Make It Happen!

Jeff Bissonnette, an Anytime Fitness franchisee, has developed a system that gives members results, improves accountability and harnesses the power of the personal touch.

When Jeff Bissonnette and his wife Teri decided to open two Anytime Fitness locations in Minnesota – one in Lake City and one in Wabasha – Jeff was already well aware of the retention challenge club owners face. Throughout his 19 years in the industry, Bissonnette had seen too many members lose heart and give up from a lack of results after many hours in the gym. Bissonnette says most clubs just try to sell personal training packages to people who need guidance, but members who can’t afford it often simply quit trying. “The entire focus of many clubs is to get new members to replace the ones who are constantly dropping out. Clubs talk about retention, but too often they aren’t really doing it,” he says.

This realization is what prompted Bissonnette to develop a system that helps members reach their goals and provides a personal touch. The S.L.E.D. System (which stands for Stronger, Leaner, Every Day) is based on the Delorme’s Principle of progressive resistance, and is designed to guide members through each workout by showing them how to push themselves and increase their weights to get better results.

Here’s how S.L.E.D. works: First, each new member is taken through an initial workout by a qualified staff member, the details of which are recorded on an easy-to-read chart. Then the staff member fills in simple instructions for their next workout, so they will know exactly what to do. From then on, every time the member works out their chart is updated by a qualified employee who tells them when to increase the weights, the reps, or the amount of time spent doing cardio and by how much. Bissonnette says this process takes very little time and has been a great way to provide a level of accountability to each member. “A health club should know their members; they should be more than just bodies on the gym floor. You promised them results when they joined, and if you don’t help them they will quit and join a different gym where the same scenario is likely to play out again,” he says.

According to Bissonnette, the results of using this system have been measurable. Not only has it removed all of the guesswork for members, but he says they have also seen an increase in fitness, membership and usage of the club. “By getting our members results, they sell new memberships for us. I’ve never been fond of sales, so I have to be good at retention,” he says. Results are measured by calculating body fat using the Jackson/Pollack three-site equation every two to three weeks. If a member still isn’t seeing the desired results, this point of contact gives Bissonnette a chance to discuss nutrition and to adjust their workout accordingly.

Other clubs have implemented the S.L.E.D. System (which Bissonnette is offering for free on the Web), including the Knoxville Recreation Center in Knoxville, Iowa; Anytime Fitness in Newark, Del. and Weight Loss Solutions in Winston-Salem, N.C . “The system is a great selling perk for our facility. When prospective members find out that we will not only set them up with a workout program, but will also review it for them for free after each and every workout, they are amazed,” says Jeff Lane, co-owner of Anytime Fitness in Newark.

To learn more about the S.L.E.D. System, and to download sample charts, go to www.sledsystem.com or email Jeff Bissonnette at sledsystem@msn.com