What happens when the club increases prices or the down payment?
The answer is, absolutely nothing.
Often when there is a price change, sales people panic. Many believe less people will join because the cost is more. The reality is that when your next prospect walks through the door, he or she did not know what yesterday’s pricing actually was. So, to think that consumers will be affected by the change is silly. The only people affected will be the sales team. So, what will change for them? Absolutely nothing!
When we sell memberships we sell on:
1. Value… We push the value of the club. We sell the entire entity; we talk about the equipment, we talk about the services, we talk about the staff, we talk about the facility, we talk about the cleanliness, we talk about testimonials and we talk about what’s to come. We certainly focus on the benefits that come from all these things combined.
2. Benefits… I like to use the term “future.” When we sell a membership, we should “future” people. We need the prospect to see what things will look like 90 days from now. We need to share with them how good they will feel, how good they will look, how their confidence will increase, how their self-esteem will benefit. We paint a clear picture of what great health will look like.
3. Membership… When we sell, we share that by being a member that they are not part of a private club, that they have taken ownership. They are part of an exclusive group. They need to feel like they just joined the country club. They need to understand all the amenities and all the services available to them; they have to be catered to and feel like a VIP.
Here’s the point: selling has never been about price. When you have price concerns, you have self-generated FEAR (false evidence appearing real). Customers want to be WOWED!!! When you finish a tour, the customer should feel like the club is underpriced. That with the enthusiasm that you just presented and the professionalism that you just displayed, how can anyone not want to be part of something so awesome? If you are feeling anything less than that, than your challenges will be much bigger than price. Focus on the customer’s needs, find out what excites them, and match those desires with your services and equipment. Keep the conversation on fitness, on their health and well-being, and you will see price is not an issue.
Go get ‘em!
Chuck Hall is the executive director at Big Vanilla Athletic Clubs. Contact him at Chall@bigvanilla.com.
