While the methods for testing body fat have changed little in the last 10 years, the popularity of body fat testing has grown dramatically. This popularity has left many club owners wondering if body fat testing should be viewed as a source of additional revenue or as a free service to club members.
Body fat testing has reached “fad status” without actually being a fad. Explanation: Fads are like bolts of lightening. When they hit, everyone says wow, but after a while we forget about them, mostly due to a lack of substance.
Body fat testing in contrast is something that’s been rumbling in the background since the 1940’s when the U.S. Navy developed hydrostatic weighting (underwater weighing).
Health and fitness professionals know the benefits of body fat testing and have been trained for years on how to conduct body fat testing. Consumer demand, however, was not pressing and testing was viewed as something reserved for athletes only. Why would the average person want to know their body fat percentage?
There are many factors that have contributed to the popularity of body fat testing today.
The Information Era: Today consumers can go online and research virtually any topic relating to health, fitness and nutrition. While this information comes from a variety of sources, much of it comes from well-respected colleges and universities. Thus, consumers have access to the same academic resource as the Health and Fitness Professional.
The technology explosion: You don’t have to strip down to your underwear or put on a skimpy swimsuit in order to have your body fat accurately measured. There are several methods available that are quick, accurate and non-invasive.
These technology-based products are very simple to use and do not require specialized training.
The media: There is a popular television commercial currently running that suggests to consumers that they “throw away their scales.” This commercial suggests that losing weight is not as important as losing excess fat.
This is common knowledge for Health and Fitness Professionals. For years we’ve heard industry professionals advocate that Body Mass Index (BMI) is antiquated and that body fat measurement is a better gauge of overall health and fitness. Consumers are catching on to this.
So, we know that body fat testing is both popular and a valid measurement of health and fitness. So what is the best way to utilize testing within the club setting?
Some club owners believe that body fat testing is something that should be offered as a free service to members. As a result, body fat testing is a promoted feature of their membership package.
This thought process is not “wrong,” but it can lead you to miss opportunities. For one, if you provide something for free, you have to assume members are going to consider it a right under your membership contract, meaning you have to provide the test when they want it. Multiply that by the number of members, and you may find you are now losing money due to the fact your personnel are tied up conducting free body fat testing.
Body fat testing can easily be offered as a premium “billable” service. Of course the next question you’re likely to have is, “What should I charge?” There is no generic answer for this. The best answer is whatever your market will bear.
What club owners need to understand is that you cannot just look at body fat testing as a simple task with no strings attached. If you do, you’re downplaying the potential that body fat testing can have on your bottom line. It’s not like members aren’t going to have questions after the test. The most common question is, “What can I do about this?” This will lead to increased personal training revenues, group exercise revenues or just repeat testing revenues.
A word of caution: Do not make the mistake of purchasing a low cost, consumer based body fat analyzer and then charging a premium price for testing your members. When the member sees the same analyzer in a retail store, online or in a catalog with a price tag equal to what you charged them for a test they tend to feel like they’ve been taken.
By utilizing a professional grade analyzer, you can justifiably charge a premium fee for the test. This is a test you cannot take at home. You will tend to get better results and most professional analyzers include the ability to print out high quality reports, which will further add value to your testing.
The one instance that you may want to offer free body fat testing is at public showings such as health fairs, home shows, mall shows and/or other events where your objective is to promote the club and sign up new members. In this case, you still aren’t testing for free rather than justifying the test as a promotional expense.
The most common question a consumer will ask after being body fat tested is the same one your existing member asks, “What can I do about this?” You’re sure to have an answer for them.
Steve Sheppard is the National Sales Manager of Zelcore, Inc., Exclusive Master Distributor for Futrex, Inc. He can be contacted at 877.249.4291, or by email at steves@zelcore.com.
