Personal training is often the top revenue generator in most clubs. There is no reason your club can’t be producing at least 30 percent, if not more, of your monthly revenue from your training program. Here are some ideas to get you moving in the right direction.
Know Thy Trainer
Partnering your clients with the right trainer is key. It seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many training programs fall apart because the client and trainer were mismatched. Find out what the client’s goals are and fit those with the right trainer. Provide detailed bios of your trainers for members to look at, set up introductory meetings, or offer a, ‘try before you buy’ option.
Group. Group. Group.
Group training is the best program you can offer your members, and your business. Offering a variety of group training packages will give your members the option to train at a reduced cost and meet other like-minded people. This route will help you increase training revenue, provide a feeder system into private training and increase retention. It is also a great prospect generator. What’s hot right now? Triathlon, marathon, half-marathon, boot camps, fat-burning and other sport-specific training programs are in high demand. What is the trend in your community? Sit down with your trainers and brainstorm. Create a variety of group sessions and watch your program skyrocket.
Pull Out The Bullhorn
Once you fine-tune the plans for your training program, you need to get to your roof and shout out to the masses! Marketing and promotion of your programs is key for building awareness. Use in-house promotions, referrals, Facebook, Twitter and e-mail campaigns. Design an incentive program for trainers to bring in clients (beware the hard-sell here. You don’t want to scare members away!). Create a referral program for existing clients. Have information sessions, create running or triathlon clubs and offer discounts on training to those members, advertise in local papers, bike shops, running stores and health food markets. Create inserts for local race goody bags. Run online deals with Groupon or Living Social. Do as much as you can to get your name and your programs out to your members and the community. Be creative!
More Cowbell
Ramp up the shout outs! Consistent, positive interaction between your staff and clients is the core of your customer service. Notice those who are diligent about sticking to their programs. Congratulate them on their successes, talk with them about how they feel about the program, about their experience and solicit feedback. Post inspiring comments, group photos and success stories on your website and Facebook page. Communication is essential for member happiness and will lead to training renewals, greater retention and referrals.
Train. Track. Repeat.
A disorganized training system will result in lost revenue. If you are using a club management software program that provides a scheduling and tracking system, make sure you are using it to track sessions bought, sessions used and trainer commissions. This is such an important piece that is often overlooked, and money will be lost because of it. Cancellation and ‘use-by’ policies are important, too. If you don’t have a system in place, get one. Your bottom line will be happy you did!
The Golden Goose: Payment Options
Here’s the thing. Most clubs offer discounts on sessions through package pricing. Package pricing can come with a hefty price tag and most clubs require payment up front. In the end, you are losing clients that cannot afford to hand over on-demand cash.
The solution is to offer payment options. Members that are given the option to sign up for a training payment plan are more likely to sign, than those who are asked to pay in full. Check with your billing company, accountant or bank about setting up this service. How much more training could you book if your members had payment options? A lot!
These ideas should get you moving in the right direction. Be smart about trainer/client pairings, create a dynamic training menu of options, promote it, recognize those who are using it, organize it and offer payment options to support it. Now is the time to outline your plan. Happy training!
Tamara Valdez is the VP of marketing at ASF International and was a club manager for seven years in San Francisco. For more information, visit www.asfinternational.com, call 303-914-2712 or e-mail tamara@asfint.com.
