Club Insider

The Club Insider Archives: August 2008

Generating A Waterfall of Leads
125 Membership Lead Sources - Part I

By: Will Phillips

Will PhillipsWill PhillipsIHRSA reports there are more clubs than ever in the United States, yet overall membership declined in the last year. This means there are fewer members per club, and many clubs will have to work smarter to match the sales numbers they generated in the past. For the first time in eighteen years, the 100 or so members of REX Club Roundtables are reporting irregular sales. Some of the clubs with the most disciplined sales systems have even seen dramatic falloffs of 40% in lead traffic over the last six years. Read More

A Mid-Year Analysis of the U.S. Health Club Industry
By: Katie Rollauer

As the state of the economy is in the forefront of the news these days, IHRSA would like to share with you this mid-year analysis of the U.S. Health Club Industry. As 2007 came to a close, the health club industry reported $18.5 billion in total revenues, a 6% increase over 2006. The total number of clubs grew 1% from 29,357 in 2006 to 29,636. More concerning was the news that total health club memberships numbered 41.5 million and did not grow over the previous year. Read More

Where Does Your Team Need Help?
By: Ray Gordon

Ray GordonRay GordonBusiness evolves constantly. Economies change. Business strategies and tactics need to evolve and change, too. This means you constantly need to be monitoring your staff expertise. To ignore this fundamental truth puts your business in jeopardy, especially in today's hyper competitive times. Read More

"What It Takes To Be #1" In Customer Service
By: Jeffrey Keller

Jeffrey KellerJeffrey KellerIn 1969, Vince Lombardi gave his famous speech "What It Takes to Be #1". The speech, intended for an audience of rabid football fans, has transcended sports and become a philosophy for life. In his speech, he focused on the qualities he felt were essential for success on the playing field. Success, he felt, was not just winning, but competing with maximum effort each and every time an athlete stepped on the field. Read More

Economics and Positioning Fitness Facilities
By: Andrea Sobotka

Andrea SobotkaAndrea SobotkaHave you ever had the kind of day where you wondered if you were "in the right business"? There is no doubt that the health and fitness industry as a whole is a demanding service-based business that must constantly strive to be "in" and "popular" and "up to the minute" to survive... or at least, that's what it feels like when you are trying to please everybody in today's economy. The truth of the matter is, you are well-positioned in today's economic market and the future economy. Read More

Are We Heading for a Human-Powered Future?
By: Dan Steel

Would you still watch your favorite television program if you had to cycle for an hour before you could view it? Couch potatoes will be horrified, but fresh advances in human-powered technology --where users power appliances through their own motion-- could one day see a 'workout-to-watch' scenario become reality. Human power is rapidly gaining in popularity worldwide as businesses seek 'greener' methods of operating. Read More

Your Health Club Sales Staff Won't Change Unless You Change
By: Jim Thomas

Jim ThomasJim ThomasFor many years, I have been asked by health club owners and managers to change their sales staff. Perform sales magic, as I call it. The truth is... a specific health club sales training program conducted by anyone outside of your health club will have only a temporary impact, unless the management team within that health club commits itself to reinforcing the information taught during the training. Read More

Sales is 90% Preparation and 10% Presentation
By: Ed Tock

Ed TockEd TockSuccess in anything is all about focus, and if you focus on what's critical, then you'll get the results that you need to get right now. The market is more competitive than ever and you need every edge that you can get. The difference between water in its liquid state and steam is only one small degree. Turn the heat up by one degree in your focus and discipline and watch your sales skyrocket! Read More

Oxygenate Your Studio
By: Dr. Craig Wenborg

Dr. Craig WenborgDr. Craig WenborgThe idea of providing the "Oxygenated Studio" has great appeal for both client benefits as well as club promotion. In this article, I am going to describe the elements you need to know to evaluate how safe manipulation of room air is good for your bottom line. I will describe the "how to" on room construction, equipment and fire safety. After reading this article, you will be empowered to make a decision as to how this service may fit into your business plan. Read More

Programming Tip of the Month
Back to Basics... Make It Fun!

By: Sandy Coffman

Sandy CoffmanSandy CoffmanSeptember 1st begins the PROGRAMMING CALENDAR for the coming year. It's time to evaluate every aspect of your business to move ahead, but your programming agenda will be key to every member's enthusiasm for fitness. The existing active members get recharged, the drop outs come back, the new members get a new beginning and potential members are eager to get started. Read More

Industry Veteran Chuck Leve to Leave IHRSA
BOSTON, MA - The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) announced today the departure of Chuck Leve, Vice President of Business Development and fitness industry veteran, effective August 31, 2008. A 27-year IHRSA employee, Leve leaves to launch a new association, which will serve active, healthy lifestyle consumers. Read More

Fitness First Australia Founder, Tony deLeede Steps Aside
New CEO Appointed

Tony deLeede, the founder of Fitness First Australia, has announced that he is stepping aside from his CEO role. After eight years of leading Fitness First's growth to 83 clubs nationally and an annual turnover estimated at $350 million, Mr. deLeede has announced he will hand over the day to day operations of the business. Read More

The Alaska Club, MVP Sports Clubs Join Elite and Partner with BTS
ATLANTA, GA - Body Training Systems (BTS) is proud to announce recent agreements with The Alaska Club and MVP Sports Clubs to partner in supplying branded Group Fitness programs. Both The Alaska Club and MVP Sports Clubs are recognized as being the top operators in their markets based on service, commitment to quality, facility design and staff. Read More

Town Sports International Expands Silver Sneakers Program
Town Sports International (TSI) announced in July that it has expanded its partnership with Healthways, Inc., offering the award-winning Healthways SilverSneakers Fitness Program for active older adults at fifteen more of TSI's New York Sports Clubs (NYSC) locations. The fifteen new locations will join the existing sixteen NYSC locations and six Philadelphia Sports Clubs (PSC) locations that have the SilverSneakers Fitness Program, bringing the total number of TSI clubs offering SilverSneakers to 37. Read More

ALS Fight Intensifies!
CAMBRIDGE, MA and IRVINE, CA - ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) and California Stem Cell, Inc. (CSC) announced today a new collaboration aimed at advancing any potential application of stem cells in treating ALS - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's diseases. The new set of experiments will begin in August 2008 and continue through the end of 2009. Read More

Urban Health Club Launches Retention Management Service
Cuts Terminations in Half in Four Months

LONDON, UK and CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Urban Health Club (formerly Topnotch Health Club in Birmingham City Centre) has selected Retention Management to provide communication services to its members. According to Urban Health Club management, four months after launching the service, the Club has cut terminations in half. Retention Management, the industry leader in attrition defense, services health clubs in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Read More

Norm's Notes for August 2008
By: Norm Cates

Norm CatesNorm CatesHello everybody! This is your friendly Club Insider Publisher Since 1993 checking in! Here's the news on who and what's shakin'! Read More

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