EXTREME EVOLUTION THROUGH EFFECTIVE MEMBERSHIP SALES DEVELOPMENT

Our health, fitness, medical fitness, martial arts and wellness industry has evolved over the years through the replication of age-old systems and procedures that were originally designed for high volume sales in primarily smaller clubs. These clubs were focused exclusively on the sale of new memberships. That business model is known today as attrition driven. In other words, their primary goal is to make the sale in a never-ending frenzy of sales intensity. This type of operation can be profitable, but it in no way serves any purpose in helping the people joining to be successful in their quest for lifestyle change.

Additionally, this model expresses no concern as to whether or not the newly enrolled member even returns to the club once they have made their initial investment and signed on the dotted line. It's all show. It tends to create a staff team dynamic that is completely self-serving. As a result the team goals that can be applied are very limited in scope.

At the other end of the spectrum, yet utilizing the same basic business model is the type of club that purports to be service driven. This means that while the sale remains important so does keeping the member and having them use the club once they join.

The outcome for both of these business models are similar. In general, both are marked by controllable attrition rates that can certainly be improved upon. Through the service driven model there is a much better opportunity to develop a total staff team that can truly share a vision of effective inter-departmental values and cooperation. This dynamic also creates an environment whereby goal setting can become much more elaborate and the potential results much greater.

The reality is that both business models fail to effectively serve the large majority of members who tend to become inactive once they join the club. These inactive members continue to pay for their membership even though they aren't using the club. The attrition driven club views this as a good thing. The service driven operator thinks that it is a bad thing, but the clubs operational actions seem to disavow this thinking.

For the attrition driven operator, the high rates of attrition and failure to use the facility by paying members are simply viewed as part of doing business and there is no real effort to create change. For the service driven operator the higher than desired attrition levels and poor member participation have created a bottom-line awareness that has led toward an increasingly more stable business operational thought process.

This new and improved thought process moves outside the antiquated systems and procedures created so long ago. It creates an environment whereby new members will truly be assisted in getting started and continuing an exercise regimen designed to improve their quality of life. The real truth is that it is much healthier to work hard (and smart) to create an active membership that stays with the club and not get caught up in the frantic sales cycle every month.

Increasingly it seems that there is a big buzz out there promoting low priced memberships. This is the old model in its truest and most pathetic form. Stable long-term success will never come about through the sale of low priced memberships. It will never the optimal solution to making money and serving your clients at the same time. If a comparison is to be drawn to another industry, use the country club business. There are cheap country clubs and everyone who plays golf knows it. Please notice the term inexpensive was not used. The term cheap was applied and with good reason. There is a niche for cheap country clubs. If you know golf, you also know that the cheap country club does not cause the traditional private country club to change their way of doing business. If a cheap operator is hurting your business then you should consider it a wakeup call to improve your business model. Don't throw in the towel and think that cheapening your membership is the answer. The answer is to improve immediately.

How do you engage "EXTREME EVOLUTION"? First of all you need to realize how much each and every department can contribute to overall club success if they are educated and motivated to do so!

Make the call! (865) 304-9409 and resolve to evolve in 2017! This year's staff train
ing focus is on membership sales development. Schedule your staff training tody...

Being the best in whatever you do is what maximum performance is all about. But being the best rarely occurs as an unplanned spontaneous event. And simply wishing for it lacks any real potential for fulfillment. Being the best requires vision and desire, which are the primary ingredients for potential. And potential becomes reality when it is supported by consistent, motivated, goal-based performance, along with strong coaching.

Being the best in whatever you do is what maximum performance is all about. But being the best rarely occurs as an unplanned spontaneous event. And simply wishing for it lacks any real potential for fulfillment. Being the best requires vision and desire, which are the primary ingredients for potential. And potential becomes reality when it is supported by consistent, motivated, goal-based performance, along with strong coaching.

Prepare your brain

Being the best begins at the start of every day. It means rising early and getting your body and mind in gear. Early morning is when the brain is prepared to operate at its maximum efficiency. It has not yet been clouded by events that evolve during the course of the day and, unless the person has been consumed by worries during the night, the brain is ready to deliver to the best of its capabilities.

Three things that can help the brain to be its best are allowing for some type of "quiet time" devoted to reflection or creativity, followed by physical exercise and then proper nutrition. No matter how motivated an individual is, their maximal performance and ability to attain goals and exceed expectations will always be enhanced through exercise of the body and the brain, accompanied by proper nutrition.

Potential clients are always more likely to listen to someone who is motivated and fit. The positive impact of a healthy lifestyle are sold short in the business world. True emotional selling comes from an individual's self concept projected to the potential customer. The self concept is exemplified by appearance, motivation and demeanor.

Pursue integrity with vigor

An individual who wants to be the best needs to be an evangelist for integrity. Whenever a potential customer has a question and is answered with ambiguity, or even worse, half-truths or false information, it is an unacceptable disgrace. Maximal performance must never include deception.

Rely on goals

Another essential component to being the best is to review your goals daily and focus on strategies to enhance performance. All goals should be written down in order to make them visual. The adage, "Anything the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve," is true.

Setting and attaining goals is related to commitment. For someone to consistently attain and/or exceed their goals, they must be motivated from their heart as well as their brain. True success is more emotional than cerebral. The brain must believe that the individual can attain the goals, which is cerebral, but the actual attainment of the goals comes from an emotional commitment that will not allow for failure.

Too many lightly dismiss failure to attain their goals as no big deal. They say, "I'll do better next time!" which is the right cerebral commitment, but it also accepts the failure to attain the goals and sets the failure cycle in motion. The failure cycle is easy to recognize. The "I'll do better next time!" statement is repeated for a period of time until it becomes distinguishably distasteful, and the terminal disease of negativity begins to reveal itself to the individual and their coach.

Evaluate performance

The job of the business coach is to get the individual and the team on target at the beginning of the goal cycle and inspire them to stay on or ahead of target throughout the goal period. Failure to attain set goals is thus a mutually shared burden. Performance must be evaluated daily both by the individual through self-examination and by the coach to identify positive and negative trends and modify the methodology accordingly.

Maximum success can only occur when all of these ingredients are in place and the coach, the individual and the team work together effectively as a team with one goal in mind...to TRULY be the best.If you would like additional information on this issue, please feel free to contact me at: (865) 304-9409

Or e-mail: geoff@geoffhampton.org 

POWERING UP PERFORMANCE: Incoming Membership Sales Calls

Incoming Membership Sales Calls - Performance Matters!

Most health, fitness and medical fitness clubs know that incoming membership telephone calls represent a very important opportunity to increase membership sales. However, far too many do not understand the real why or how that maximum performance in this critical sales generator represents. As a result mediocre performance is accepted and imagined as acceptable.

Most strong sales businesses KNOW the importance of that ringing phone and what the opportunity means in terms of increased sales results and ROI in marketing and promotion. Most strong sales businesses engage strong staff training, effective word tracks, goal setting and performance analysis.  How about yours?

Have you ever calculated the cost per incoming telephone membership inquiry? These calls are the result your marketing and promotion. They are expensive! So why not view this opportunity for what it is? IMPORTANT!

Think about this important opportunity:

1. Who takes these calls?

If your business is not utilizing a stand alone membership department then you are losing more opportunities than you think.

2. Of those who take these calls, what is their level of training?

Even a stand alone membership department who does not fully understand what these opportunities represent, or who misunderstand how important words and information on the phone are miss many opportunities to convert these callers to members.

3. What is your businesses bench marked expectation of performance in taking membership calls?

4. Do you accurately track performance?  You'd be surprised how many businesses use loose analysis and non quantifiable information to evaluate performance in membership calls to appointments.

5. Do you use an actual word track or do representative's "wing it"?

Here are a couple of examples of performance and the difference between average performance and maximum performance:

The numbers don't lie. As you may notice, it is equally important to engage bench marked performance standards appointment to show and first time closing expectations. These represent a well trained membership staff team that has been thoroughly trained, that use strong goal setting and whose performance is measured.

You don't know what you don't know until you know...you know?

Let Perform-MAX Systems coach your team toward maximum performance through a simple and inexpensive Skype/Phone training program. Go to www.geoffhampton.org and learn more. The cost to NOT DO THAT is to continue to do what you have always done which has led you to continue to perform how you have always performed. Make this your best year ever! Go for maximum success!

12 week program...dynamic training...very cost-effective...

Make the call: (865) 304-9409

Send an email: geoff@geoffhampton.org

Go to the website: www.geoffhampton.org

DYNAMIC 4 DAY STAFF TRAINING PROGRAM ON DVD

In today's economy most health, fitness and medical fitness businesses are trying to keep a tight budget. However, staff team development is the key to "pumping up the bottom-line"! If you could save money in staff training and yet increase your bottom-line as a direct result, would you consider it or keep doing what you've been doing?

35 year industry veteran Geoff Hampton is now offering his four day intensive, interactive staff training program called, "Create your best year ever!" in the form a four DVD set. This four day motivational staff development program was recorded at The Galter LIFECENTER in Chicago, IL.

This incredible program will educate, motivate and lead your staff team to previously unimaginable levels of success. It is no "old school" nonsense and includes no "false assumptions". Only 100% quantifiable techniques and proven business success strategies that have created maximum performance for so many staff teams.

Day One: A comprehensive overview of the Perform-Max system and strategies that lead the staff team toward maximum performance.

DAY ONE

Order online at www.geoffhampton.org 

Day Two: A combination program of powerful membership sales business strategy and Hampton's unique interactive staff participation program.

DAY TWO

Order online at www.geoffhampton.org 

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Day Three: A combination program of powerful personal training business strategy and Hampton's unique interactive staff participation program.

DAY THREE

Order online at www.geoffhampton.org 

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Day Four: A comprehensive review of these dynamic business strategies designed by Geoff Hampton that will help you and your staff team create your best year EVER!

DAY FOUR

                                                Order online at www.geoffhampton.org 

Watch short video about these DVD's:

You may also simply call or text Geoff Hampton at (865) 304-9409 for more information or email him at geoff@geoffhampton.org 

CREATE YOUR BEST YEAR EVER...NOW!

Want To Create Your Best Year Ever...NOW?

It will not happen by continuing to do what you've always done.

Success is not a perception. Success is a measurable value that cannot be offset by opinion or a collective denial. Most health, fitness and medical fitness businesses have opted to accept success as a perception. The real goal should always be MAXIMUM SUCCESS.

It's funny, because when I do seminars or speak at conferences, one of the things I always do is ask, "Who here wants to be the BEST?" Guess what? Inevitably, everybody raises their hand! Their imagined goal is to be the BEST!

At Galter LIFECENTER in Chicago, IL

In order to know the real truth in performance, a 100% quantifiable performance tracking system must be in place that includes all departments.

A quantifiable system is used to measure both team and individual performance. The system must include all aspects of needed performance if the assessment is to be accurate.

A 100% quantifiable tracking system is the value by which goal related expectations are measured.

Goals must include sub-goals in order to create the opportunity for maximum success.

This is a conceptualization that most businesses cannot fathom. Why? Because the concept has never been fully explained or illustrated to them so they continue to do what they have always done which leads them where they have always gone.

How about this? One client exceeded personal training revenues for the previous 5 year period in one year. How would that work for your business?

Or this? A client increased their net membership growth compared to the previous year by more than 700% in only six months. How would that work for your business?

How about a business relationship that placed 50% of performance payment into the form of a bonus based on mutually agreed to performance results? Yup. Shop that around and see what you come up with! This unique program is called, "RESULTS ASSURED".

Also, how about on-site training, or on-site short term performance enhancement training? How about Skype or phone coaching/mentoring?

Who is Geoff Hampton? Geoff has been in the health and fitness business for more than 35 years. His first business column (mare than 150 in print) was published in 1983 by IRSA (Called IHRSA now). It was called, "Secrets of Membership Sales".

With many, many more through the years like.

If you and your staff team want to create your best year ever...go to Geoff Hampton's website:

http://www.geoffhampton.org/ 

Then make the call!

(865) 304-9409

Learn the REAL truth about maximum performance!

Health, fitness, medical fitness & YMCA's - Phase I - 2012; Regional Staff Training Program

Regional Staff Training Program

In today's economy, with increased competition (especially discount operators), ever increasing attrition and marketing and promotion more difficult than ever, creating your best year ever may seem impossible. The cost of sending your staff team to conventions, hiring on-site consultants or paying tremendous prices to bring on-site training to your staff team from industry experts is becoming more and more difficult, especially as budgets are reduced and frustration is at an all time high in the industry. Now a simple, yet powerful solution can change everything. Geoff Hampton's dynamic Regional Staff Training program will educate, motivate, inspire and lead your staff team to your best year ever! How? The Perform-MAX System.

The Perform-MAX System has transformed large clubs, small clubs, inner-city clubs, rural clubs, beautiful clubs, clubs in need of capital expenditures...any and all clubs and situations can easily transform from wherever they are to maximum success!

Other possible options:

1. “Wait and see what happens”

2. Keep thinking “We can’t afford to do anything”

3. Keep “Thinking it over”

4. Keep “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome.”

Cost-effective, powerful, bottom-line changing...end the confusion and frustration.

Introducing The Phase I - 2012; Regional Staff Training Program!

Register below: Phase I - 2012 Regional Staff Training Program is now registering attendees. All Regions have limited space, so the sooner you register you and your staff team the better! Geteducational, motivational and inspirational staff training without the expense of traveling to a "conference" or paying a consultant a daily fee plus expenses. Take a look at the regional hosts and you will see that the level of facility is outstanding! Hundreds of attendees have come to these events in the past. All sessions have been highly rated. Join those who have seen that there is a much better business model than has even been introduced into our industry before. It's called, The Perform-MAX System. Create your best year ever in 2012!

Educational, Motivational & Inspirational Staff Training!

Phase I - “Create Your Best Year Ever!”

Four dynamic seminar/workshops designed to educate, motivate and lead clubs to their best year ever! Dates for each location and online registration also available at: www.fitbiznetwork.com

Seminar/Workshop 1 – Create your best year ever

Seminar/Workshop 2 – Membership sales

Seminar/Workshop 3 – Personal Training: Powering up net membership growth through personal training

Seminar/Workshop 4 – Workshop – Putting it all together! Creating and engaging a powerful business model designed to generate the clubs best revenue year ever

Regional Training Center Hosts:

Region I: Cincinnati Sports Club - Cincinnati, OH

Event Registration: Click on link for dates, times & to register:

Seminar/Workshop 1 – Create your best year ever: http://region1event1.eventbrite.com/

Seminar/Workshop 2 – Membership sales: http://region1event2.eventbrite.com/

Seminar/Workshop 3 – Personal Training: Powering up net membership growth through personal training: http://region1event3.eventbrite.com/

Seminar/Workshop 4 – Workshop – Putting it all together! Creating and engaging a powerful business model designed to generate the clubs best revenue year ever: http://region1event4.eventbrite.com/

Register for all four events now and save: http://region1allaccessticket.eventbrite.com/

Region II: First Health of the Carolina's Health & Fitness Center - Pinehurst, NC

Event Registration: Click on link for dates, times & to register

Seminar/Workshop 1 – Create your best year ever:

Seminar/Workshop 2 – Membership sales:

Seminar/Workshop 3 – Personal Training: Powering up net membership growth through personal training:

Seminar/Workshop 4 – Workshop – Putting it all together! Creating and engaging a powerful business model designed to generate the clubs best revenue year ever:

Register for all four events now and save:

Region III: The Wellness Center - Johnson City, TN

Event Registration: Click on link for dates, times & to register

Seminar/Workshop 1 – Create your best year ever: http://region3event1.eventbrite.com/

Seminar/Workshop 2 – Membership sales: http://region3event2.eventbrite.com/

Seminar/Workshop 3 – Personal Training: Powering up net membership growththrough personal training: http://region3event3.eventbrite.com/

Seminar/Workshop 4 – Workshop – Putting it all together! Creating and engaging a powerful business model designed to generate the clubs best revenue year ever: http://region3event4.eventbrite.com/

Register for all four events now and save: http://region3allaccessticket.eventbrite.com/

Region IV: Location Undetermined At This Time - Chicago, IL

Region V: WELLSTAR Health Place - Marietta, GA

Event Registration: Click on link for dates, times & to register

Seminar/Workshop 1 – Create your best year ever: http://region5event1.eventbrite.com/

Seminar/Workshop 2 – Membership sales: http://region5event2.eventbrite.com/

Seminar/Workshop 3 – Personal Training: Powering up net membership growththrough personal training: http://region5event3.eventbrite.com/

Seminar/Workshop 4 – Workshop – Putting it all together! Creating and engaging a powerful business model designed to generate the clubs best revenue year ever: http://region5event4.eventbrite.com/

Register for all four events now and save: http://region5allaccessticket.eventbrite.com/

Region VI: Location Undetermined At This Time - Greater Baltimore/Washington DC Area

Region VII: Baptist Healthplex - Clinton, MS

Event Registration: Click on link for dates, times & to register

Seminar/Workshop 1 – Create your best year ever:

Seminar/Workshop 2 – Membership sales:

Seminar/Workshop 3 – Personal Training: Powering up net membership growththrough personal training:

Seminar/Workshop 4 – Workshop – Putting it all together! Creating and engaging a powerful business model designed to generate the clubs best revenue year ever:

Register for all four events now and save:

Region VIII: Spa 23 Health & Racquet Club - Pompton Plains, NJ

Event Registration: Click on link for dates, times & to register

Seminar/Workshop 1 – Create your best year ever: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2512434760

Seminar/Workshop 2 – Membership sales: http://region8event2.eventbrite.com/

Seminar/Workshop 3 – Personal Training: Powering up net membership growththrough personal training: http://region8event3.eventbrite.com/

Seminar/Workshop 4 – Workshop – Putting it all together! Creating and engaging a powerful business model designed to generate the clubs best revenue year ever: http://region8event4.eventbrite.com/

Register for all four events now and save:http://region8allaccessticket.eventbrite.com/

Region IX: Location Undetermined At This Time - Florida

Region X: METRO FITNESS - Montgomery, AL

Event Registration: Click on link for dates, times & to register

Seminar/Workshop 1 – Create your best year ever: http://region10event1.eventbrite.com/

Seminar/Workshop 2 – Membership sales: http://region10event2.eventbrite.com/

Seminar/Workshop 3 – Personal Training: Powering up net membership growththrough personal training: http://region10event3.eventbrite.com/

Seminar/Workshop 4 – Workshop – Putting it all together! Creating and engaging a powerful business model designed to generate the clubs best revenue year ever: http://region10event4.eventbrite.com/

Register for all four events now and save:http://region10allaccessticket.eventbrite.com/

Call Today: (865) 687-8554 or more info online: www.fitbiznetwork.com

Effectively Engaging Personal Training

When the "not yet fit" finally reach a point in their lives where they come to grips with their need for lifestyle change, many opt to join a wellness or health club. This sounds like a great idea! However, statistics will show that the failure rate among the "not yet fit" who pay good money to join a club is astronomical. Many ask, Why? The answer is simple. These businesses created initial new member offerings for new members that"sounded" like great ideas when first created.

A few examples of failed wellness and health club offerings for new "not yet fit" members:

1. The "Fitness Evaluation"

This is an initial offering for new members that generally includes time spent with a certified fitness professional whereby the new "not yet fit" member gets an overview of their current level of fitness (or lack thereof) and the fitness professional suggests a work out program for the person.

2. The "Fitness Orientation"

This is a similar venue to the "fitness evaluation". Both are designed with an imagining that somehow the new"not yet fit" member will become so inspired that they suddenly and without warning combust into a motivated regular exerciser!

3. The "Equipment Orientation"

This initial new member offering is the most misguided of all. It presumes that by having a certified fitness professional explain how to use the equipment correctly, the new "not yet fit" member will now be motivated to work out on their own.

4. The "Free Session(s) With A Personal Trainer"

This new member program is based on double false assumptions. One is that the session(s) with the personal trainer will inspire the new "not yet fit"member to become an exerciser or client. The second false assumption is that the personal trainer in 90% of the clubs who have no idea how to create a client from this opportunity will nonetheless create a client.

The industry model for assisting the people who make a decision to join is extremely misleading. The "free fitness assessment", the "free fitness evaluation", the"free equipment orientation", the "free session (s) with a personal trainer" DO NOT create a regular exerciser where one did not exist before these weak offerings were engaged.

What does the new "not yet fit" member really need? They need personal training. They DO NOT need a couple of sessions and done. The DO NEED a comprehensive personal training program that will educate, motivate and lead the person away from their sedentary lifestyle. "Joining a club" is now and has always been viewed as a "membership" by the wellness center or health club. It IS NOT. It is a lifestyle modification opportunity and should be viewed as such.

The new "not yet fit" member will not change long-term inactivity based upon one or two meetings of any kind with a fitness professional. What they NEED is behavior modification. How does one attain and sustain true and lasting behavior modification? Through a continuum of professional education, motivation and leadership. In a wellness center or health club personal training offers the best solution.

The new "not yet fit" member is very likely to drop out in a short period of time without personal training being offered as a continuum of lifestyle change and behavioral modification. When this has not happened, the "not yet fit" member explains upon cancellation to the club or business that it's "the economy". With insufficient knowledge of member failure dynamics the club or business buys into that excuse and the person who wanted to change their quality of life devolves back into their old lifestyle and nothing happened except that their failed thinking has been reinforced.

Imagine these two scenarios:

New Member A joins and becomes active in regular exercise. Previously they were inactive, but for whatever reason they are now active. They were barely able to afford the membership, but joined anyway.

New Member B joins and does not become active in regular exercise. Previously they were inactive, and even after they joined they remained inactive. They were barely able to afford the membership, but joined anyway.

The economy then softens. New Member A Is affected financially, but due to their experience in positive lifestyle change through regular exercise, they remain a member. New Member B has not experienced anything related to regular exercise and it's potential benefit so they quit. Why do they say they are quitting? The economy. The truth? Lack of results.

Again, what does the industry offer these "not yet fit"folks in hopes of creating a regular exerciser where there was not one before they joined? "Free fitness evaluation", "free fitness orientation", "free equipment orientation" or "free session (s) with a personal trainer".Very ineffective.

Think about the people who are joining who are "not yet fit". Only a very small percentage engage these programs. The already fit reject them outrightly. So what is the purpose? None that is quantifiably accurate.

In most clubs or wellness businesses that do not yet understand the true dynamics of personal training the culture evolves with a plethora of excuses as to why personal training doesn't work or won't work. The trainers want to do "fitness assessments". Here is a formula to quantify the lack of success through ineffective offerings; In the first five months of 2010 how many people signed up at the club (s) _____ How many actually did their "fitness assessment"? _____ What about all the others who did not and are are likely going to cancel? How many of the ones who joined and went to their "fitness assessment" became personal training clients? _____ If not many then they too are at risk for cancellation due to the "economy" so to speak.

The home grown excuse diatribe continues with "our members can't afford it", "It's too expensive" and "our personal trainers don't want anymore personal trainers". This is an example of Henry Fords, "Think you can, think you can't, either way you're right" in practical application. It also exemplifies two other relevant quotes; "The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." John F. Kennedy; "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is a symptom of insanity." Albert Einstein

It's time to reject failed thinking and look at the real possibilities of true success potential. Time to over ride the negative obstacles that create the perfect storm of mediocrity or worse. The real goal is to create strong and success oriented personal training offerings in as many clubs as possible that offer the best chance for success to the "not yet fit" folks who decide to join.

What about self-employed personal trainers?

Self-employed personal trainers often fail to reach their full potential due to lack of coaching or mentoring. We have a strong personal training mentoring program. Inquire today and create your most successful year ever!

Make the call: (865) 304-9409