A Business Link For Circuit Training Gyms.

Free Marketing Plan Examples For Small Businesses

2012-02-05T20:32:00.000-08:00

While marketing plans are critical for all small businesses in this economy, if you own a health club it's even more important that you implement solid advertising and promotion techniques.

If you haven't yet done so, you should take a minute to read the free marketing plan examples we've provided for all circuit training gym owners. One of the best to read right now is titled How To Sell Gym Memberships In February, and you can read it FREE by clicking here.

There are also many articles in our library that are suitable for just about any small business, not just for health clubs! Check it out today and start increasing sales immediately!

The Biggest Loser - Health Club Marketing Idea

2012-01-03T21:54:00.000-08:00

In case you missed it, THE BIGGEST LOSER was back on television tonight with the start of a brand new season! This show is always successful, always popular, and always a lot of fun.

As a gym owner, one of the best things you can do right now is to piggy-back on the success of THE BIGGEST LOSER show.

Click here to read our article titled Circuit Training Ideas On A Budget - Biggest Loser. In this article we teach you how to host a BIGGEST LOSER contest. It’s very inexpensive, highly motivational for your members, and guaranteed to bring you FREE publicity! Really, circuit training ideas just don’t get any better than this!

Oh, did we mention that we're providing this article for FREE? Click here to read it NOW.

.....and if you need a new and innovative "change stations" CD, don't forget that we offer dozens of options here.....as always, our "change stations" CDs are just $10 each!

The Purpose Of This Circuit Training Blog

2011-12-31T08:39:00.000-08:00

When we decided to write this circuit training blog as an addition to our regular site www.cuecd.com, our goal was to give you even more information you can use to be successful. So if you haven't already, please take the time to browse through this blog. Here you'll find free gym marketing advice, free health club advertising ideas, and so much more.

The purpose of our circuit training blog post today is to remind you that January begins TOMORROW. As any health club owner in the United States will tell you, January is the "golden month" for fitness sales. Many gym owners earn more in the single month of January than they do all summer long.

If you don't have a solid gym marketing plan in place, then you're already late. Need some help? Then read our original and FREE article titled How To Sell Gym Memberships In January by clicking here.

As a gym owner, you can also hit a home run in January by helping your members write achievable and realistic New Year Resolutions. Here's a FREE and original series of articles on New Year fitness resolutions, and we strongly encourage you to print these and have them available in your gym for members to take:
New Year Fitness Resolution (Part 1)
New Year Fitness Resolution (Part 2)
New Year Fitness Resolution (Part 3)
New Year Fitness Resolution (Part 4)
New Year Fitness Resolution (Part 5)

January is also the time of year when your existing health club members are looking for some help with motivation.They're trying to live up to their New Year Resolution, and they're counting on YOU to help them do just that. Read Motivation To Lose Weight Fast for some ideas on how you can help gym members stay motivated. You may also want to read Weight Loss Motivation, Motivation To Lose Weight And Get Fit and Motivation To Lose Weight And Exercise.

Where else are you going to find such a treasure-trove of FREE marketing advice just for gym owners? Only at www.cuecd.com and on our blog, that's where! How can we afford to provide all this for free? This free health club marketing advice is possible only when you order some of our awesome circuit training timer CDs, which you will find in our store. So if you like the information you're getting from us, then please take a few moments to browse through our store. You'll be glad you did!

Marketing Ideas For Health Clubs In December

2011-12-01T07:43:00.000-08:00

Well, it's December already and for gym owners that brings a great opportunity for SALES. If you need some marketing ideas for health clubs then search no more because you've found www.cuecd.com!

Click here to read our 100% original (and FREE) article titled How To Sell Gym Memberships In December. In this article you'll learn six specific sales ideas you may not have considered before.

You'll also want to check out two more FREE articles that are literally chock-full of marketing ideas for health clubs:
1) Health Club Marketing For The Holidays (Part 1)
2) Health Club Marketing For The Holidays (Part 2)

Don't forget that we also sell a wide variety of change stations CD's for circuit training health clubs. After all, that's how we can afford to research and post so much free content for gym owners! Anyway, one of our most popular circuit training timer CD's is titled Holiday Voice Cues and you can order it here.

Here's the description for Holiday Voice Cues: "This cue CD is a specialty item created by circuit training veterans in Canada. Features the voices of Santa, the St. Patrick's Day Leprechaun, and the Easter Bunny. All voiceover cues are in both 30 and 45-second format, and it's all on one single CD for your convenience! This is really just like getting six (6) cue CD's in one, because you get three different tracks of the three different voices, and you also get those different voices in both 30 and 45-second formats! Includes a 10-second heart rate check."

Hopefully those resources will give you enough marketing ideas for health clubs in December. Just for something fun, we'd also like to give you this link to a Funny Christmas Poem About Dieting titled I Saw Mommy Punching Santa Claus. Feel free to print it out and hang it up in the gym. It's hilarious!

Black Friday Marketing Strategy for Health Clubs

2011-11-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year. Most businesses are opening up early, distributing advertisements in the local newspaper, and staffing for huge sales. Consumers continue to line up for early-morning Black Friday shopping because this day usually offers the best discounts of the season.

But how can a circuit training health club, or any gym for that matter, take advantage of the Black Friday phenomenon? How can you, as a gym owner, ride the "Black Friday train" to huge sales and profits?

First of all, you must realize what you are NOT. Even though YOU know that your gym is awesome, you're still not a huge destination for Black Friday morning. If you're offering gym memberships at 90% off, for example, and MegaMart is offering IPODS for 90% off, you're going to lose. In other words, the vast majority of consumers are going to be out shopping for Black Friday "toys" like electronics and other giftables. They're really not looking for a health club membership, which everyone already knows they SHOULD buy but they just haven't gotten around to it yet.

So, keeping in mind that a gym membership is probably NOT at the top of the list for most Black Friday shoppers, you should avoid going toe-to-toe with the big boys. If MegaMart and other popular retailers are offering their discounts from 5:00 am to 9:00 am, then you should offer your best discounts from 7:00 am to 11:00 am. Acknowledge that customers, if given the choice, are going to choose MegaMart first. That's okay. You just want to position your sale so that they can ALSO visit you when they're done buying gadgets.

Once you've picked the time frame for your Black Friday sale, you'll need to plan the offer. Make it BIG and keep it LIMITED. That's the reason why Black Friday sales are so successful!

If a customer can come into the fitness center Saturday and get the same gym membership deal that was offered on Black Friday, then something's wrong. You'll never pull people in unless the Black Friday offer is not only good, but GREAT. So, if the best offer you've ever run is 60% off registration, then offer 65% or 70% off registration this Black Friday only from 7:00 am to 11:00 am. Make it a big deal.

Now that you've identified the time you're going to run your Black Friday sale, and you've also created the offer, now it's time to let the public know about it. Although your facility, and your budget, is probably too small to run a full newspaper advertising insert you can still get the word out. Try the old-fashioned but effective yard sign out in front of the health club. Send out an email to all current gym members. Send a postcard to every single person on your lead list (folks who have previously expressed an interest in joining the fitness center but haven't yet done so). Send a postcard to every expired member (ex-member) inviting them to come back. Think outside the box and let people know about this sale!

Finally, the key to Black Friday success is being appropriately staffed to handle the influx of business. If you've done a good job of letting the public know about a great offer, then you're going to be busy. Plan to have everyone working during Black Friday morning. You may even want to enlist the help of some friends and family as temporary workers. The fact is that most people coming in on Black Friday will be brand-spanking new prospects, and you'll never get a second chance to make a good first impression! If you leave a customer waiting for 25 minutes because you're not staffed correctly, the odds are good that they're going to bolt out the door before you can sign them up.

Planning a Black Friday promotion is not only easier than most gym owners think, but also has the potential to generate much higher sales that most people anticipate. Get planning today, and good luck on Black Friday!

Gym Member Retention Strategies That Work

2011-11-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

Continuing our series of FREE articles on how you can boost member retention in your own health club, we've posted three entirely new and original articles that you can read right now!

Gym Member Retention Ideas That Work

Gym Member Retention Programs That Work

How To Increase Your Gym Member Retention Rate

By the way, some more essential reading for circuit training gym owners is our original article titled "How To Sell Gym Memberships In November". Just click here to read the article.

Where else but www.cuecd.com can health club owners get FREE marketing ideas? If you haven't browsed through our store yet, please take the time to do so now by clicking here.

How To Get Free Gift Cards Online

2011-10-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

Most circuit training gym owners have some down time during the day. While the early morning is very busy, and the after-work rush is busy too, somewhere in between there's an hour or so where you still have to be in the health club but you're not actively helping anyone.

So what do you do during that down time?

Instead of reading the latest copy of People magazine (again), why not earn some free gift cards online? By spending just a few minutes each day, you really can get free gift cards online.

One of the best sites for this is Rewards1.com where you can earn points gift cards just by taking short surveys and clicking on some links.

The best part is that you can use these free gift cards as prizes for member contests! Next month, how about sponsoring an attendance contest? Every time a gym member comes in to work out, they get one entry into the contest. At the end of the month a winner is drawn from all entries. The winner gets the gift card that you received FREE from Rewards1. It's a win-win for you, because you're keeping the gym FUN and thus increasing member retention. At the same time, it didn't cost you a dime!

Think outside the box. Use your downtime productively. Visit Rewards1 and get started earning free gift cards online. It's free and it works!

FREE Health Club Marketing Ideas You Can Use RIGHT NOW

2011-09-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

Just a couple quick ideas for all you health club owners out there. The Biggest Loser Season 12 has already started, and two episodes have already aired. The same people who are watching The Biggest Loser contestants on television should be joining your gym, but how do you get them through the door?

The health club marketing team at www.cuecd.com has written a FREE article on how you can use The Biggest Loser television show to sell more health club memberships. Just click here to read the article.

Oh, and if you haven't yet read our original article titled How To Sell Gym Memberships In October you should do so ASAP. Just click here for that article.

More Free Health Club Marketing Strategies

2011-09-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

Good news, everyone! We've posted two entirely new, original and (best of all) FREE articles to help circuit training health club owners earn more cash. To check them out just click on the links below:

Gym Member Retention Strategies That Work

How To Sell A Health Club Membership To A Previous Gym Member

Since it's almost October, this would also be a good time to think about ordering our Creepy Halloween Sounds circuit training cue CD. Here's the description: "Ready for a NEW and EXCITING circuit training program for your health club members? Try our CREEPY HALLOWEEN cue cd! Instead of the usual 'change stations' commands, this cue cd features three different sounds: spooky owl, man screaming and evil laugh. Your members will LOVE the change!" Click here to order.

FREE Low Cal Recipes! Click here to redeem.

Get FREE healthy samples of products like Robitussin - Alavert - Purel, more. Click here for your samples from Qualityhealth.com

Using A Sign Spinner As A Health Club Marketing Plan

2011-09-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

You've seen them before - that guy (or gal) standing on the street corner holding a sign that's advertising a local business. Typically, the sign has a message that is very short and easy to read. For example, signs we've seen recently simply include the name of the business and an arrow pointing towards that business.

While the traditional 'sign stuck in the grass' is a mainstay of American marketing, this new technique takes it up a notch. The sign-holder usually spins the sign, waves it around, jumps up and down, dances, or does just about anything to get attention. After all, that's the name of the game: to get attention.

A local tax prep company is well-known by their sign spinner. Each year, starting in February, they dress somebody up in a Statue of Liberty costume and have them walk up and down in front of the store holding a sign for their business.

More than one local pizza company, during 5 pm rush hour, has a sign spinner that stands out of front of the store holding a sign.

We've even seen a local personal trainer take it up a notch. When he doesn't have any clients or appointments, he jumps rope out in front of his shop. Does it look corny? Kind of, but it sure gets your attention and practically forces you to notice his business!

Probably the best sign spinner we've ever seen is from the local bread company. This guy was dressed in (we're not kidding) a slice of bread costume. He was holding a sign that said the name of the company and had a yellow arrow pointing the way to the building.

What makes the bread-guy sign spinner so awesome, though, is his attitude. Sure, he could be self-conscious about this slice of bread costume. He could just stand there and be bored. But he was dancing, doing some karate moves, doing the 'robot' and just basically having a ball. Cars were honking, people were smiling, and cell phones were being pulled out for pictures. The slice of bread sign spinner was having fun but more importantly IT WAS A HUGE WIN FOR THE BUSINESS THAT HIRED HIM.

Think that using a sign spinner as a health club marketing plan is too 'small time' for you? Think it doesn't portray your business in a flattering light?

Think again.

Sign spinning as a marketing plan is well established. Entrepreneur magazine recently did a huge article on this topic. Aarow Advertising will earn $4 million this year doing sign spinning ads for their clients. Huge companies like Pepsi, McDonald's and Staples all use sign spinners, as do countless mom-and-pop stores nationwide.

As a gym owner, part of your health club marketing plan should include a sign spinner. Even if you don't hire a person just for that task, you can still have your existing staff go outside during slow times and spin the sign. You certainly don't need a costume, but at the very least the sign spinner should be wearing a gym t-shirt.

To be a successful sign spinner, the key is to HAVE FUN. Watching a self-conscious sign spinner is just painful, but watching an outgoing and impulsive sign spinner is fun! Check out this YouTube video for some helpful hints on how to be a sign spinner. Here's another good video example.

This health club marketing plan doesn't have to break the bank, either. The best deal we found is from Vistaprint, where you can Get a small vinyl banner sign FREE. Plus save 50% off other sizes.

Get 20% off your first order of brochures at PrintingForLess.com. Use Coupon Code NC20PB

Continuing.....The How To Sell More Gym Memberships Series of Articles

2011-09-03T23:22:00.000-07:00

As our regular readers know, lately we've been posting some of our 100% new and original articles on another site. Here are the links you need to check it out.....

How To Sell A Gym Membership With Website Marketing

How To Sell More Gym Memberships When Answering The Phone

How To Sell More Gym Memberships At Trade Shows

How To Lower Small Business Attorney Fees

2011-08-29T20:18:00.001-07:00

As the owner of a health club, you are in a unique legal position.

Just by owning a gym, you're in a fairly 'dangerous' business where you're taking out-of-shape people and physically challenging them on a regular basis. You're raising their heart rate, having them lift weights or engage in other resistance exercise, and basically taking them out of their comfort zone.

At the same time, as a small business owner you probably can't afford to have an attorney on staff, just in case something happens.

But wouldn't it be nice if you could?

Wouldn't it be great to have an attorney 'waiting in the wings' so to speak, just in case you need advice in a hurry?

Of course, this type of attorney-on-call arrangement would have to be affordable. After all, you're a small business owner, not Donald Trump!

If you're looking for a legal solution that will help you lower small business attorney fees, if you want the peace of mind that an 'attorney on call' can offer, then maybe Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. is right for you.

This company, founded in 1972, primarily offers family legal plans but depending on the state they also offer some business plans.

Although their plans vary from state to state, some common benefits offered by Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. include: Preventive Legal Services, Motor Vehicle Legal Expense Services, Trial Defense Services, IRS Audit Legal Services, Other Legal Services and Legal Shield.

Maybe Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. is right for your family. Maybe they're right for your business. You won't know until you check them out.

After reviewing their site, if you have other questions about Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. please feel free to contact Independent Associate Ryan by emailing ryan70@prepaidlegal.com

This blog posting is designed to educate and provide general information regarding the subject matter covered. However, laws and practices often vary from state to state and are subject to change. Because each factual situation is different, specific advice should be tailored to the particular circumstances. For this reason, you are encouraged to consult with your own advisor(s) regarding your own specific situation.

The author (www.cuecd.com) does not assume any responsibility for any errors or omissions. The author (www.cuecd.com) specifically disclaims any liability resulting from the use or application of the information contained in this blog posting, and the information is not intended to serve as legal advice related to individual situations.

Learn About Marketing Your Business From Quiznos Coupons

2011-08-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

This may come as a surprise to some, but you can definitely learn about marketing your business from Quiznos and the Quiznos coupons they so regularly hand out.

I work for a mid-size retailer in a strip mall. Like so many strip malls in the United States, there's a Quiznos in the parking lot. Yesterday the Quiznos manager had one of his hourly employees take a large handful of coupons and walk down the strip mall, entering each store and offering them a "special deal" as part of their "good neighbor" program. The store was offered some Quiznos coupons to place in their breakroom.

My employer took 30 Quiznos coupons and put them in the breakroom, where probably half of them disappeared during the day.

So what did Quiznos do right? First of all, they marketed their business without breaking the bank. You can have coupons printed for just pennies per coupon. They didn't pay postage, they didn't pay an expensive marketing company, they didn't pay a radio station and they sure didn't pay for a television commercial! Instead, Quiznos just took some inexpensive coupons and used their existing labor to distribute those coupons to local prospects.

NOTE: If you want a great deal on coupons we recommend the 250 free business cards from Vistaprint. Even after you pay the $5.67 shipping and handling charge, you're still paying just 0.023 cents per card. Instead of printing regular (boring) business cards, just design them as coupons. The site makes it easy. Anyway, this is the best price we've found so visit this link to order: New Customer Special. 250 Free Business Cards + 2 Free Upgrades. Get FREE Glossy Finish & FREE Backside upgrades with your order.

So what else did Quiznos do right with their coupon distribution? They marketed to a local customer base. Everyone that got a coupon works near that Quiznos location. Compare that to other methods of advertising, like radio, where many (most?) of the listeners live too far away from your business to be a good prospect.

The final thing Quiznos did right was when they made this a "special" offer. A customer is ALWAYS more likely to take advantage of a "special" offer, one that's designed just for them. In other words, if EVERYONE gets a coupon then it's not special. But wait, not everyone got this Quiznos coupon! It was distributed to neighbors only. That makes it special. Since only a select group received this coupon, and I'm in that select group, it now has perceived value.

A good tactic is to think of several unique groups that you can target with coupons specifically for them. Using the Free Business Cards Vistaprint offer that allows you to create professionally printed coupons in small batches of 250, make up a couple offers. Then use existing labor (even if that's you) to distribute these coupons by personally handing them out to the targeted group.

If you have a Target near you, have 250 coupons printed up that say "ABC Gym extends a special offer to Target associates!". Do the same thing for other local businesses. It's virtually risk free marketing, because if nobody at all joins the health club you're out what.....5 bucks and change? Big deal. Skip the Starbucks tomorrow and you're even. The risk/benefit ratio is the best you're ever going to find!

See, you really did learn about marketing your business from Quiznos coupons!

P.S. Remember that we have a great library of free health club marketing articles for you to read. Just visit this link: www.cuecd.com/articles.asp.

Back To School Gym Membership Sales

2011-08-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

Health club owners, it's now officially back to school time and if you put in the effort this can be a GREAT time for gym membership sales! If fact, many circuit training health clubs report that back to school gym membership sales are second only to the annual New Year Resolution event.

Need some ideas on how to capture sales during August?

Check out our free articles titled How To Sell Gym Memberships In August and Back To School Health Club Marketing.

Besides just marketing to potential gym members, this is also a good time of year to earn some free publicity. For example, you could write a short article about local physical education (PE) classes and how childhood obesity rates are climbing locally. Submit this article to the media outlets in your town (newspaper, radio and television) and there's a very good chance one of them will run the story. The newspaper will include a tagline at the end of the story, telling people about you and your health club. Perhaps the television station will even come out to your gym to do an interview. Either way, you get free publicity and create the impression that you're the local expert in the health and fitness field.

For a good example of an article you could submit to the local media, check out Is Your Kid's Lunch A Nutritional Time Bomb?

There's no doubt that back to school gym membership sales have the potential to be fantastic. With some planning and effort, you can have a great sales month!

Redbox Codes That Work For Free

2011-07-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

Redbox is the best - you can rent DVDs for $1 a night with no membership fees! You should try it out. If you click on my link and it's your first time renting online, they'll give you a free one-night online rental credit.

How To Sell More Gym Memberships Series Of Articles

2011-07-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

How The Curves Zumba CD Is Making Circuit Training Fun Again

2011-02-19T19:34:00.000-08:00

In the typical circuit training health club, members alternate between resistance exercise machines and aerobic stations like jogging squares. Lively music plays at a rapid BPM (beats-per-minute) to help clients stay motivated and maintain their pace. At the same time, another stereo plays an audio cue CD that prompts gym members to “change stations” at set intervals.

In other words, in most circuit training health clubs members perform resistance exercises for thirty seconds (or sixty seconds), then “change stations” to jog in place for another thirty (or sixty) seconds.

The problem is that when you’re doing the same thing, day after day, it can get BORING!

To combat the boredom, and the inevitable member retention problems that accompany that boredom, some circuit training health clubs have mixed things up by adding new exercises and/or by changing the intervals between “change stations” cues.

Using specialty cue CDs designed just for the circuit training industry, such as those offered by www.cuecd.com, many gyms are having their members perform new and exciting exercises at regular intervals. For example, when using a "Bicep Curls" cue CD gym members will be prompted to step away from the regular circuit and perform various dumbbell lifts every ten minutes. Adding a new exercise to a familiar workout is a sure way to keep interest high and keep gym members coming back.

But while many independent circuit training health clubs are doing a great job of using cue CDs to keep the workout fresh and exciting, Curves for Women has hit an absolute HOME RUN with their new Zumba workout!

Curves is now offering "the only 30-minute class that mixes the moves of Zumba with the proven strength of training of Curves for a wildly effective workout" (source: www.curves.com/the-workout/zumba-fitness). The Curves Zumba workout involves their regular circuit, with the exception that the typical aerobic stations have been replaced with Zumba dance!

Using a 60-second audio cue CD such as the one offered by www.cuecd.com, in conjunction with a Zumba music CD, the Curves Zumba workout prompts gym members to "change stations" at 60-second intervals. Health club members thus spend sixty seconds on a resistance strength machine, followed by sixty seconds of vigorous Zumba dance.

The reason why this innovation has been so successful for Curves is that Zumba is one of the most popular workout routines in the world. Zumba is "..an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health" (source: www.zumba.com/us/about).

To be more specific, the official Zumba website (www.zumba.com) offers the following explanation of the Curves Zumba phenomenon: "Zumba in the Circuit – Maximize your workout while still having a total blast. Zumba in the Circuit is 30 minutes of high-octane, Latin-inspired dance-fitness moves combined with circuit training, a series of strength exercises at timed intervals. Get the metabolism-boosting, strength-building benefits of circuit training while perfecting Zumba moves—all in the same class! Guaranteed to blast calories and thwart boredom, Zumba in the Circuit moves students from one exercise station to the next to the thumping beats of reggaeton, salsa, merengue, hip-hop and more. Be in and out in 30 minutes flat —this time-effective and efficient class can be adapted for all fitness levels."

By combining Zumba music, a 60-second audio cue CD, and the traditional Curves circuit training workout, Curves for Women has achieved what so many circuit training health clubs strive for: a circuit training workout that is not only effective but FUN.

The Curves Zumba CD has not only made circuit training fun again, but has also helped millions of women reach their weight loss goals. Curves has done it again, and if history is any indicator we’ll see countless independent circuit training health clubs follow their lead.

Sell More Gym Memberships With Groupon

2010-12-11T21:02:00.000-08:00

If you're a circuit training health club owner, then chances are you're interested in how to sell more gym memberships. You're probably tired of trying to sell gym memberships the old-fashioned way, with newspaper ads and radio commercials. These methods cost thousands of dollars for limited results. Most likely, you've also tried some things that didn't work at all.

Well, you're about to be BLOWN AWAY by the new marketing tool that the www.cuecd.com team has discovered! It's called Groupon, and if you want to sell more gym memberships then you NEED to get started with Groupon TODAY.

Here's how it works. Groupon sends out an exclusive offer each day via email. These offers are targeted locally. Groupon members then decide whether or not they want to buy the coupon each day. Since a minimum number of people must buy for the offer to be valid, Groupon guarantees paying customers. These subscribers are not looking for “the perfect deal.” They’re looking for the perfect excuse to try something new. Groupon gets them to your business, and you bring them back again and again.

There are no out of pocket costs associated with being featured on Groupon. Instead, Groupon makes money by taking a piece of each Groupon sold. In other words, they only win if you win – and you know what you’re getting at every step of the process.

Gym owners, did you catch that? Not only does Groupon bring you in more customers, but when the promotion is over they send you a check for 1/2 the money raised through coupon sales! You pay ZERO up front! You get new customers AND you get paid! Signing up with Groupon is the biggest no-brainer in the history of the health club industry!

To become a Groupon member, just click here now. It's completely FREE, and you'll learn first-hand how effective and addicting Groupon is to the typical consumer.

The eager, young Groupon audience looks to Groupon as a city guide, pointing them to all of the great stuff they may have never tried, or maybe never heard about, right in their backyard. Customers find about about great new businesses, and businesses get more new customers than with any other form of advertising.

A Groupon feature puts you in front of thousands of subscribers in each Groupon city – with thousands more opting in each day. Groupon subscribers share your offer with everyone they know via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. This buzz will continue to attract new customers for months following your feature.

Circuit training health clubs who want to sell more gym memberships should consider these statistics from other businesses who have used Groupon:
1) 95% were satisfied with their Groupon experience.
2) 95% would use Groupon again.
3) 96% recommend Groupon to other businesses.

According to a recent business survey, 92% of businesses said that Groupon brought in quality customers and 89% said those customers were likely repeat customers.

So do people use Groupon? According to a recent subscriber survey, 66% of Groupon subscribers read the coupon email every day. Groupon members are also habitual users of Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and other social media tools so they'll tell other people about your health club too!

The best way to get started is to join Groupon yourself as a subscriber to their daily email. It's completely FREE, and you're under no obligation to buy anything, ever. Click here to get started. Once you have a feel for their program, then you can apply to get approved as a Groupon business. Be advised that Groupon is so successful that, in many cities, there is literally a waiting list to be a featured business! Not all applying businesses are accepted, either. Groupon is so white-hot right now that they can afford to be choosy!

That's the bottom line. You will sell more gym memberships with Groupon than you ever thought possible, so why not get started today before your competitor reads this article?

Still not convinced? Then read this real testimonial.....

The Globe and Mail

Published on August 20, 2010 by Amber MacArthur

Jen Best admits she isn't the most technical person in the world, but when her website designer suggested in June that she check out a new service called Groupon she was curious. After spending thousands of dollars on traditional advertising, without much success, she was keen to promote her tea shop to a brand new community. The 34-year-old entrepreneur sifted through the group buying site for a few days, and like many of the site's members, she got hooked. Best contacted Groupon and then went through the process of applying to get Steeped and Infused as one of the site's daily deals, which she says involved a lengthy selection process to determine if her brand was a good fit for the service's 130,000 Toronto subscribers.

On Tuesday, Groupon featured Best's shop, offering a $20 gift coupon (or “Groupon”) for just $8. Best admits she thought they might reach a couple hundred orders, but by 8 a.m. on Deal Day, 350 buyers had already signed up. By midnight, when the promo ended, consumers had bought 950 certificates.

“It's the most effective marketing dollars I've spent yet,“ Best says. As for the revenue split, Groupon takes 50 per cent of the money paid for the coupon and sends Steeped and Infused a cheque (Best didn't have to pay any money upfront).

Groupon is an amazing success. The site launched in 2008 and although the company is based in Chicago, they now serve more than 13 million subscribers in 29 countries. The company is your classic overnight success story, and is bound to explode into the public consciousness thanks to a recent Forbes magazine article that calls it one of the fastest growing computer companies ever. (An interesting aside -- still in its early days Groupon’s twitter profile only has a little more than 7,000 followers. Check back in a week to see how that’s changed).

Just today, the site's founder and CEO Andrew Mason is speaking in Vancouver about a Gap deal they featured on Thursday (a $25 coupon worth $50 credit in any North American Gap store), which was Groupon's first national promotion. According to some reports, Groupon sold more than 445,000 vouchers, leaving them with a hefty profit.

Today is Best's first anniversary at her Leslieville store (there is another Steeped and Infused in downtown Toronto, which is licensed to another owner). As she explains, it's not easy for small businesses fighting for pedestrian traffic in an up-and-coming neighbourhood, so the Groupon deal was like marketing magic. The tea promotion was such a success, Groupon has invited the shop to be a platinum member, which means they can do a featured promo twice more within the next year (this is a big deal since Best explains there is a two-month wait for Toronto businesses to get on the list as one of Groupon's daily deals).

“I would encourage any small business owner to use Groupon,” Best explains. “You get to gauge how your marketing dollars are spent and they can create exposure for your business that you can't create on your own.”

How To Sell More Gym Memberships

2010-12-09T21:17:00.000-08:00

As a circuit training health club owner, you're always interested in selling more gym memberships. After all, that's how you get paid!

No doubt you've tried many different things over the years, from radio advertising to the classic "meet and greet" Chamber of Commerce functions. Perhaps you've even tried some of the ideas posted on our very own www.cuecd.com site.

But have you overlooked the most basic way to sell more gym memberships?

Have you forgotten that, as a gym owner, you need to be an absolute expert on health and fitness news?

When your gym members know that you're an expert on weight loss and other health issues, they will recommend you to their friends. People in the community will start saying things like "Oh, you should talk to Joe. He's my trainer at ABC Gym, and he knows all about this stuff".

That person comes into the gym and talks to you. Now you have two people telling their friends that you're a fitness expert. Those two people tell two more people, who tell two more people, who tell.....well, you do the math.

So how do you become an expert on health and fitness issues?

It's simple, really. All you have to do is read newspapers, magazines, and internet articles. Watch the news. Check out Google Health news, and do it every single day. Browse the internet for weight loss articles from reputable sources, and soon you'll know all about the latest health information. For example, do you know about the recent study that shows how just IMAGINING eating a fattening food can make you eat less of that food? You should.

If you're a lawyer, you continue to read publications and stay on top of recent court rulings. If you're a realtor, you know current market conditions and the sale prices of local homes. If you're a gym owner, then you need to know about health and fitness news.

For a listing of eight FREE publications for health club owners, click here. There's a wealth of information in these magazines.

For a great article on weight loss that's specific to this time of year, click here.

If your gym members are asking you how to choose a diet plan to lose weight fast, then search the internet for how to choose a diet plan to lose weight fast.

In short, do some homework. Do some research. Become a health and fitness expert. Soon you'll have a reputation, and that's how you sell more gym memberships.

How To Motivate People To Lose Weight

2010-05-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

As a gym owner, perhaps the biggest struggle you face on an ongoing basis is how to motivate people to lose weight. After all, most folks are not going to remain happy (and paying) health club members unless they're seeing some weight loss results.....and they're not going to see any weight loss results unless they're consistently exercising.

Thanks to a recent study conducted by Stanford University, you can learn how to motivate people to lose weight today!

As reported by the Wall Street Journal on May 18 in an article titled "The Power Of A Gentle Nudge", Stanford researchers proved that even a little bit of social support can yield huge motivational results.

In a nutshell, what the researchers in the Stanford study did was call participants every 3 weeks for a year. During this call they asked how much the participant was exercising, and encouraged them to exercise more.

Simple, isn't it?

At the end of the year, researchers found that the people receiving the encouraging phone calls were exercising 78% more than they were 12 months earlier. Did you catch that? Participants who received a phone call every 3 weeks were exercising 78% more!

One of the study participants, Ms. Lowe, summarized the study results quite nicely by saying "When you know you were going to have to report back on what you had done, it motivated you" (source: Wall Street Journal, 5-18-2010).

So how can you, as a gym owner, motivate people to lose weight with this same technique?

It's quite simple, and it will cost you NOTHING.

Here's the answer: Call your gym members. Call them every 3 weeks. Ask them how they're doing. Ask them how much they're exercising inside the health club, and also at home. Encourage them to exercise more. Don't pass judgment, don't be critical, and don't patronize them. Just get their report of how much they're exercising, and then encourage them to do more.

If your fitness center members follow the same trend as the participants in the Stanford study, the result is that they will exercise 78% more. That will, in turn, make them more successful in their weight loss efforts and more likely to continue as a gym member. Oh, by the way, they'll also be more likely to refer your health club to their friends and neighbors.

So, if you want to know how to motivate people to lose weight today, the answer is with a few phone calls. It costs you nothing. There is no downside other than your time investment, and the PROVEN results are huge (78% is HUGE)!

How Normal Weight Obesity Sells Gym Memberships

2010-03-01T08:59:00.000-08:00

If you're reading this blog, then you're probably a health club owner and you probably know all about normal weight obesity. Just in case you need a refresher, though, normal weight obesity is a term used to describe how people can be a "normal" weight and still be obese. In other words, the number on the scale can tell you that you're healthy, and you can look thin, but you can still have a higher-than-healthy percentage of body fat.

"People don't have to be overweight to have excess body fat. Instead, these people have a higher ratio of fat to muscle tissue than do people with low body fat. Indeed, even people of the same weight, or those with comperable body body mass index, which factors together weight and height, can have different bodyfat percentages" (source: The Wall Street Journal 1-26-10).

For more information on normal weight obesity, click here to read a great article titled 'Skinny Fat People'.

All of that being said, did you know that this phenomenon of normal weight obesity can help you sell gym memberships? The potential market is huge, too. Cardiologist Francisco Lopez-Jiminez of the Mayo Clinic estimates that ".....as many as 30 million Americans may fall into the normal weight obesity category, many of them unaware they may by at increased heart risk" (source: The Wall Street Journal 1-26-10).

Think about it. That's 30 MILLION PEOPLE who NEED to exercise and don't know it.

If that doesn't make a gym owner excited, I don't know what will!

So how do you help people realize that they may suffer from normal weight obesity, and then how do you turn that knowledge into action?

Perhaps the best approach is to invite anyone and everyone into the health club for a FREE body fat assessment. A body fat analysis will show your percentage of body fat, and therefore show if you're a 'skinny fat' person. The average person on the street pays attention to their weight only, which does nothing to indicate their body fat content. By offering them a free body fat analysis, you're opening up a dialogue where you can educate them on normal weight obesity.

If you don't yet have a body fat analyzer, you should get one now. They're surprisingly affordable, and no gym should be without one. Here are a few reputable dealers:

Body Fat Analyzer

Omron Body Fat Analyzer

VitaMinder Fit & Healthy Body Fat Analyzer, 1-Unit

By inviting the public in for a free body fat analysis, you'll be helping them realize a hidden danger in their own body. Since high body fat has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome and a host of other health issues, the free test you're offering may even help some folks live longer!

Of course, once you've administered the body fat test and explained the results, you should also invite each person to become a member of your health club. You may want to offer a special promotional price, or give them a 7-day free trial membership just for coming in to take the body fat analysis.

However you decide to approach this issue of normal weight obesity, it is a topic that simply cannot be ignored by any health club owner. Too many people (30 million!) need your help understanding and dealing with normal weight obesity.

Should you decide to take our advice and start a 'Free Body Fat Analysis' promotion, don't forget to notify the media via a press release! Once you have the facts about normal weight obesity, the local newspaper may even interview you for a story. With a little luck, you could even get a local television personality to come down for a free body fat analysis! As always, in everything you do, you've got to be looking for ways to get some free publicity for your gym.

Now go out there and do what gym owners do best: educate, help people, and grow the business!

January Health Club Statistics

2010-01-14T20:26:00.001-08:00

Wow! It's hard to believe that January is half over! Hopefully, as a gym owner you've been having a very profitable and successful month! After all.....
1) In January there is a 99% jump in web visits to Weight Watchers.
2) A whopping 12% of gym memberships are sold in January (the most of any month).
3) It's estimated that 50% of Americans make a New Year's resolution.
(source: Entrepreneur magazine, December 2009 edition, page 120)

If January hasn't been all you hoped it would be, then perhaps you didn't read our original article titled How To Sell Gym Memberships In January. Missed it? Wishing you hadn't?

Then you really should read another original article created by the www.cuecd.com team titled How To Sell Gym Memberships in February.

It's just another one of the more than fifty (yes, 50!) original articles from www.cuecd.com that are written to help gym owners earn more dough.

Hey, that's why we're here: to help you be successful. So take a few minutes to browse through the www.cuecd.com site and also through our blog. You'll be glad you did.

You Should Read The Wall Street Journal This Morning

2010-01-07T21:50:00.000-08:00

As a health club owner, you should immediately go get the 1-5-10 edition of the Wall Street Journal. Why? Because the 'Personal Journal' section is all the advertising power you're going to need in 2010!

In this paper the Wall Street Journal has done some amazing research that gym owners can use to market their products. In an article titled "The Hidden Benefits of Exercise" the Journal explains the many benefits of consistent exercise. You can use these benefits to SELL MORE HEALTH CLUB MEMBERSHIPS because any benefit of exercise is also a benefit of your gym.

Think about it. As a fitness center owner, you are selling exercise. Therefore, any and all benefits of exercise are also benefits for you.

This Wall Street Journal article tells us that exercise:
1) Lowers the risk of stroke by about 27%
2) Reduces the incidence of diabetes by approximately 50%
3) Reduces the incidence of high blood pressure by about 40%
4) Can reduce.....the risk of breast cancer by approximately 50%
5) Can lower the risk of colon cancer by over 60%
6) Can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by approximately 40%
7) Can decrease depression as effectively as Prozac

Okay, you already know all this because you own a gym. But how do you use this information to sell more health club memberships?

It's simple, really.

What you do is create advertising "blurbs" using these facts. For example, you could say "Lower your risk of stroke by 27% in 2010! Ask us how!" Another great advertising line would be "Reduce the risk of breast cancer by approximately 50% this year by exercising regularly at ABC Gym!"

In other words, what you need to do is TAKE THESE PROVEN BENEFITS OF EXERCISE AND TURN THEM INTO BENEFITS PEOPLE RECEIVE WHEN THEY JOIN YOUR GYM.

Another great way to accomplish this is to write articles on the subject and use them in advertising. You can mail out these articles as a direct-mail advertisement, you can email them to your health club members, or you may even be able to get the local newspaper to print your articles for free in their Health section!

For some great examples of 'benefit' articles, check out these links:

Live Longer and Healthier by Exercising (Part 1)

Live Longer and Healthier by Exercising (Part 2)

Why Do We Exercise?

Tips to Boost Your Life Expectancy

Can Exercise Help Prevent Cancer?

Can Exercise Help Prevent Alzheimer's Disease?

It's actually quite easy to write an article detailing the many benefits of exercise, and it's even easier to show how becoming a member of your gym will help somebody achieve those benefits.

THOSE ARE SOME POWERFUL ADVERTISING TECHNIQUES!

The bottom line is that you can use benefits-based health club marketing to being you new gym members in 2010. And that's why you should read the Wall Street Journal this morning.

Health Club Owners and the New Mammography Screening Recommendations

2009-12-27T21:43:00.000-08:00

Just in case you've missed it, the health community has been in an uproar recently about breast cancer testing. Here's an example of what has been in the media lately:

"The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force stated, "There is convincing evidence that screening mammography reduces breast cancer mortality," but pointed out that there was a greater absolute benefit in women aged 50 to 74 years than for women aged 40 to 49. Because of the relatively small benefit for screening the younger age group, the task force recommended against routine screening for women between 40 and 49. It clearly stated that women at higher risk--because of family history or genetic predisposition, for example--should be screened at an earlier age. Subsequent to release of this report, many groups, including the American Cancer Society and the American College of Radiology, promptly came out against the task force recommendations." (SOURCE: fredericksburg.com)

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is recommending less screening for women between the ages of 40 and 49. The American Cancer Society (and other doctors) are NOT happy about this recommendation.

There's a fight here, and it's being fought in the media.

So how do you, as a gym owner, react to this very public argument? What do you say when a fitness center member asks for your opinion on this subject? What would you say if the local media asked your opinion?

Don't be scared! The media doesn't expect you to be an expert along the same lines as a physician or a cancer specialist. You are, however, working in the health and fitness field and you do need to have an opinion.

The www.cuecd.com team highly recommends that you do some research in this area and come up with an opinion (if you don't already have one). Pick a side and be able to explain how you made that decision!

Next, write an article explaining exactly why you feel the way you do. In other words, join the public 'argument' and make it clear that you've done your homework. For an example of an article like this, click here or cut and paste this link into your browser: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1994482/can_exercise_help_prevent_cancer.html?cat=51

You can submit to the local media the article you've written, photocopy it and distribute it in the health club, or just file it under 'smart things I've done'. No matter what you do with the actual article, you're now ready to intelligently answer questions.

This makes you look like the local health expert that you are, which will bring you new health club members! Who knows? The article you write may even prompt someone to get a cancer screening, and you could end up saving a life!

Congratulations To These Health Clubs!

2009-12-04T07:48:00.000-08:00

Have you read the latest edition of Entrepreneur magazine? In the December 2009 edition, in their franchise section on page 98, they feature the "TOP 10 TRENDS FOR 2010". We are excited to see that many of our best www.cuecd.com customers made the list!

Please join us in congratulating the circuit training (and other) health clubs who are featured in this article:
Anytime Fitness
CKO Kickboxing
CoachMeFit
Contours Express
Curves
Get In Shape For Women
Gold's Gym Franchising LLC
Jazzercise, Inc.
Koko FitClub, LLC
LA Boxing Franchise Corp.
Lady of America Franchise Corp.
One2One BodyScapes
Personal Training Institute
Planet Fitness
Platoon Fitness
Prime Time Boxing
Retro Fitness, LLC
Snap Fitness, Inc.
YAS Fitness Centers

From the team at www.cuecd.com, we wish you the best of luck in 2010 and beyond!