Many of ProNatural’s customers are healthcare facilities, clubs, and gyms. Because we value your patronage, we are offering some suggestions on how you can attract new gym members during the holiday season.
After all, many people think about joining a gym between Thanksgiving and a month or two after the holidays. For some, it’s the only time they do think about joining a gym. So, to make sure you get your share of new members, here are a few tips and tricks you can use to close the deal.
Avoid the Big Discounts
That might come as a surprising suggestion. Most large franchise gyms will have big new-member discounts and eliminate sign-up fees during and after the holidays. The issue with these big discounts is that they tend to last only a short while. Once the membership price increases, many of these “holiday members” will high-tail it out the door.
Instead, focus on the additional value your gym offers its members. Do you have a pool? If you do, make sure potential members know about it.
How about gym classes for kids? Many gyms have successfully offered gym instruction to younger clientele, especially teens, while their parents work out independently. Now you’re offering fitness for the entire family.
If you choose to offer discounts, be sure to offer them where it makes sense, such as providing new members with a personal trainer for a set period. As we mentioned, many new members haven’t worked out in months, if ever. Offering personalized training can be a very compelling incentive.
Try Before You Buy
There’s only so much a potential new member can learn about a fitness facility on a 10-minute tour. Let potential members get a real taste of your gym. Offer them free aerobics, spin classes, or, as we just mentioned, a workout session with a professional trainer. Letting them try before they buy gets them in the door, and if they like what they see, keeps them as members.
Lead Management Software
If you don’t have a software program that can keep track of potential leads who walk in the door, you may be missing out. Say one of your potential members took advantage of a membership discount at one of the big franchises we discussed earlier and passed up your gym. Three months later, when their membership costs increase, these people may like the franchise less and be looking for a new place to work out. Staying connected with them with a software follow-up program helps keep track of every walk-in. Your follow-up can lead them to your gym’s door.
Clean, Safe, and Sustainable
We all know gym members and potential members are very focused on cleaning and maintenance today. But gym cleanliness has always been an essential factor in attracting new members and keeping them. Even before the pandemic, IHRSA, the global health and fitness association, conducted a survey, which found if members considered a gym unclean, customer satisfaction fell from 83 percent to 42 percent and retention fell from 90 percent to 52 percent.
After the pandemic, you can imagine there are even more concerns about inadequately maintained gyms. That’s why club owners and managers must select high-quality cleaning solutions and disinfectants tested and proven to eliminate germs, bacteria, and contaminants on high-touch areas in a gym. A perfect example of such a disinfectant is our LEXX® Disinfectant and Cleaner Concentrate and Ready-To Use.
Registered and proven effective by the Environmental Protection Agency and listed as an NSF Certified Cleaning product, which ensures it is a high-quality disinfectant, LEXX® Disinfectant and Cleaner Concentrate also has one thing most other disinfectants do not have: it’s made from citrus, making it one of the safest and most sustainable disinfectants and cleaning products on the market today.
Gym owners, get on marks, get ready, and get your share of new members. The time is now. Just make sure your gym is clean and healthy. That’s more important now than ever before.
And just remember. LEXX is all you need, naturally. ™
