Back when I broke into the business I used to sell memberships, today I do not. Today I teach sales and leadership for our company but I am not where the rubber meets the road, although I feel every day I am always selling. How about you? Are you representing everywhere you go?
You obviously have a work schedule, when you are there you have responsibilities. You have to hand out passes to your members, you have to service members or prospects, and you have a list of marketing duties that must be performed. You probably do them effortlessly; you may even do them without thinking at all.
How about when you’re not at the club — are you selling? When you are in the grocery store are you selling? Every trip often you find yourself in front of a different cashier — do you give passes? Every day you go somewhere for buying or social reasons, whether it’s Starbucks or a local yogurt store, you are out and about doing business in your community. While doing so, are you selling?
Selling is not when you have a jersey on, although it seems like I never take mine off. Selling is you seeing yourself as a representative of your gym no matter where you are. You should always have passes in the car, or marketing material in a binder that you can take with you. You should always leave passes with a waiter or a store employee or manager. You have to always be on.
Being on is just not representing or handing out passes, it’s your appearance, it’s your attitude, it’s your smile and it’s your hygiene. Many may think I am going too far, but I know from experience that I am not. How many times have you been out and folks recognize you as an employee of the club and ask you questions? It happens all the time. So please don’t be offended, it is your responsibility to be on, to understand that you are part of the community and that you have a responsibility to represent your club, wellness and yourself at all times.
Chuck Hall is the executive director at Big Vanilla Athletic Clubs.
