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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!
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