slow seasons, just slow people!

The point is not to start hibernating just because your competition,  prospects, and members like to. We still have bills to pay, Right. So come up with a plan just like you would for any other month. Here are some tips.

1. Give the gift of health club advertising everywhere (Catch people in the  giving spirit)
2. PT makes a great gift (run a Holiday Only Training Special )
3. Gift cards gain momentum every year (Use for membership incentive and profit center boost)
4. Offer PIF special (people like to pay for gifts immediately, not over time)
5. One twist  is a Layaway option (PIF in 3 easy draft installments)
6. Create various themed Gift Baskets  (Protein Powder, Weight Belt, Straps, Creatine, Multi-Vit, T-Shirt, Towel, Water Bottle, Training Log) or (Tanning Certificate, Lotion,Goggles, Water Bottle) ECT
7. Massage makes a great gift (offer packages)
8. Become a sponsor of local holiday parties (Give away a ton of gift cards, trial memberships, and passes)

The possibilities are endless it just takes some creativity and the willingness to not settle for status quo!

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