As a fitness business leader, you’ve worked incredibly hard to ensure your club is a success. Are you willing to do what it takes to advance the success you’ve achieved? If you have any business savvy, I know your answer is a resounding, “YES!” You also know that it’s time to get ahead of the power curve when it comes to growing your business. That’s why it’s important for your club to continue to meet the growing and evolving needs of the marketplace.
Be willing to capitalize on the market of performance training.
Based on personal experience, I can tell you that having clients in your club that have spent in excess of $5,000 on high-value services makes your club more valuable – literally. The keys to providing a successful high-end service are obvious: value and performance. High-value services must function like an investment to be appreciated as an investment.
Do you want a successful sports performance department? Then your staff needs to know how to deliver a service that has real value to families. Aristotle presumed that all men seek knowledge, and most scholars agree. In Aristotle’s opinion, knowledge is the right choice, because it is the ultimate tool of true success.
Learn a great system, and then work it. Much like the world of business, modern athletics are getting more and more competitive. A few short years ago the trend of performance training was in its infancy. Today, we all know it is more than a trend, it is big business. That’s good news to fitness clubs willing to learn a great system. The key is to find a solution that is intently focused on giving athletes, clubs and trainers the system and support they need to grow their sports performance success.
It seems obvious that attracting the athlete market and delivering a highvalue solution makes sense for your club. Fitness centers that offer solid sports performance programming are finding that student athletes want to join, and they want to bring their teams with them.
Be motivational.
Most clubs in the U.S. currently have the equipment and space needed to host a sports performance system, and many trainers already possess knowledge that can help athletes. The area in which clubs need the most help is knowing how to present and coordinate a complete and thorough program that athletes, parents and coaches will support…a system. Owning a unique selling proposition that meets the many needs of the athlete family is central to your club’s sports performance success. Research indicates that consumer “solutions” far outperform “services” in today’s sales-resistant marketplace. Let’s face it, today’s consumers do not welcome yesterday’s sales pitch, but are attracted to valuable information and experiences – that’s what the modern market craves, and that is what your club needs to deliver.
Take advantage of a real opportunity to attract family spending.
“I’ve seen a real difference in how my fitness center is viewed by the members since we began offering a great sports performance system,” says club owner Jeffery Wulbert. “Our trainers have our student athletes focused on a program that includes nutrition, injury prevention and motivation. It’s great having moms and dads feel that we are a critical link in their child’s sports advancement.”
Create and implement an effective strategy.
From a business perspective, my experience has shown that there are two ways to grow sales in a club: attract new members, or find new and innovative ways for current members to upgrade, bring in family members, etc. I have also seen that advertising to current clients costs a fraction of the advertising it takes to bring in a new member. Armed with this knowledge, it becomes a silly question when you ask, “Where should I place my first marketing dollars to grow my sports performance business?” Start your efforts by reaching out to your existing client base! Another marketing tip is to always leverage your current marketing with a link to your performance training website.
Student athletes talk about their training with their peers. The best advertising in the world is “word-of-mouth.” And when other student athletes see results, they want to know where those results are coming from. The key to your performance business success is to simply start and follow a great system.
A great way for the modern club to improve its performance is to attract student athletes and the people who surround them. From parents to coaches to teammates, you can almost see instantaneously how a win-win-win is created. You have to get excited about an opportunity to do business with such an eager market.
Corey Miceli is the Founder and Owner of d1 Performance. If your club is ready for a turn-key sports performance solution, please visit www.d1usa.com, or call 1.800.806.2107.
