It’s officially the first day of summer! Many clubs look at summer as a down time for sales. I see it as a marketing opportunity to reach so many people while they are doing cool things. People are happy about sunshine, family time and social gatherings. We need to capitalize on all of that. Here are a few tips for the summer — maybe I can jog your brain and you can come up with many more.
1. Throw a party: everybody is going to cookouts, so make sure you have one. Budget a few hundred dollars, get the grill going, and give away free hot dogs and watermelon. Promote to everyone to come by for a little summer fun. Every Friday at Big vanilla is hot dog Friday, we sell hotdogs poolside. We can’t keep enough buns around the grill. We have special activities for kids and we make the families feel welcomed. Friday night is always fun night. Do you do things that make people come to you?
2. Pool guests: allow non-members to use your pool for a nominal fee — the water attracts guest. Every one of those guests need to tour your facility. What an opportunity to have a family at your facility for a few hours. They will capture the atmosphere and will be ready to become members before you even ask.
3. Sell summer-only memberships. Many clubs don’t like short-term memberships, but they can be used as lost leaders for long-term memberships. Every time a person joins for three months or less, you have them every day as a potential long-term member. You job is to wow every customer every day. If your club really gives VIP treatment then converting the short-term member should be a cinch. Also remember that new short-term members have friends, so it’s also a referral opportunity.
4. List all community outdoor activities and become sponsors. My area has many sporting events, outdoor concert, carnivals, etc. Align yourself with a few of these promotions and get a free pass to everybody that participates. It is really easy and costs nothing. Give away free memberships to the event in lieu of sponsorship money. Your name is the main sign and you are going to be seen by every participant.
5. Movie nights: Everyone can rent a movie and everyone has a projector — add a little sound and you can have movie nights. No charge, come and watch a movie, bring a blanket, bring your snacks and enjoy the evening with your family. You would be amazed at how many non-members would come with members. Remember you can’t do this in the winter (well at least on the East coast or Midwest).
I thought of these five in five minutes — sit with your leadership team and ask for 25 ideas, then go to work and implement. See how many you could get done over the next month. Each of these are simple, cheap and effective. Summer is a great time to grow your club. If you have a great summer you will have an incredible fall.
See you next time.
Chuck Hall is the executive director at Big Vanilla Athletic Clubs.
