Bribery is one of the easiest ways to encourage a person to do what you want — except join a health club. To grab members, your facility must offer a stepped incentive program. First, visit incentives, commitment incentives and trial pass incentives are only a few of the bribes you can offer your prospects on a regular basis.
Even if a member does not join your facility on that day you can encourage them with trial pass incentives — “join before___ and get___.” Sometimes, a simple t-shirt is enough. People will do things for a t-shirt that they wouldn’t do for trial passes or 10-guest passes.
Incentives are also the bread and butter of a successful referral campaign. Please, please, please STOP offering your members one additional month for each member they refer — the incentive has run its course. Get creative, use a gift card, buy them dinner or give them a TV. We’ve even had clients that have given away cars and ATV’s in referral contests!
Chris Batchelor
Health Club Marketing Contributor
