Why do members really quit? Is it because of standing on the same old treadmill watching the same old television? What can we do to avoid boring our members?
The study Why People Quit, published by IHRSA in 1998, cites reasons people quit their clubs that we’ve all heard before: can’t afford it, it’s overcrowded, new demands on one’s time, inconvenient location and lost interest or motivation. If someone wants out, these excuses are as good as any. One great way to help keep members longer is to develop a personal relationship with the member to help motivate them to make it their priority to find time to exercise at YOUR club!

Key is ‘creating constant opportunities for contact and interaction between the club and members on a daily basis.
Here are some tips:

1. Member Appreciation Month – Each day during this month, put out large bowls of complimentary fruit, hand out free bottled water, and create fun events that grab members’ attention. Hold special activities at the sports/juice bar, such as a Happy Hour every Thursday from 6-7pm with free drinks and snacks. Barter with a local disc jockey for in-club music during this time. Consider offering free one-on-one or semi-private group training for every member who wants to try it (this results in more training business during the following month).
2. Announce Adding or Replacing old Equipment – It’s all a matter of presentation. New pieces can be presented as a gift to members for their loyal support. But don’t just buy the equipment – announce it to your members through your iGo Figure Software Welcome Screen, a large sign, ribbon or anything else you can think of. Everyone will notice that you care for your members and share the appreciation.
3. Group Exercise, Weigh Management Programs, Personal Training – Motivation can work wonders and it is a lot easier to create this in a group. Seeing others doing the same exercise and looking great shows your members that your club is right for them. Don’t forget to mix it up and offer different or even additional classes like a boot camp for the summer. It’s easy to track them with the iGo Figure Member Management Software as well as providing their results and achievements.
4. Open 24/7 – Anyone can be available 24/7 with a Door Access System. Systems like the iGo Figure Door Access do not require any additional staffing, because members simply scan their card and your doors open automatically. Your members will appreciate the extra hours you are there for them and no longer use time as an excuse to quit.

Start creating an environment in which every member is touched every day. Do this, and a higher retention rate is practically guaranteed.

Cheers,

Kyle Z

Source: http://cms.ihrsa.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=18576

According to the 2009 released statistics by the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), revenue and membership numbers in the U.S. health club industry remained steady.  The recession caused consolidation of club locations and the closure of weaker performing clubs while new club locations emerged in underserved markets. In addition about 23% (10.5 million) of the 45.3 million health club members were new.

The rise of niche and theme-oriented facilities impacted the 2009 survey results significantly. Many owners are getting creative on how to manage their business and tools such as a membership management software or retention management system make it even easier to accommodate their needs.

According to IHRSA the increase in revenues was due to increases in health club usage and non-dues spending. “Increased usage is typically associated with increased spending in non-dues related items, such as personal training, lessons, juice bars and other services,” says Jay Ablondi, IHRSA’s executive vice president of global products.  Special offers and discounts can be easily managed with a membership management software.

Attract new consumers and boost your non-dues sales with the all-in-one iGo Figure Software.
It’s time to get creative and say “bye, bye recession”!

Cheers,

Matt Z

Source: http://clubindustry.com/forprofits/ihrsa-revenues-membership-results-20100331/index.html

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/

It was great seeing you at IHRSA! Purchase the software by March 31, 2010 to get $100 off your initial software order*. Don’t forget to mention this Promo Code: IHRSA10.

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

*Order by March 31, 2010 and you will receive a $100 discount on any purchase that contains the iGo Figure Software.

Come Meet Us – Booth #731 at IHRSA 2010 in San Diego, CA from March 10 – 13, 2010

Have you registered for your FREE VIP Pass, yet?
Follow these steps below and experience the iGo Figure Member & Business Management Software on site:

1. Visit ihrsa.org/go2010 and look up your name, or register for the first time.
2. At the line asking “Were you referred to the Convention & Trade Show by an Exhibitor?”,
   click ‘yes‘ and select “Go Figure, Inc.” from the drop down.
3. Enter the promotional code VIPPASS.
4. Complete the profile, review the registrant information.
5. You will then receive a confirmation (with barcode) via email.

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

I just returned from the Club Industry Show in Chicago.  Visiting Chicago is always a great time; the pizza is great and I get the opportunity to see my Grandmother.

The show itself was good.  It appeared there were fewer vendors there than last year.  And many had smaller booths.  But there was a good crowd of club owners and managers looking to imporve their club management software or buy other equipment.  Many who stopped by loved our new web based software and the new features we have been adding.

Dr. Sean Groves and several other customers stopped by to visit.

More and more people were asking about PCI compliance and what that means.  FYI, its a data security standard that the credit card industry set to ensure software applications that process payments are securely storing your customers’ data.  Its amazing how many vendors out there are not PCI compliant.  If your fitness club management software provider is not PCI compliant, give us a call and we will be happy to help secure your member data; the iGo Figure has been certified PCI compliant for more than a year.

The other buzz-worthy item is Go Figure’s $.10 EFT processing.  When most people see it, they don’t believe it.  So many others charge 1-5% plus $.40 or more to process an EFT transaction.  When club owners hear we can do it for a dime, they hug me!

Cheers,

Matt

Today I spent time with Angela Clinton, Go Figure’s customer advocate and training specialist to create some new training tools for two large group training events going on this month in Kuwait and Egypt. With the addition of Arabic to the other eleven languages we translated the iGo Figure software into in the past 12 months, more training resources and courses for those countries are growing in demand now more than ever before. We are happy to see a sweeping global acceptance of the iGo Figure software.

Best regards,

Kyle Z.

I recently returned from attending the Curves Franchisee Ball in Brighton, England. In all my experiences with Curves over the years, I think I was most impressed by this event over all others. It wasn’t the biggest and certainly not the most extravagant event. However, this was entirely coordinated by volunteers who received no compensation or funding from Curves Int’l. There were about 100 people in attendance at the Hilton in Brighton. The United Kingdom Franchise co-op had arranged a vendor exposition, of which Go Figure was a part of, small group break-out sessions with two facilitators per group, general sessions with great speakers with a well organized agenda, and an evening ball complete with awards, motivational speeches and recognition of members who shared their personal success stories. This entire event and the organization of it was fueled solely by the owner’s passion for Curves. I was moved by the event and honored to be a part of it. Kudos to the 2007 winner of the Curves Co-op of the year… you all continue to prove why you deserved that award.

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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