We would like to wish you & your family a Merry Christmas. Checkout our blog in a few days on how to create a Free Fitness Marketing Plan for 2010.
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We would like to wish you & your family a Merry Christmas. Checkout our blog in a few days on how to create a Free Fitness Marketing Plan for 2010.
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Over the past few weeks I’ve been doing a lot of consulting with club owners in regards to club management. This is one in particular that I’m very passionate about, mainly because that’s where I got my start in the fitness industry. It really drives me bananas when I walk into a health club and there are no systems in place. I can only imagine how aggravating it must be for the members and employees to be part of a chaotic environment. So that being said let me stop venting and give you a couple of tips that will help you on the road to developing in house marketing, sales and management systems.
First things first, let’s look at marketing.
A few rules to remember when marketing for new gym members.
1. Sale Solutions – When a member joins a fitness center they could care less about how fancy your equipment is. Planet Fitness has proved this. If you walk into any Planet Fitness you will find the same boring cookie cutter equipment. So why are they so successful? The answer is because they are selling a solution. The solution is an environment that anybody can feel comfortable in. That’s there brand and that’s the secret to their success. A good marketing piece we’ll sale a solution. Here are a few examples of the solutions people are looking for when they buy a gym membership: low price, weight loss, risk free money back guarantee, great social scene, no pressure environment, etc.
2. Go Big or Go Home – A fitness center’s marketing budget should be a minimum of 10% of your current draft per month. You may be asking yourself, “How can I afford to spend that much on marketing every month?” A better question would be, “How can you not afford to spend that much money on marketing?” I know some great and inexpensive ways to market your health club that I will go into in a different post. The main thing I want to get in your head is that you have to spend money to make money. And your marketing should be both proactive and reactive.
3. Budget, Budget, Budget – Setting up a marketing budget is the key to successful marketing campaigns. So you ask, how should I go about setting up a marketing budget? Well, I already gave you one key: spend at least 10% of your monthly draft on marketing. There’s a lot more to creating a marketing budget for your gym, so feel free to shoot me an e-mail or give us a call and I can give you a few more free tips.
Next we’ll look at sales.

I have talked with several club owners in the past few months that are on the verge of destruction. The one thing that these health club owners have in common is a fear of change. The gym business as we know it is changing. Gone are the days of beating the competition by having the best instructor in town or the new Hammer Strength equipment. There is no such thing as “better” in the gym business, there is just “different.”
Let me explain what I am talking about. If you think your club is better because your equipment is new – you’re wrong! If you think your club is better because you have great group fitness instructors – you’re wrong! If you think you have the best health club in town because you have the cheapest memberships - you’re wrong! If you think that infrared sauna that your so proud of is the reason that you’re the best club in town – you’re wrong! Remember there is no such thing as “better,” only “different.”
A solid and highly focused fitness center marketing plan is one of the keys to long term success in the health club business. You need to keep the members you have as well as encourage new membership. Marketing to these disparate groups can prove confusing and frustrating if you do not have a very clear fitness center marketing plan to outline the overall marketing strategy. By taking the time to establish a clear and effective fitness center marketing plan that helps you achieve your membership goals you will be laying the groundwork for future success.
There are two basic components to fitness center marketing – new members and existing members. Let’s examine new member marketing first. If your club holds to the national averages, the members who actually come into your club to join comprise only 1% of the potential market in your area. A fitness center marketing plan that targets the 99% of the people who don’t come in on their own can return amazing results. There are many people who are intimidated by health clubs or assume they are places only for the ‘fit’. When you use a fitness center marketing campaign that targets their concerns you will get them in the door and have an opportunity to sell memberships.
Fitness center marketing to existing members is actually about member retention. It is more costly and time consuming to recruit a new member than to keep an existing one. Membership reward and retention programs should be a regular part of your fitness center marketing strategy. Give-aways are one great way to increase loyalty and advertise your club as well. Gym bags, sports bottles, t-shirts and workout towels bearing your logo are all great ways to say thank you to members who renew their membership. Building membership loyalty should be an integral part of your fitness center marketing plan.
You can increase your membership roles with a focused fitness center marketing plan. Direct mail, corporate incentive plans, print, radio and television advertising and telemarketing can all be part of your fitness center marketing strategy. The key is to reach out to that 99% of people who don’t come into the club on their own. You can reach out to the shy, the couch potatoes, and the busy executives to convince them of the benefits to be gained by regular exercise. By creating a positive fitness center marketing campaign that encompasses both existing members and potential new members your business will thrive.
Take a look at our Fitness Center Marketing program to see if we could help your heath club gain the edge on the computation.
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To you Success….
Joshua
Do you spend a lot of time wondering how to sell a gym membership to more people? Are you a gym owner that would like to increase the number of gym members you have? Do you wonder how to sell a gym membership to people who never come to the gym? There are several key factors which help gyms like yours get new members. The best new member is a long term member, not just a short term ‘trial’ member. Residual business is the only way to ensure your business has longevity. With that in mind let’s look at the ways how to sell a gym membership that lasts.
Statistics show the average person needs to see a business name seven times before changing from consumer to patron. The key to how to sell a gym membership is to get your gym’s name in the news, both in print and on the local radio. When you are working out how to sell a gym membership, consider holding events at your gym and having these events published as community announcements. Other methods of how to sell a gym membership include putting ads on billboards or the sides of buses. Small “giveaway” items such as key-chains and bumper stickers get a surprisingly large amount of eye contact – and it’s even better in the hands of an existing gym member where it adds endorsement to the name. Get your gym’s name into public spaces and the question of how to sell a gym membership will become moot.
One of your best assets is existing membership when it comes to how to sell a gym membership. These members are already sold. So, offer a free month to any existing member who brings in a new member. Give your personal trainers a bonus if they sign up new members. Personal Trainers are second best asset. Another great way how to sell a gym membership is to offer the choice of yearly contracts or a onetime annual fee (which is lower than the combined monthly payment).You achieve the same thing, immediate cash, but get a long term member. The key to how to sell a gym membership is to think outside the box.
How to sell a gym membership comes down to getting you name into the minds of new customers and removing the barriers that keep them from joining. Remember, the focus should be not just on selling, but on how to sell a gym membership that lasts.
I hope this was helpful in some way. Remember to stay positive and trust in the fact that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
Joshua Fleming
In today’s market place you not just have to be creative but you also have to be able to deliver. As a fitness professional, if you’ve spent any time researching paths to increase the profits you generate from your business, you know that boot camps are an excellent way to do just that.
* Book multiple clients at the same time, augmenting your output
* Train folks with little or no equipment
* Set everything up without having your own gym or studio
* Work with huge groups of folks all at the same time
* Earn more income an hour without doing more work
Folk are flocking to these boot camps because they’re fun, effective, and convenient. Health club owners are missing a massive amount of money by not integrating boot camps into there inventory of programs.
And since you can perform fitness boot camps at local parks, playgrounds, or even in your own yard, there’s no need for a gym membership - or any overhead fees for you. That means that the average Joe personal trainer can suck uplarge amounts of business with just a few easy advertisements. This leaves you Joe health club owner with less clients, less cash and more worries.
So lets go over a few thing to think about before just leaping into doing boot camps, then I will help you get the ball rolling.
(Step 1)
Ask why? Why are you wanting to start a boot camp? The first question to ask yourself is what are your long-term goals is in regards to your personal training profits center. If your not producing at least 25% of your club money in some kind of personal training, boot camps, weight loss, etc then you not running a successful club. Now you may be saying “wait, I am not making that sort of cash on PT but I am doing OK.” I’ll just say that different folk may have different standards for success.
If your goal is to maximize your profits and cut back your workload then boot camps are great way to do just that. So what is a fitness boot camp? The term “boot camp” just means big group training class. A boot camp will ideally have 10-20 clients. Sessions will last 60-90 mins. The price tag should be between $125-$199 per month. We all know that one on one PT sessions are a waste of time. Sure if a client wants to pay you $90.00 per 1 hour sessions take the cash, but your personal training profit center will never grow if you’re still thinking Old school.
You can get great pricing on direct mail and lead boxes from Fitness360. Reactive design work too.
The members of a health club either make you the club a success or they can bring complete failure. It’s up to the club owner to decide which way it will go. Fitness360 realizes what owners go though on a daily basis. Bills, equipment, computers, employees, programs, advertising, etc. It’s never ending and it can get very crazy at times! But that doesn’t give anyone the right to slap the “gift horse” in the mouth. Experts know “word of mouth advertising” is the best marketing one can receive. Fitness360 realized this long ago, so after years of testing, finally we have the tool for the job. The Fitness360 “Membership Rewards Program” is finally here and it will birth “word of mouth marketing” for health clubs that will thrust a clubs’ profits through the roof.
Health Club Marketing starts with the members. I can tell you just what type of a club your running by simply asking a few questions of a sales person from GNC or a health food store in your area. Health Club owners forget sometimes that the customer is always right, even if their wrong. I have consulted with many club owners that actually believe they are doing the members a favor by “allowing” them to train at their club. This is unbelievable!
Owners, if you want to be successful, day after day, year after year…. WISE UP!
Ok, so how do you start to own your club and stop being owned by it?
STEP 1
Understand you don’t know everything. Without getting this point your “helpless.” Health Club Marketing by Fitness360 is not a miracle solution for a failing club with an untrainable club owner. It’s a system that will save a health club from failing, like it has so many other times in the past, but can only do so if the owner is willing to learn.
STEP 2
Know that most people find change VERY difficult. The only way your going to become the best health club owner in town is to change. Bottom line! The reason health clubs fail is mainly do to the fact that the owner will not change their procedures, practices, mindsets, etc. This is a big sticking point for most owners.
STEP 3
Believe in yourself and in your business again. Can you remember the day you decided to open your club and how it felt like a new chapter in you life. If you can get back to that “on fire” mindset, your success is guaranteed. Without getting a fresh heart, your doomed.
STEP 4
Invest into your members and they WILL invest into “their” health club. It’s the law of “cause and effect” working to bring in paying prospects, create raving members and establish your brand. Now at this point I would remind you of STEP 1 if your doubting the power of a Membership Rewards Program.
Commercial quality
Great printing
Affordable
A package for every price point!
Feel like a part of your team
Advertise for you
Have tangible gifts to take home after joining
NOW your ready to implement our “Membership Rewards Program.” GO check it out for yourself.
After 2 weeks of On-Site Consulting I can honestly say we are now doing EVERYTHING right. Thank You Fitness360!