Unleashing the Mysteries of Health Club Marketing

Now picture you're trying to sell that box to a city full of potential customers. People who don't like ads. People who don't like commercials. There are other boxes out there, and these people know it: boxes that are bigger, boxes that come cheaper, and most importantly, boxes with less Bruno in them.

Tough job, right?

Promoting your fitness center can be challenging. You're selling more than just a service - more than a group of services. You're trying to sell the tools, the support and the environment needed to make a positive lifestyle change - the same thing every other health club out there is trying to do.

You've got quite a job ahead of you.

But don't panic. The magic ingredient that separates the wheat from the chaff is marketing - it's not how much you sell you club, it's how you sell it, and if you can master the art of marketing your club, the competition won't stand a chance. Now, pay attention:

Eliminate the fear factor.

For some people, the word "gym" brings back bad memories of locker room teasing, demonic PE teachers, and the horror of getting picked last for dodge ball. As long as they continue to feel that gym is still just a place where they'll find their sense of self-worth crushed into a paste, you'll never gain their custom.

The solution? Show them how much you care.

In ads and brochures, don't launch into a list of services and features; address the friendly atmosphere your gym provides. Use words like "welcoming", "accepting" and "no pressure" to describe your services. Protect that friendly atmosphere with a code of conduct to eliminate bullying. Emphasize that your gym welcomes members of all fitness levels - whether they have a six-pack or a keg.

With the right approach, even the gym-phobic can be convinced that joining your fitness center is a great idea. Your membership will skyrocket if you can promise a supportive environment instead of an oppressive one.

Don't sacrifice quality in exchange for price.

Fact of life #1: a bargain-basement price tag can be a powerful incentive, and your rivals will exploit that fact to steal business from you.

Fact of life #2: no matter how many customers they entice, they're getting exactly what they pay for - a cut-rate, bargain-basement service. It's simple economics.

Fact of life #3: having the cheapest gym in town isn't a selling point if it happens to look like it was hit by a terrorist attack, then thrown up on by Godzilla.

While your rival clubs are engaged in their perpetual price wars, they're missing one simple fact: price is not the same thing as value, and it's value that customers are looking for. If you provide outstanding service, pamper your members, and keep your equipment clean and modern, there's no reason to cut costs to stay competitive. A premium product should command a premium price.

Offering the lowest fees might get clients in the door, but it won't keep them there. What you need to offer isn't inexpensive services, but great services for the cost. Show your potential customers just why they should spend their money on a membership with your gym.

If your fitness center offers the best price for the best services, clients will gladly ditch their run-down, cut-rate gyms for yours.

Your clients are the best marketing team you could ask for.

The next step is obvious: get the word out. But before you start funneling cash into commercials and flyers and newspaper ads, take a look at the marketing task force you already have in your possession: your clients.

There's no marketing tool more powerful than the personal testimonial, and every time one of your clients spreads the word about your fitness club, that's one more potential customer you can expect to see at your door.

Rather than pumping your cash into advertising campaigns that may prove fruitless, pump cash into making your client base into your own personal marketing flotilla. Give them free passes to pass around to friends. Turn your customers into recruiters by rewarding them for referrals: free personal trainer sessions, discounts on merchandise or monthly fees...your imagination is the only limit.

If your gym is top-of-the-line, your members will be happy to refer friends and family to you - all the more if you give them a good reason to.

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