Fitness Center Marketing – 4 rules for Adding on New Members!

Have you ever wondered why there are so many people who are obese or unfit and yet do not make the effort to join a fitness center to help themselves? And this is true for people who can afford to join a fitness center and benefit from the various amenities that the facility has to offer.

It is six times more expensive to initiate a new member into a fitness club than to retain one. While you have a fair amount of time to convince existing members of the benefits of the facility and prove by demonstration that your fitness center is the best, a new sale really needs to be clinched within minutes. There are some innovative ways in which you can try and spread the message of fitness through your fitness center.

Use existing clientele – One of the best ways in which you can spread the word around is to use existing clientele to get add on members. You could offer a couple or family scheme so as to make the offer attractive and alluring. Another way in which you can tap existing members for references is to offer a month’s free extension to the existing members if they refer someone.

Retention is important – Since it does take more to acquire a new client than to retain one, existing members need to be looked after. Do not take your members for granted once they have converted to an annual package. Do not consider that annual members are hostages. Bad service and inadequate customer care is likely to lose you a member that will be difficult to replace. In addition to that the bad word of mouth may actually make it more difficult for you to add on new members.

Direct Marketing – When you choose to opt for direct marketing methods, make sure that you have mailers that are efficient. While you may hire a professional photographer for images and a copywriter for the description of the services offered, you will also need to make sure that the direct marketing has a specific offer to sell. Unless the objective of your direct marketing campaign is only to create awareness, you do need to make an offer that the reader cannot refuse.

You may need to lure the first time visitor into your fitness center by allowing a session on the cardio machines free of charge or creating a package specifically for those who receive the direct mail. When consumers walk in with a direct mail voucher, you will also be able to monitor the effectiveness of the campaign. Make sure that you have a deadline associated with the offer so that you can expect to get a large number of sign-ins in a short period of time.

Communicate – Consumers who have not used fitness centers before may feel intimidated by the environment. Providing some assurance and voluntary information can go a long way in making them feel comfortable. Do not be conservative with your words and mention all that you can pack into a few minutes. Talk about the facilities, amenities, package deals, offers, trainers, nutritionist and how you can help them achieve their personal goals. Make sure that you do not bore your customer, though.

While clinching the new customer is an art that sometimes needs clever and suave sales people, these are some of the rules that really matter. It is also important to deliver on the promises that you have made to retain the customer that was so difficult to acquire in the first place.