If you are a fitness professional, work in or own a fitness company, and you are interested in generating additional income, then this article is for you. It doesn’t matter if you travel to a private residence, have a small studio, or you are part of a massive 300,000 square foot fitness paradise.
What is it about your facility that makes the people in your area come to you instead of going some place else?
Every fitness facility has cardio- and resistance-training equipment. Most offer some type of group instruction, special training modalities for the aging or programs that focus on women’s health issues, such as bone density training and weight loss. I ask you again, what is it that makes the people in your area come to your facility? You may say: “My gym has the newest equipment.” Right… Until the gym next door buys newer equipment. Or, you may say: “We offer the best group programs and instructors.” Again, this may be true…Only until the gym next door hires your employees away from you, or they get certified in the newest, hippest, hottest group programs.
What if I gave you a great answer to all the questions? What if, I could show you a way to build excitement and income for a minimal investment? What if, I could show you a way to truly differentiate yourself from the competition? Would you do it?
IMPROVE YOUR CLUB – GET XVESTED!
Proven Performance – First, have you heard about the Xvest? If not, here is some vital information that you should know:
• The Xvest is an adjustable weighted vest, originally designed for high-level athletes looking to improve their performance in their specific sport. The Xvest is currently used by, and has redefined training and fitness protocols for, most Major League Baseball teams, as well as the NFL, NBA, colleges and universities. Also, Xvest has a reputation as the most-used training product of the United States Olympic program.
• It has been utilized in geriatric wellness programming, and bone density studies of the spine at numerous universities and medical centers. The simple truth is: the Xvest is a safe and highly effective product that can be utilized in most training protocols and activities.
• The Xvest was featured on the Today Show with Katie Couric and fitness expert Kathy Kaehler. While wearing the Xvest, they both walked and talked about how useful a weighted vest can be. This launched weighted vests, especially the Xvest, into the fitness and wellness market virtually overnight. It educated the general population on the basic utilization of a weighted vest and how it can, and will, improve your health and quality of life. It has also been featured on national TV shows such as Fox Sports News and ESPN, as well as in numerous health and fitness magazines.
• As for utilization, you can wear the Xvest doing almost anything, from your basic body weight exercises – such as push-ups, pull-ups, squats and lunges and aerobics – to a variety of group exercise classes – such as step aerobics, cardio kick-boxing, spinning and yoga.
Xvest Creates Excitement – San Jose Country Club in Jacksonville Florida purchased a couple of Xvests and then rented them out in half-hour increments to cover their initial cost. They soon found there was a wait list to rent them, so they purchased more and the wait list still continued to grow. They recently decided to purchase Xvest to sell in their Pro-Shop and it has been a winning proposition ever since.
3 STEPS TO IMPLEMENT XVEST:
Step 1 – Use the Xvest
You will need to order some Xvests in different sizes and weight configurations. We have two different models: the X20 in a 12-pound and a 20-pound configuration, and the X40, in a 20- pound and a 40-pound configuration. Retail prices range from $149.99 to $199.99. For distributor pricing, please call us. Also, when you order, mention this article and we’ll throw in a couple of hats. These vests will become your demos and can be used by your trainers and customers on a sign-out basis.
In order to fully understand the potential, your staff should be educated on the uses and benefits of a weighted vest. This is as simple as putting the vest on and doing everything you can think of in the vest from pull-ups to step aerobics, treadmill or elliptical exercises. Have your group instructors and personal trainers use it in their specific classes. It’s important to always have the Xvest within sight of your members.
As soon as you are using the vest, the buzz about this new thing is going to be loud. When you and your employees use the Xvest, you will find that they will be asked questions about it. Questions like: “What does it do? Why do I need it? Is it safe? Will it hurt my back? I am 40 pounds overweight, so why do I need to carry more weight? Am I too old or too young to use the vest? Will the vest damage my knees if I run in it?” These questions will be a sign that it is time to have a seminar on the Xvest, and this will begin the promotional phase.
Step 2 – Promote the Xvest
In the promotional phase, you need to become a real educator. Explaining the benefits of how the use of a properly weighted vest will intensify any exercise or activity and increase metabolic rate. Thus, you can double your results and burn more calories in the same amount of time, making your workouts more efficient. During your group demonstration, put the Xvest on your members and have them do basic exercises. This will get the room excited about this new safe and effective way of training. This will also give you a great opportunity to sell the Xvest to your members.
Once you have members renting out the Xvest, and the wait list is so long people are complaining, it will be time to run a sales promotion. One promotion is: “Buy an Xvest and receive a free personal training session.” This can be a win-win for you and the personal trainer because if they do a great job in the free session, they should get booked again and again. Also, when people begin walking into your club with their own personal Xvests, others will begin to ask them questions and the sales will continue to grow. Another way to promote is to wear Xvest apparel such as hats and t-shirts.
Step 3 – Sell the Xvest
The sales phase is where you create space for the Xvest at your front counter, in your Pro Shop or in a display case. We know a club in New York City that placed empty Xvest boxes in their front window and, believe it or not, people that didn’t train in that club were walking in to buy the Xvest. Even a personal trainer that worked at another club came in to buy the Xvest.
Can you imagine the opportunity you have when people from other clubs are walking into your club to buy a product? You will then have a potential new member standing in your club, and a selling point over the other club, because you offer specific programming for the Xvest…The product that brought them into your club in the first place.
We support you! Because of Xvest marketing campaigns, ads, articles, etc., People know about the Xvest and are looking to try it before they buy it. You can find articles in Muscle & Fitness, Women’s Health & Fitness, Shape, Men’s Health plus numerous club and sportspecific magazines as well as on TV.
GET XVESTED – GET NEW MEMBERS AND KEEP CURRENT ONES!
Visualize the Potential – The Xvest is a money-making machine for you and your trainers. The use of weighted vests is a trend that is taking the United States by storm, and Xvest is a simple and beneficial product for you and your clients.
Now answer this: “Name a piece of equipment that you can use, promote and sell to your members at a price most, if not all, can afford to pay?” The answer is: the Xvest!
Go to www.thexvest.com/xvested to get started.
George Morrison is the Developer of the Xvest, and a Strength & Conditioning Coach. He can be contacted at 800.697.5658, 281.693.4034 or by email at gmorrison@thexvest.com .
