Go Green!
No, not that….read on to find out the latest trend in health clubs!

A study at the University of Essex in England found that seeing the color green may improve your workout!  Researchers had 14 college-age men ride an indoor stationary bicycle for five minutes while watching a video that simulated cycling through a natural environment.  Then, they switched the filter on the video screen to black and white, then red for 5 minutes each.  After each cycling session, they assessed that the college students felt less fatigued and more content when watching the green version of the video.  They also reported feeling more angry when watching the red-filtered nature video.  Being exposed to shorter-wavelength colors, such as blue and green, evokes feelings of calmness, whereas red and yellow are more stimulating according to the researchers.

WHY?

Lush greenery signaled abundant food and nearby water to early human ancestors, the researchers wrote in their study.  Funny thing that evolution…got a juice-bar near your workout?!?

The study was small and only with men, but still makes you think about the importance of the environment you offer to those working out in your health club.

What color are your walls?

In times of recession “Service Means Survival”, but keep in mind the difference between customer satisfaction and loyalty is significant:
Member Satisfaction means meeting a member’s expectations and the member does not feel valued. There is no memorable “WOW” experience. As a result the member will be more price sensitive and consider competitors’ offerings. Member Loyalty  means exceeding member expectations and he/ she does feel valued. Delivering a memorable experience that WOW’s the member. As a result the member will be a long-term customer, less concerned with price.

How do you drive a Member Loyalty-Centric Corporate Culture?

1. It must start with an unwavering commitment by club ownership and senior management.
2. Hire people who have an ingrained passion for serving people exceptionally well.
3. Develop and train all staff who interact with members on “best practices” based on members’ wants, not the club’s convenience. Everything that impacts a member experience. Ask “What would WOW me?” When did you receive exceptional customer service – How did it make you feel? How did it affect your shopping habits at that store? How many people did you share it with?
4. Don’t allow staff to use the word “policy,” as 99% of the time upon hearing that word, a member knows he/ she is about to be given an excuse as to why his/ her need will not be met. Train employees on how to innovatively problem-solve to say yes vs. giving excuses for saying no.
5. Coach staff to view angry members as an opportunity to convert them to members for life: teach them how to use “mirroring” to diffuse anger, then go the extra mile to exceed their expectations.
6. Ask for examples of “memorable experiences” and “exceeding member expectations” at every staff meeting. Hold employees accountable for achieving them, and give rewards to those who do.
7. Don’t cut expenses that negatively impact quality service delivery for short-term financial gain. That will cost the company much more in lost revenues and profits over the long term.

Reasons to implement a Member Loyalty-Centric Corporate Culture?

1. It’s far less expensive to keep a member than acquire a new one.
2. Positive word of mouth by loyal members generate far more new members than cold calling and other lead generation efforts – and it’s free.
3. A negative member experience will be told to at least 10 people (oftentimes many more), resulting in potential lost new members; and
4. The lifetime $ sales value (“LSV”) of a loyal member can be as much as 20 years and in addition the cumulative LSV of all new members he/ she refers.

You can start by writing a short “Congrats” or “Great hair cut” message to individual members. Simply utilize the Member Welcome Screen in the iGo Figure Software.
It will put a smile on your member’s face, when they see that you remembered. Never forget, member retention is key!

It’s all about the way people feel when they walk into your club – happy, comfortable, special.

Get started today!

Cheers,
Matt Z.

Source: http://cms.ihrsa.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewPage&pageID=21029

Save time, money and run your business most efficiently with the iGo Figure Membership & Business Management Software.

• Save $199 on payment processing (no obligation)
• Enjoy 2 months no license fee.
• FREE Retention Management for 60 days

Lock in your discount at (866) 532-9588 or sales@igofigure.com.

Undecided? No worries use a full version of the iGo Figure Software FREE.
Simply click here to request the free trial.

Still not sure? Schedule a web demo today and let us show you how iGo Figure will save you even more money.
Click here to email us now.

Cheers,

Matt Z

Booth #125 at Club Industry East 2010 in New York, NY from May 5 – 7, 2010

Receive your FREE admission to the Club Industry East trade show by clicking here
and experience the iGo Figure Member & Business Management Software on site.

Find out why more than 8,000 facility owners like you trust the iGo Figure Software to run their facility:

• Incredibly easy-to-use software that does it all.
• Integrated, low-cost payment processing, including $.10 EFT transactions.
• Efficiently manage all of your memberships.
• Handle all your scheduling needs.
• Control facility access.
• Track employee compensation.
• Advanced POS and inventory system.
• Local install or web-based/hosted available.
• Available in multiple languages.
• World-class free support and training included.

Visit our booth #125 during the trade show!

See you there!

Kyle Z

Usually we think it is lack of time or money for not joining a health club, but there are more prevalent factors.
Identifying and monitoring these will help you retain more members:

1. Fear of pain
2. Fear of embarrassment
3. Fear of not being able to achieve their goals

Here are some suggestions for successfully addressing these potential roadblocks to membership:

1. Pain. Negative emotions have a greater impact on us. Therefore, we are more likely to run from pain than confront it. A good sales person recognizes this fear factor at membership sign up and he can skillfully educate the prospect that exercise doesn’t need to be a painful experience. Help your members to overcome their reservations by tracking their results. This will not only boost a member’s self esteem, but also establish trust in your club. The iGo Figure Software allows you to easily monitor a member’s progress and gives you tools to demonstrate their results.

2. Embarrassment. As a new member you always feel like everyone is in better shape around you. Remember that especially new members take little steps! Make a member feel special and encourage them to continue by sharing tips, tricks and emotional support. Greet your members with a daily personalized message when they sign in through the iGo Figure Welcome Screen. It really motivates and shows that you care.

3. Goals. The sales and personal training departments must maintain a close relationship and effective communication to assist members in achieving their goals. At the point of sale, the salesperson should have already clearly identified the new member’s goals and explained to her why the club is the ideal choice in helping her achieve the results she desires.

Let us help you achieve your and your members goals!

Cheers,

Kyle Z

Source: http://clubindustry.com/stepbystep/retention/0201-inside-new-member/

Back in 1995 there were approximately 12,500 commercial fitness centers in the United States. Since 2008, there are more than 29,000! One recent authority suggests the following ten ways to recharge your club and set it apart from the competition:

1. Get Fresh. “Store Blindness” is an affliction that besets everyone who lives or works in the same space. After a while, we don’t notice the worn carpets, the tired colors, the clutter behind the front desk, etc. A first-time visitor will notice any of those immediately. Whenever a strong competitor enters the market, it is imperative that clubs undergo a 360-degree examination. Get Fresh with a club makeover!

2. Get Connected. “Connectivity” may be the #1 advantage that existing clubs enjoy over powerful, new entrants into the market. So get started! Connect through the iGo Figure Software by sending a message to a member through your welcome screen, create a Facebook page for your club and/or sign-up for Go Figure’s free Retention Management trial. You will love the results! “Connectivity” is the basic reason why some neighborhood restaurants and coffee shops that may have flawed operations succeed year after year. Get connected with iGo Connect!

3. Get United. Being faced with an imminent threat from a new club allows your club to accelerate in the pursuit of better performance. Whenever a new competitor announces its entry into your market, you have an opportunity to unite your staff in the pursuit of a higher level of performance and excellence across the board.  A motivated and mobilized staff becomes the ultimate asset, the ultimate weapon with which you can win the battle. Get United and show off your team!

For the rest of the list, visit:

http://cms.ihrsa.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=17977&nodeID=15

Let’s beat your competition together!

Always happy to help,

Matt Z

Source: http://cms.ihrsa.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=17977&nodeID=15

Today I am in Dallas meeting with the board members of the franchise association of one of our largest clients, Curves. The meeting has been very productive and positive. I was able to spend one on one time with many people from Curves Int’l as well as some very successful franchisees that sit on the board. I am heading back home later today, and have some great action items to implement in the next few months from this meeting that should benefit all of our users. Nothing seems to have more of an impact and delivers results like spending time with people personally.

Kyle

More and more senior citizen centers have taken an interest in the iGo Figure software as a means to track and manage usage of their fitness center facilities. Ease-of-use, cost, great training and support have been cited as the deciding factors when evaluating possible software solutions.

Kyle Z.

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iGo Figure Software Home Page

I just returned from training over 100 new users if the iGo Figure software in London last week. It was a lot of fun and the attendees were very appreciative for the event. It was also exciting to train on our newest version (3.6) which will be available in a few weeks. New and existing users alike were very happy to see features such as:

• Profile-based security
• Web-based scheduler
• Session based memberships
• Email Member Retention program

There are more new features than that coming in this version, but those were the only ones I had time to showcase. Check out our news and event tab for more on-site training events going on around the world. Also, remember to look for other training resources from the training section of our website.

Be well, Kyle Z.

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