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

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

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

Studies of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine have proven a child’s BMI, blood pressure, blood fat and sugar levels can be predictors of future diabetes. Since the 1970s two groups of 1,067 girls followed for nine years after age 9 or 10, and a second group of 822 girls followed for 22 to 30 years beginning in the mid-1970s have been studied. The first group’s showed a risk for diabetes at age 19 if their parents had diabetes, in addition to high levels of systolic blood pressure and insulin. The second group were likely to have diabetes at age 39 if they had high levels of blood pressure, body- mass index, glucose and triglycerides as a child.

Supporting this study does not only mean regular physical activity and healthy eating habits, but also monitoring stats such as your child’s BMI.

The iGo Figure Software keeps track of your BMI, many other body stats and motivates your physical fitness by making your activity count!

It’s good to prevent health problems together.

Cheers,

Matt Z

Article Source: IHRSA – Health Review Volume 8, Issue 8
To view this article source, simply subscribe to the IHRSA e-newsletters.

I read an article about Curves in Portsmouth, NH promoting an open house:

Curves has invitation for you

The interesting idea club owner Marylin had was to cross promote the open house with other businesess; in this case a personal style consultant and local salon were also present to give tips and free promos.  Great idea to generate new members!

Cheers,

Matt Z

Tomorrow morning I am off to Toronto to attend the CanFitPro trade show. Last year was our first year to attend, and while the show was over all, smaller than what we were used to, it was time well spent. The Canadian market has been good for Go Figure, and we like being a part of it. This year I will be speaking health club professionals in the tradeshow about the three most deadly forms of member attrition. It will be a clinic on how to inoculate against them as they affect all health clubs to some degree.

Kyle Zagrodzky

By: Kyle Zagrodzky

A Simple Tool that Creates Visibility for Your Business

Throughout my years of owning fitness centers, I found one tool to be more helpful than any other in boosting memberships at my clubs: the lead bag.

To me, a lead bag has always been a beautiful thing, so simple and always giving back more to me than I have to give in both time and money. Club owners and managers often underestimate the power of this very simple concept. I’d like to help you see how you can use it to your advantage.

Try to think about the lead bag as an eye-catching billboard. If your bag is too busy or bland it will have less of an impact. Furthermore, some people aren’t comfortable putting their personal information in the bag. Don’t let that discourage you. Whether a person completes a lead form, the bag still works its magic. You are creating “top-of-mind awareness” about your business. People will think of you the next time they consider joining a fitness center.

Read the entire article for tips on:

• Creating your bags
• Planning distribution
• Distributing them
• Following up

You’ll be glad you did!