For those of us who have been slinging memberships since the old days this is affectionately refereed to as the chicken or puppy dog close. Call it what you want I’ll be the chicken with a fatter wallet cause I know when it’s time to pull back rather than lose the deal The times they are a changing there BRUTUS.

That said there is a right and wrong way to execute this. First, explain the process, ” Listen Mr prospect it seems to me like you want to make sure this is a good decision, Right?” Second, Make a compromise,” Rather than the 1 day pass we usually offer I’d like you to try the club out risk free for an entire week to be sure it’s what you want! This will give you a chance to use the gym at your leisure and see how much you are going to enjoy it here”.  Finally, assume the agreement,” let’s  get the paperwork done which will give you unlimited access at the club and we’ll get your trial activated. Don’t worry, we won’t charge you anything until after the trial period and you decide this is the place you want to be. If for whatever reason you don’t see how this gym can help you reach those goals we discussed you still got the free week and there is no further obligation. Sound Fair? Heck, you can say you don’t like the music we play and you are done? No Hassle

Once you remove the risk you ease the tension, establish trust, and most importantly test your health clubs ability to deliver the goods and exceed the new members expectations.

Ironically, the longer I’m in this business the real chickens seem to be the guys who are afraid to let someone see what their health club is really all about before locking someone in. If you can truly satisfy your clients you got nothing to worry about. CLUCK CLUCK

ShareThis

One membership sales tool that I’ve used for years which makes me seem smarter than I actually am is the Special  Rate Reserve Card. This technique allows you to lighten up pressure after attempting to close a club prospect who has not been able to commit or more to the point as a membership sales counselor I have been unable to convince.

While I’ve encountered many clubs attempting to use these most are ineffective or utterly worthless. A simple form that has a name and a price written on  it with  a 1 day pass is not what these shoud look like. Again don’t lose sight of what we are trying to accomplish here. SELL THE GYM MEMBERSHIP TODAY!

That said I have developed an effective Rate Reservation Form that gives you one more shot to Close the Sale.Here is a rough example of the on I use:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jose’s House of Pain
Rate Reservation Certificate

We are thankful you have considered our facility to help you accomplish the goals
you want to reach such as _____________________________________________________.

We are committed to all our members success and we  can’t wait to show you the same results!

• Join Now and enrollment is reduced  to $ _______
• Join Now and Individual Monthly Rate is Only $ ______
• Join Now and Individual Paid in Full Rate is Only $ ___ for ___ months
• Join Now and add Family members for  Only $ ______
• Hurry this Offer expires: Day _____ Date: ________

Remember,  join before the special incentive date and your membership includes:

• A FREE fitness consultation
• 50% off your first massage
• VIP Guest Privillages for friends and family
• Special Enrollment Discounts for family members
• 25% your first Pro-shop purchase
• Free Subscription to our Monthly Keeping Fit Newsletter
• Instant savings around town with the House of Pain Perks program
and….
Most importantly a healthier new you!

I understand there is never a better time to make positive CHANGES in my live and reap the benefits we
have discussed such as increased energy, healthier body, reduced stress, improved athletic
performance and more.

Program Director                                 Potential Member
———————————-                       ——————————
*Please present this to an authorized representative to receive reserved rate.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Customize the form to match your health clubs offerings but notice we are highlighting goals they wish to accomplish by joining a gym, we reiterate our clubs commitment to their success, we subtly address procrastination, and we make them acknowledge they risk losing all the benefits of a healthier lifestyle if they don’t move forward.

Most importantly and the whole point of this exercise is  to close the conversation with one more attempt or ORDER REQUEST “by nonchalantly saying “Look Ms. Prospect since we know you came to reach some fitness goals, you’ve seen how this gym can help, you realize nothing changes without taking the 1st step and you agree the facility has everything you need I’ll save you the trip and extra paperwork by going ahead and getting your membership started today. Let’s  save some time and get you going on that platinum package you liked and I’ll honor this  reservation for a friend or family member you’d like to earn a referral reward on. Does that sound fair?

ShareThis

In an effort to keep members around longer you should focus on selling sticky products first. “Stickiness” refers to the ability of your clubs products or services to retain the member using it. For example, group fitness, boot camps and weight loss programs are extremely sticky products. Members that are a part of these activities adopt trainers and instructors they like into their circle. There is a comfort level that they don’t want to be without. It’s why you catch flack if a great(or not so great trainer bails). Another factor for members that have these dues or upgrades auto-billed, switching their account to another club becomes a  process that many people postpone, a strong incentive for remaining enrolled. While Personal Training penetration remains low compared to other products, members with trainers typically have a greater satisfaction with the club.

ShareThis

Unfortunately, with all the BS out there you have to make sure you are not just quoting or recording a bunch of  favored members rambling on about how great they think the club is . These new prospects don’t give a damn about why Joe Bodybuilder loves the 120 lb dumbbells you have.

You need to make sure your health club marketing,Member Success Books and/or Walls of Fame contain a ton of effective testimonials that appeal to different needs people have.

What makes a great testimonial? They give details, cut out the sugar and help answer prospects’ objections.

1. Specific. Good testimonials don’t stop at “They did a great job” or “The gym/program made a difference in my life.” They explain why the gym did a good job or how the club made a difference.
2. Believable. Pie in the Sky and fake-sounding testimonials tend to lead to mistrust. To make a testimonial sound as credible as possible, include details like full name, club or trainer name, time frames or dates. Video testimonials add more credibility. After all, would you give a fake video testimonial?
3. Answers common concerns. When prospects consider before joining your health club, what barriers stand in the way of their buying from you? Testimonial that erase potential objections are incredibly useful.

For efficiency sake have your internal Testimonials broken down by tabs in a Success Book or in Highlighted areas on the Wall of Fame with headings such as : Weight Loss, Muscle Building, Sport Specific Training, Health Improvement, Injury Rehabilitation ECT

If you’re gym is already using the power of Social proof congratulations. Now make sure it is as effective and speaks to as many different types of prospective members as possible.

ShareThis

When I first started in the gym business I was an excitable young man. I thought I gave the best tour in the  health club biz. I built rapport, I took time with folks, we could talk for 1/2 an hr about  fitness, I built excitement,  I would put them on  machines, I did a good price presentation heck I even tried to overcome a lot of objections with out much to go on and guess what a lot would buy memberships. But I also missed some I should have gotten and I quickly learned  what I  was missing.

In spite of the my enthusiasm for the health club and knowledge of fitness and the fact that I got along with most people I talked to about membership I was missing the main reason someone joins a gym. I thought to myself  WOW!  we have great equipment, anybody can get in shape here, we have a high energy atmosphere, and man if I jump around like an idiot and get people excited along with me these people are gonna get started. As important as enthusiasm is,  it doesn’t satisfy the reason people join a club or force people to make a decision that benefits them.

What does force a decision is asking the RIGHT questions. Not just about fitness goals but, about their concerns, their schedule, the family support,  how long they’ve procrastinated, even other clubs they might choose,their lifestyle,  and the personality of who you are dealing with. By asking these probing type questions you are learning what truly  motivates them,if the spouse is in favor of joining a club, you can identify a workout schedule, carefully eliminate competition, show how we can solve their problems all in a way that melds with their personality.To really illustrate this I had to think a little differently than just being the wildest guy they say all day.

I use the analogy of starting with an empty gun then each question you ask gives you ammunition you can load in the clip to shoot down concerns that arise later.

For example: if you asked if the husband is in favor of you getting in shape and she said” yes he encouraged me to find a gym”, It’s hard to backpedal and say I need to ask my husband without you calling them on it.

Or the dreaded I need to think about it. Well, Joe you shared with me that you’ve considered joining for about 2 months Right? let me ask you how much of the weight you said you wanted to lose has melted away  in the 2 months you’ve been thinking about it.

Whatever they say you should have a reflex response that shows empathy restates the question then discounts the concern using their own words.

The more loaded your weapon the more likely you can ease them into action. Fire away!

I still get alittle amped up every once in a while but, unlike Plax I’m dangerous with a loaded weapon!

ShareThis

ShareThis

Just to set the record straight I didn’t expect this “SECRET REPORT” was going to blow the lid off  the subject I was curious about. (How to speak Greek in 2 days while you sleep)  I was just hoping to pull 1 or 2 useful pieces of knowledge that could be useful to me or my gym consulting clients . Then, as expected I can determine if I would agree to the up-sell that would follow if the information was helpful.

Well, it doesn’t matter now…. these idiots could  name a star after me or fly me to Aruba  now and I wouldn’t bite on anything further because of the initial transaction.(PSSST You can try the Aruba thing, but it’s a long-shot)

I’m in the report business myself and I always try to provide actionable steps, gym marketing ideas, health club statistics, or some, gym sales tips the reader can use to produce results in their fitness business.  Sure, if a club owner wants to learn more techniques or strategies there is another level of commitment on both sides and some price to be paid for even better results but,  worse case scenario even if a health club operator reads the information decides the health club advertising ideas weren’t what they were looking for and trashes it, THEY GOT THE ITEM THEY REQUESTED!

Maybe down the road I’ll send them some  innovative gym marketing plan or health club sales ideas they do like.

Listen up, I talk time after time about the power of gifting special  members, offering bonuses, and  referral rewards.  I hope that you are keeping up and establishing bonus or reward systems but if you haven’t started that is still better than telling people you will offer something then take your sweet time or worse never deliver.

If you have incentives to join or incite members to take some action in the club and the people comply with your wishes get off your ass and reward them don’t make members track yo down fro a free month or a t-shirt. Why would anybody take you seriously if its like pulling teeth to get what you said you’d give. Where is the urgency to bring in my friend if I’ve never seen a thing from the last 3 folks I referred to the club.

Not only does this halt momentum on a membership or referral program it forces people to wonder if they can take you at your word in anything.

Make it Happen!

-Frank

ShareThis

Have a Super bowl Party at your gym. Even if the  club closes early on Sunday you can do a Pregame Tailgate theme. Invite everybody members, community partners, family and let them bring guests, provide food and drink, Show all the pregame coverage on the TV’s, Have some Football related games set up like a Football Tire Toss or Speed Drills do a full Combine program, have activities for the kids like face painting or flag football  just make the environment fun and interactive. Do a special bonus for bringing in a Friend to join, offer a big discount on Personal Training  packages or massage for people who wear there favorite team apparel. Anyone who guesses the final score get a free month. Do a betting pool.

The VMG jury is split pretty evenly. I’d like to see the Saints take it as an NFC guy. While others are Peyton Fans. ….. Strangely, Curtis has the e Mizzou Tigers winning by a field goal in OT

Anywho, just make the event SUPER!  Heck most of our clubs have a ton of TV’s so if people don’t have plans invite them in for a SUPER SIZE Workout and consider keeping the club open for the game. Just get creative!

Remember, while we would all  love to sell a ton of memberships  that’s not the point.  Build member relationships,  get a little more exposure,  and like I said have some fun.

Make it Happen!    Go NAWLINS!

-Frank

The Health Club Pro

—————-
Now playing: Beastie Boys - Fight for Your Right (to Party)
via FoxyTunes

ShareThis

I hope Seth doesn’t mind me stealing a little of  his thunder by revealing a chapter in the book I think he  called Fearless, Reckless or Feckless. Heck, maybe he’ll even thank me for recommending his book.  Either way I highly recommend of all his work. This guy is one of the best.

Now enough of the brown-nosing let’s get on with it.

This idea of  doing things out of the norm and leaving the comfort of  traditional ideas is just 1 topic in the book but it spoke to me. While some nuggets of wisdom must be digested,  incubated, and then take shape or executed over a period of time. This idea was different.  It immediately sparked a new vision for myself, our company direction,  and hopefully those gym owners who heed this advice.

We cannot continue to conduct our fitness business or any endeavor we want to stand out as usual. We must become indispensable but in a way that makes people feel they are missing something if they are not apart of what we have going on. We must become a little crazy to thrive in today’s ultra competitive health club landscape. Companies and people succeed more and more by leaving the conformist mindset and the shackles of status quo.

Taking chances, standing out from the crowd, and causing a ruckus now more than ever elicits the type of response we want and need.

People have a desire to be part of whats going on, the latest thing,  a little or a lot different from the regular. Perhaps it’s the celebrity disease, the rumor mill, or the shocking expose that folks now thrive on socially, Devoteing hours of their day to TMZ or US Magazine? Perhaps we need some tabloid exploits in our professional life as well.

Consider this a warning, an announcement, and a suggestion. the way we play the fitness club  game  has changed boys and girls how are things going to be different from now on? What kind of outrageous antics can we pull in our club business worlds to capture the attention of the people.What will we do to become indispensable? What can you provide that people crave.

Tell you what. Let me read Seth’s book; learn some secrets and we’ll figure out how to apply this new mindset together.

I hope that my ability to get this stuff in front of you is reason enough to consider the tools  we provide a linchpin (A central cohesive element) that helps guarantee your clubs success.

Oh and visit Seth on the web @ www.sethgodin.com and buy some stuff

ShareThis

Other clubs describe their retention strategy as using creative applications to
collect delinquent member dues.  Some of the more popular methods I hear about include:

• Constant reminders to members that it s time for renewal

• Send out invoices as early as the ninth month of membership

• Have staff contact members whose renewal dates are 30-60 days out

• Send out monthly invoices to members who are 30, 60, 90 or 120 days delinquent

• Threaten members about potentially lost opportunities if their renewals are not received (e.g., upcoming  deadline, special offers or events, higher non-member fees for participation)

Creative dues collection consumes more resources (e.g., time, money, and people) at a time when the efforts are least effective. Member retention strategies are not based on reactive activities and additional paperwork.

Use the following Member Retention Scorecard to evaluate how well you use proactive strategies to retain members.

The Member Retention Scorecard

Use the Scorecard below to rate your performance for using each retention strategy. Calculate your Overall Retention Score by adding up the values for all strategies. Write your score in the bottom row provided and compare your score to the ratings below.

Retention Performance Score
On a scale of  1 – 4, with 1 being lowest and 4 the highest, rate how well your organization uses each retention strategy.

1 = Are you kidding?
2 = It’s hit or miss
3 = Yea, for the most part
4  = Absolutely

1. Do you manage baseline info about your members(e.g., specific groups, profiles, retention rates)?
2. Do you know the expectations and interests of new members who join?
3. Do you contact and follow up with new members on a regular basis throughout their first year to ensure expectations are being met?
4. Do you contact all existing members regularly to learn how you’re meeting their expectations?
5. Do you communicate your strategic plan to members (e.g., goals, strategies and accomplishments)?
6. Do you use two-way communication venues to share information and collect member feedback?
7. Do you collect and review ‘member intelligence’ (i.e., inquiries, needs, feedback, activities)?
8. Do you help members connect with others, form alliances and participate in your ‘community?’
9. Do you reward members for their loyalty: for giving feedback, referring others and renewing?
10. Do you recognize your best members and provide special opportunities to show your appreciation?
11. Do you periodically modify your benefits to align with your members’ current and evolving needs?
12. Do you have a formal retention plan in place, with written procedures and action plans to implement?

Overall Retention Score: ______

WHAT YOUR RATING MEANS:
43 - 48 points: You’re doing great,  Keep it up.
42 – 36 points: You’re implementing some retention strategies and should use them consistently.
35 – 26 points: You’re spending more resources to recruit members than to retain them.
25 or less points: You’re losing members faster than you can recruit them. Take quick action now!

ShareThis