Does fashion have any place in fitness? Do you sell branded clothing at your club? No, you may not sell Gucci in the front window (some clubs may), but I bet you sell your own branded t-shirts and hoodies.
The vast majority of your members worry about what they wear when they go to your gym. Your gym, although it’s a great place to get healthy and learn how to live a healthier life, is also a social extravaganza for members. I’ve had several friends meet their significant others at the gym or spend time in the gym with their significant other. When they go to the gym, they don’t wear the same ratty clothes they might if they strike up the pavement for a quick jog — they are going to look sharp in new workout shorts and shirts, and the newest line of sneakers.
With all this fashion whipping around your club at all hours of the day, how do your employees fit into this equation? I’ve seen club employees in everything from workout clothes to dirty polo shirts that make them look like used-car salesmen.
One of the things I equally hate and love in life is purchasing a new car. I love shopping for the new car, but once I meet that car salesman, I want to go home. When it comes to purchasing a club membership, the typical person isn’t purchasing an exciting new car. They are purchasing a membership to a building that will kick their butt. However, a person that looks just as professional as a car salesman is selling them a membership to your club.
I don’t really think that your sales staff should dress to the nines in a three-piece suit. But also, I don’t think your sales staff — the people that determine whether you receive a new member or not — should look like it’s just another part-time employee.
You wouldn’t hire trainers that are out of shape. You probably want everyone in your club to be relatively fit. Now, I know, that’s not exactly feasible. However, you should be able to hire salespeople that are clean cut, slim and dressed to sell memberships for a fitness club, not memberships to the bar down the street.
Tyler Montgomery is the Editor of Club Solutions Magazine. Contact him at tyler@clubsolutionsmagazine.com
