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ClubMarketer


Plan To Sell Memberships

Can you aliken your membership sales team to the underperforming British Lions rugby team on their recent tour of NZ?  Are they just turning up day after day, lacking any real direction, hoping that everything will fall into place?  Are they (and you) just going through the motions?  Or on the other hand are you well drilled, sharp and ready to capitalise on any opportunity?  It is time to ensure that you and your staff adopt the best practices for optimal sales results at your facility.

Below are 3 simple tips to ensure that you turn sales hours at your gym into hard currency!  It doesn't matter whether you have a dedicated sales team or purely rely on general staff for help operating all aspects of the gym ... these tips will help.

1. Develop a monthly plan
Most facilities will (hopefully) have a yearly business plan that includes your marketing budget, summarises where money will be spent and identifies particular marketing campaigns etc.  However, do your sales staff take responsibility for the work that they will be doing to assist in putting your marketing into action?  Why not have your sales staff put together a monthly plan summarising their sales related activity for the month.  This will make things clear in their mind... and more importantly in yours.  Perhaps this could be the role of a senior member of the sales staff?  The monthly plan could include such things as telemarketing cold leads, handing out flyers, setting up contra deals etc.  If it is sales related and is happening in the upcoming month then it should be in their monthly plan.  Have them submit the plan to you by the middle of the month before so it can be assessed prior to implementation. 

2. Weekly activity sheets
Now we know what we are doing for the month we need to know when we are doing it!  Have your staff prepare weekly activity sheets including details on all staff involved in sales.  The activity sheet will summarise all of the weeks activity, as well as all the times that everything is taking place.  If your sales staff are off site between 4 and 5 handing out flyers down town ... it will be on the weekly activity sheet and you will know that cover is required in house during this time.  The weekly activity sheet will also help in making sure that all staff are maintaining their level of sales activity from week to week ... your bottom line depends on it!

3. Plan a weekly meeting
At the start or end of every week plan a short sales meeting.  This meeting is a chance to look at the upcoming weeks activity, as well as analysing the activity and sales performance in the previous week (in conjunction with sales activity sheets and stats - see database).  Make sure there is an agenda and stick to it ... or you will waste a lot of time in the process!


Get Your Members Working For You

Whether you currently have 400 or 4000 members, you may have potentially hundreds more at your fingertips ... so get your members working for you!  Now I do not mean lets get some of the members in the gym on the payroll!  Below are a few sure fire ways of increasing the number of leads you have ... which means more members, so long as you follow up on them!

1.  Get 2 referrals at point of sale
I have said it before, but make sure that you attempt to obtain two referrals off any new member at the gym.  Perhaps offer the new member two free 7 day passes to give away as a benefit of their membership, and get the details off them for their friends there and then.  This works most effectively if you have a section on the membership form for this... often they will just keep writing!  If you fail to get any names at POS, or they wish to speak to their friends first ... mention that it is only valid in the first week of membership and that you will ring them in a week to get the details off them!  Trust me, it works.

2. Friends free Friday
If you are having a quiet month running a promotion like FFF can increase the number of new leads in the door for conversion to membership.  Make your members aware that they can bring their friend for a training session on a particular Friday or Fridays of the month.  They must however book their friend before they come in and also sit down with a MC before they start training ... so you can try and encourage them to join! 

3. Get in the gym
At quiet times getting sales staff in the gym to gain referrals can be an option.  Perhaps offering a free shake after training for any friends that they refer, or even mentioning that you have a one day special offer where you can refer a friend for a free pass.  Try it and see what works!

4. Run a special referral campaign with your members
Make everyone aware of the campaign, whether via large signs in the gym or even a mail out.  If one referred person joins they may get a free bottle of wine, two may get them a free  month, four may get them tickets to a concert .... you get the idea.

Utilise your existing member database and you will see the benefits ... use you imagination and reap the rewards!