“Why Should You Take the Time to Attend the GGFA Regional Workshop in New Jersey on March 2nd?”

by Franchisee & Sponsor Participants

Register for Teaneck NJ on March 2nd at the bottom of this blog post.

Here we are – the last GGFA Regional Workshop is on Friday, March 2^nd in Teaneck New Jersey.  If you have not had the chance to attend, please register today.  The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive!  You will leave the workshop with hands-on tools to bring back to your gym and share with your employees.

You do not want to miss this workshop!  Hear what others have said:

“First, I would like to confess that I am not fond of meetings. That being said, the Regional Workshop was outstanding. Blair kept the attention of the attendees with a fast paced agenda that was enormously informative. I was hesitant to attend the meeting, feeling I had seen and heard it all in my 12 years as a Gold’s Gym franchisee. Boy, was I wrong. I returned to my club from the meeting with new found knowledge and enthusiasm. This was undoubtedly one of the greatest seminars I have ever attended.

Thank you so much for such a great event. I look forward to more in the future.”

Chris Cope
Gold’s Gym Front Royal, VA

“It was an unbelievable experience. Blair did an incredible job at showing us how thinking at a higher level about our business and creating clarity in purpose for each TEAM members within our company will provide a clear path to success in delivering an exceptional member experience. When I got back I couldn’t wait to get to work.”

Steve Sweener
Gold’s Gym Northridge, CA
 
“The workshop will give you great insight on how you want to treat a member/customer and compare that to how you are actually treating your members/customers.  In addition, we had all of our GMs attend.   It was great to have our employees’ perspective on how they are treated, how they want to be treated, how they treat our members, and how they want to treat our members. The point of the workshop was to help us understand areas we can improve upon in servicing our members and it did just that!  Thank you Blair and the GGFA for bring this to us.” 

Mike Williams
Gold’s Gym Kirkland WA, Seattle (3 locations) WA, and Woodinville WA

“In having Blair McHaney lead these GGFA workshops, The GGFA has ushered in a new level of knowledge and sophistication into the health club industry.  The principles of unwavering dedication towards Quality and Continuous Improvement are hallmarks that Gold’s Gym owners should adopt unilaterally.  As a vendor, the Workshop helped me understand the future of selling towards the goals of the club owners not just filling up space.  Don’t miss the next workshop if you are in the GGFA…I’m not!”

Brian Lewallen, General Manager
Avanti Fitness

Register for New Jersey Workshop to be held on March 2^nd:  register here

Host Location for Teaneck NJ: 
Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe  
100 Frank W. Burr Boulevard 
Teaneck, NJ 07666   
Marriott Teaneck at Glenpointe
Reservations: 1-800-992-7752

Get on the Offense! Ideas and Initiatives to REALLY Beat Low Priced Competitors

by Don Murphy, Hudson Valley Gold’s Gym Organization (HVGG)

A blog to support webinar hosted by Don Murphy on 2/22/12 @ 1 pm est.  If you would like to join us for this webinar, please register to reserve your spot.

 

During their 4-year battle against 5 Planet Fitness locations and other local competitors, Hudson Valley Gold’s Gym Organization (HVGG) has implemented new ideas and approaches to their business.  Learn firsthand about initiatives that will enable attendees to get on the offense and become PRO-ACTIVE in the approach to their Gold’s Gym business.  These ideas will enable owners and managers to truly increase the VALUE of their Gold’s Gym offering in their markets during 2012, rather than simply reacting in a defensive mode to what the competition is doing around them. 

Still battling, HVGG has taken a very pro-active approach to successfully winning-over many people in their community, nearly returning membership totals to pre-Planet Fitness levels.  Member education and inspiration, and innovative business strategy remains a key to their success. 

The question to ask yourself:  “Are you REALLY changing old business habits and implementing new ideas, philosophies, and strategies that cause people to understand WHY they should pay a bit more for your product vs. the low priced competitor?”  Avoid the price war and learn new ways to increase the value of your Gold’s Gym offering. 

This engaging presentation will take attendees through several strategies and initiatives implemented by the Hudson Valley Gold’s Gym Organization (HVGG), with locations in Newburgh, Fishkill, and Poughkeepsie (LaGrange), NY.  HVGG has received several prestigious local and national awards, including ’07 Franchisee of the Year, ’09 Best GGX Program, and ’10 Best Member On-Boarding Program. 

A testimonial from Lori Lowell:

Don Murphy’s delivery is exceptional.  His tactics with dealing with a low cost competitor comes from a place of experience and success.  He nailed his presentation by giving sound information in the “how to’s” when dealing with a low cost competitor and took it to another level by discussing the power of differentiation and delivering outstanding “member experience” to ensure the credibility of our product. 

Don’s presentation walks you through the “how to” steps in detail with fantastic delivery and articulation.  A webinar that is a must!  Planet Fitness opened up across the street from our Downtown Milwaukee location.  I was extremely concerned and nervous.  We are beating them!  I’m not as concerned anymore.   Matter in fact – Planet Fitness – Bring it on!  Don greatly helped us determine our steps to ensure success.

5 Retention Strategies to Start Today

by ASF International

Member retention is key to success (and cash flow) in the fitness business. You really do need to treat each member like gold to make sure they aren’t defecting to the competition, falling off the wagon or losing interest in your services. What is your strategy to keep your members coming? Keep reading for five easy action items to increase your club’s member retention.

1)      A Warm Welcome- Get email addresses for all new members and send them a welcome message as soon as possible. Have their salesperson or trainer stay in touch with the member either through email or on the phone: encourage them, offer assistance and let them know your team is there to support them on their journey.

2)      Track Attendance- Attendance data is powerful stuff- trust me, if you aren’t tracking attendance for every member, you should be. The retention possibilities for attendance data are endless: sending a quick, personal email to non-attending members could be the nudge they need to get back in for a workout, running an attendance contest for new members might be a great way to jumpstart a new fitness regime, and don’t underestimate the power of a pat on the back for members that are already attending often.

3)      Keeping Members Accountable-As we all know, it takes a lot more than just purchasing a membership to achieve weight loss and other fitness goals. Regularly check in with your members to see how they are coming along. You can run reports based on membership start dates to easily touch base on monthly or quarterly anniversaries. Show members that they are important to you beyond the contract signing and reassure them that they have a support system in place.  

4)      Member Referrals- If you don’t already have an incentive program in place for your member referrals, get one now. Free training appointments, membership extensions, workout apparel, and training package discounts are just a few low cost prize ideas. Send every new member out the door with a few guest passes, and make sure you’re tracking and rewarding people for their referrals. If you can automate this process, even better!   

5)      Special Events- Offer members the opportunity to mingle and connect with other members and club staff at special events throughout the year. You could put together a team and train for a charity run/walk, sponsor a weekly running group, host educational seminars…the possibilities are endless! No matter what you do, make these special events even more enticing by opening them to the public and letting your members bring their friends and family.

Now that the New Year’s craziness has passed, it’s a great time to really put some serious thought into your member retention strategies. Contact us today if you need any tips or additional info about any of these retention strategies.

Whether you’re ringing up sales in your pro-shop, financing personal training packages for a member or simply need recurring dues processing, ASF International has a billing solution for you.  Their software connects all your club management tasks into one, easy-to-use package. Your membership dues and other profit centers are billed, tracked and connected through cloud based modules, keeping you informed and in control of your business 24/7. 
1-800-227-3859  |  www.asfinternational.com

Thank you ASF for contributing to the Locker RooM!

Challenge 2012: On your mark, get set – GO! (what now?)

by Amy Simpson, Vice President of Operations
Visual Fitness Planner

Wow – This is truly making fitness happen!  While most of you reading this have the opportunity to hear individual testimonials and all the great feedback from your members, I, on the other hand, have the opportunity to see the massive impact this program has on thousands and thousands of people.  This time last year, there were 87 teams using the Challenge Platform (built and powered by the Visual Fitness Planner).  By the time the final flight weighed in, the contestant count tipped over 6,000 people and collectively participants lost OVER 28 THOUSAND pounds – AMAZING!!!  (not to mention the 15,827 inches lost!)

With the final (Late Flight) kicking off next week, this year’s (measurable) Challenge results are destined to be even more staggering.  Below, you will find a QR code that will take you to the live 2012 Challenge Contestant Counter (or just visit http://www.myvfp.com/Challenge/Counter.phtml?Account=2025187) to see a live count of participants.  As I am typing, this number is around 5300 and growing very steadily every day!

As you move from the chaos of January, New Year’s resolutions, the constant recruiting and measuring members for participation in the Challenge and all the things that come with January…. don’t forget about the faces, the stories and all the families that are truly helped and positively impacted by improved health and fitness as a result of all your hard work!   Below are a couple of quick and easy tips built into the Challenge Platform.  Who knows…they might even help sell some additional personal training!

Leverage the Reports Section –

EMAIL HARVESTER:  send encouraging stories, testimonials, PT offers, and workout/nutrition recommendations to all your Challenge Participants.  To harvest these emails, just click reports, and enter the date you began entering contestant information. ‘Click’ finds emails now.

POST IN-CLUB UPDATES:  list and update the number of participants by Gender or Age Group or Both and quickly/easily manipulate any of your club Challenge Data by clicking on Contestant Reports and copying all the data into an Excel spreadsheet.

Begin promoting and preparing for MID-CHALLENGE MEASUREMENT Dates:   While this is completely optional, this may be the most important part of keeping your participants engaged and give you one more opportunity to assist through the guidance of a dedicated personal trainer. 

THE FACES:  Finally take just a moment and just scroll down the Contestant Report showing all the images for your club.  I can only imagine all the great testimonials, stories, referrals and more reflected there.  Thank you for allowing us to be part of these remarkable transformations that occur in just 12 weeks!

If you are able to view the QR Code from a reader on your phone – try to do so.  If you are not, click on the QR Code to view the running Challenge Team Counter for those teams using the Visual Fitness Planner Tool.

What is this?  A QR code quickly and easily allows you access information.  To use, search and download a QR code reader on your smart phone and scan the code.  This QR Code takes you to the Live 2012 Gold’s Gym Challenge Counter (built and powered by the Visual Fitness Planner).

Amy Simpson, VP of Operations for the Visual Fitness Planner
She is the direct point of contact for the 2012 Challenge Platform.  Amy has over 26 years of Health Club Experience, most recently with Spectrum Clubs as Area General Manager.  She was the 1999 IHRSA/CYBEX Fitness Director of the Year.

Why It’s a Success?? 2012 GGFA Dallas Regional Workshop

by Franchisee and Sponsor Participants

Thank you all who attended AND participated in the Dallas Regional Workshop.  The feedback has been outstanding and all those who attended should have received their take home materials by now.   Blair McHaney is a valuable asset to this organization and the brand and we are extremely appreciative of his expertise and time. 

We wanted to share some insight from the Dallas Workshop for those who have registered as well as for those that are still “on the fence”.  Below are what some of your fellow Franchisees have to say about the Dallas Workshop along with some feedback from our top tier sponsors – Matrix and ABC Financial.

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• Blair is a great educator.  The workshop was well planned and the information was relevant to any gym operation.  Blair stayed on point and on schedule.  I’ve owned and operated my gym for 31 years and have attended IHRSA every year since 1985, and believed we were doing everything right, and for the most part we are, but I did learn something that will help me get a return on my investment of time and the little money I invested in attending the workshop.  If you don’t attend, you’re missing out on an opportunity. 

Tony Rea, Owner
Gold’s Gym Amarillo TX

• Video Testimonial from Bryan Murphy – click on picture to view video: 

Bryan Murphy, Owner
Gold’s Gyms of Conroe TX, Houston TX, Kingwood TX & Magnolia TX
If you are having trouble viewing this video, here is the link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sUcWfaxWKc&feature=youtu.be

• The GGFA workshop held in Dallas was extremely beneficial.  I am sure those that attended got a great deal out of participating.  Blair is just amazing in sharing his experience and knowledge.  What he is doing for the GGFA and the franchisees of the brand is something that companies pay tens of thousands of dollars for in a session like this.  I can’t emphasize enough, the value of what he puts together and delivers.  Matrix is proud to be a sponsor of the workshops, and participants.  I cannot wait to attend the next one.

Seth Robinson, Strategic Accounts Manager
Matrix Fitness
 

 

• I was truly blown away with Blair’s workshop.  I only wish that I would have attended something like this while I was a club owner.  I highly recommend that everyone that can possibly attend one of these meetings do so.  I was so excited about what I saw and learned, I am hoping to have Blair present this to our company at our corporate office in Little Rock.

Steve Ayers, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing
ABC Financial Service, Inc.

 

 

 

TRX® Suspension Training® to Increase Member Retention and Drive Revenue

by Lori Eggers, TRX Editor

In a time of sweeping global change and a shifting economic climate, when consumers are tightening their belts and being more discerning about where they spend their hard-earned cash, fitness professionals around the world are gauging the potential impact on their careers and businesses and adapting to stay on track. Here, business guru Thomas Plummer explains what club owners, managers and personal trainers need to do to compete in the current marketplace.

* * *

There has been a strong surge of low priced competitors entering the fitness industry during the last several years. It is predicted that 80 percent or more of all mainstream clubs in the country will be charging $19 a month by the end of 2013. Competing in the $19 market requires an entirely new business model that few club owners understand or are able to make work effectively without getting new information. Most importantly, is this lower priced model something you should even be considering for your business?

The $19 model is based upon two things: volume and the ability to continually replace lost members over time. The major point most club owners don’t realize is that when you lower your price, the expenses do not go down accordingly. You just need more people to pay the bills, and what you are betting is that the $19 price will attract many more members than your $49 price did.

The business model most owners use and have copied for years, based upon what worked 20 years ago, simply does not hold up in competitive markets, but most owners either refuse to change their business practices or don’t know what to do and merely keep trying to use tools and techniques that failed years ago.

To compete in this industry, smart owners will be the ones who use $19 as a base and then chase training revenue, which can easily be done if you really focus on the training programs you offer and start differentiating yourself from the competition this way.

Many clubs and fitness centers nationwide have already started to realize this is the way to stay ahead of the pack and have begun integrating TRX Suspension Training into their facilities to increase member retention and drive revenue while maximizing space and minimizing costs. For more on their success stories and to learn tips and tools you can implement at your facility, visit the TRX® Clubs page.

If you’d like to learn more about the changing fitness landscape or read Thomas’ predictions for the industry, visit his website or make plans to see him at one of his seminars in 2012. TRX will be there to illustrate how TRX Suspension Training® and TRX Rip™ Training are great group strength training options for those clubs looking to differentiate themselves from the competition and appeal to cash-conscious consumers.

Thomas Plummer has almost 30 years of experience in the fitness industry helping fitness professionals become more successful in their businesses and their lives. He founded the Thomas Plummer Company (TPC) in 1991 as a vehicle to help independent club owners get information and help to grow their businesses at a time when there were few other choices for education and guidance in the industry. He founded the National Fitness Business Alliance (NFBA), a group of industry leaders who provide education for independent fitness professionals.

TRX® is the world’s preeminent producer of physical training equipment, exercise programming and education designed for trainers, health clubs, military users, fitness-minded consumers and athletes of all levels. TRX® designs and sells original products of innovative design and premium quality construction, including Suspension Training® and Rip™ Training equipment and exercise programs that are changing the way athletes train for sport, soldiers train for combat, physical therapists rehabilitate patients and exercise instructors train their clients. The complete line of TRX® products, training programs, education and accessories can be purchased directly from TRX® online at www.trxtraining.com. For more information on TRX® products, education and programming, call (888) 878-5348 or email sales@trxtraining.com.

Successful Budgeting

By Rick Caro, President – Management Vision

Rick is hosting the GGFA Webinar “How Does 2012 Shape Up For Your Gym & Company?“ on 1/18/12.  Click here to register or see below for registration information.

All health clubs have been doing budgeting for years. It is an annual event, sometimes dreaded by club owners. In many cases, it is viewed more of an academic homework assignment than a real road map to a successful year ahead. It is often a mere tweaking of the past year with little analysis or real insights provided.

There are some key principles that should be considered. First, all department heads, the club’s General Manager and the owner need to be involved in the process. In fact, ideally the owner and club GM provide a general mandate: increase each department’s revenue (where applicable) by 5% (or 10%) and increase the department’s net contribution total (or bottomline) by 10%. Then, each department head thinks of how his area can be improved and sets a 12-month (month-to-month) budget by line item. If the department brings in revenue, it gets precise and defines its different sources of revenue with back-up written assumptions for each month. If it only has expenses, it offers assumptions on the different expense categories. The goal is to push the projection process down into the organization, where the detailed expertise resides (sales, fitness, child care, group exercise, front desk, juice bar, cleaning/housekeeping, repairs & maintenance, bookkeeping, athletics, aquatics, office management, etc.).

The GM and club owner are coaches in helping to create these departmental budgets. Once each one is finalized, the bottomlines for each are cast in stone. The department heads should be incentivized based on achieving their respective bottomlines. Actually, if they exceed the budgets, the club has incremental dollars to pay those bonuses. They can range up to 20-25% of their annual salaries. The key is to have those written line-by-line assumptions to go with the numbers.

Then, each month each department head and the GM (for the categories he is responsible for) fill out a Variance Analysis sheet for each line item where there was a difference. This means that they compare the Budget $ total versus the Actual and then explain the difference (or variance). The goal is to allow them to make mid-course corrections along the way as long as they still make the year-end total that they committed to for their department at the outset. These variance analyses should be done in the first 3-4 days of the next month, so there is time to still make changes and not trail by losing a month in the delay of disseminating the month-end results.

There is a real opportunity to push the Club GM and each department head into taking a fresh approach in his area to create a better bottomline, serve more members better and more efficiently, find ways to save money even for departmental cost centers – rather than simply accepting the past year’s totals with minor tweaking. Laziness should not be rewarded. Accepting the past is a fatalistic approach. Even maintenance and child care departments can be winners in this scenario.

A separate capital budget must be created with actual timing spelled out for any physical, plant changes or improvements, since they may have a direct impact on the club’s operating budget.

There is a real opportunity for a club to be better, more efficient, more creative, more involved with its members and more empowering with its staff. Budgeting is a process that can literally be the monthly plan to take the club’s leadership and all staff on a path to a more successful 2012.

Rick is hosting the following GGFA Webinar on Wednesday, January 18th:
“How Does 2012 Shape Up For Your Gym & Company?”

Please join us and register today by clicking here!

Rick Caro is President of Management Vision, Inc., a consulting company which specializes in market analyses, independent club valuations, club finances and expert witness testimony. He is a 39-year club industry veteran with experience as an owner, operator and consultant. He has more experience than anyone else in the industry in conducting independent market analyses, club valuations and serving as an expert witness in club legal matters. He has been a Chairman & Director of club companies as well as an Advisory Board member of smaller club groups. He is considered a guru of club finances.

Rick Caro, President | Management Vision | MgmtVision@gmail.com | 800.778.4411