Do you work out like you should? If you don’t believe in what you’re going around selling people, they’ll be able to tell. If you don’t practice what you preach, why should they? I‘ve always said if you’re in the fitness business then be in the fitness business. So try asking yourself why you would [...]

Beginning July 1, 2010 businesses offering ultraviolet tanning services must collect a 10 percent excise tax as part of the excise tax requirement of the Affordable Care Act, enacted in March 2010. Businesses must collect the tax at the time the customer pays for service; if the customer doesn’t pay then the tanning service provider [...]

Have you thought about reducing someone’s dues for them bringing in their friends and family to get started with you? I have tried many different referral programs, and one of the most effective I have used is reducing a member’s monthly payment by X amount dollars for every referral that signs up. Oh my goodness I [...]

Are you still doing a one to three day free trial? If you are, then you are missing out on potential sales. Club owners get concerned when they hear 14-day-free trial, they have a fear that people are just going to use their club for 14 days for free. What we need to realize is [...]

Is your staff asking every guest for the their first name or are they just reading it off a card or guest log? Asking a guest for their first name can be the first step to closing that sale. Do you like it when someone acknowledges you by first name? Just one simple step at [...]

Q: We’re trying to become more diligent with goal setting. What are some best practices for setting goals and quotas? – Submitted by Chris Hargis, General Manager of World Gym, Ponte Vedra, Fla. A: Setting goals is one of the most important activities you can do to become successful, both personally and at your fitness [...]

You can’t consistently sell memberships effectively without knowing two things – first, what are you selling; and second, knowing to whom you are selling. For the purpose of keeping within the space allotted let’s focus on the latter. It is imperative to find out who your prospective member is and what they need. The easiest [...]

Follow up, follow up, follow up … burn that into your brain and never forget.  A proper follow-up system is the most important step in selling new members and it’s often the area where health clubs struggle the most. Think about how many post-it notes are stuck on your front desk right now. how many messages [...]

Bribery is one of the easiest ways to encourage a person to do what you want — except join a health club. To grab members, your facility must offer a stepped incentive program. First, visit incentives, commitment incentives and trial pass incentives are only a few of the bribes you can offer your prospects on a [...]

One thing is certain, when a prospect calls the club, it is a serious lead. They have searched the Web, gathered information, often have spoken to other club members and now they are calling us for specifics. With this in mind, it is our turn to create excitement. By emphasizing two specific ideas, we can [...]