// Cross program marketing - using programs to market other programs and services
by Laurie Cingle
Typically, in-house marketing of club programs and services consists
of flyers, posters and brochures. We cover the walls with them. We tack
them onto bulletin boards. We put them on easels and move them from
location to location in various areas of the club. The frustrating
thing about this type of program marketing is that most members are
sign-blind! They don’t read the information we post.
Once,
to advertise a family bicycle ride and picnic, we hung a mountain bike
from the ceiling in the lobby of the club just one-and-a-half metres
from the ground, directly in the path from the front door to the
check-in desk. Attached to the bike was a banner announcing the program
and its details. In our minds, there was no way our members would not
notice our attempt to market this fantastic program.
Later, when a group exercise instructor asked her class participants
about the bike ride, most of the members of the class said they hadn’t
noticed the bike in the lobby. They, like the majority of other
members, simply stepped around it without a second glance. If members
don’t notice a bike hanging from the ceiling, almost low enough to hit
them in the head, what else can you do to create interest?
Cross-program marketing, i.e., marketing programs through other
programs, is an easy and effective way to capture the attention of
members who typically don’t read your printed information. Current
well-attended programs and classes provide you with a forum for getting
members interested in utilising services and enrolling in other
programs. The following are some examples of cross-program marketing
that can work for your club.
PERSONAL TRAINING
Identify all of the classes on your group exercise schedule with a
primary focus on strength training, functional training, core
conditioning and flexibility training. The members who attend these
classes are interested in this way of exercising, otherwise they would
not attend. From the classes you’ve identified, choose one or two each
week and ask the instructor to announce that a personal trainer will be
waiting for them in the weights area or flexibility area to explain and
teach a specific exercise targeting a specific muscle group. For
example, a seated cable row, triceps extension or hamstrings stretch.
It is even better if the trainer steps into the class at the time the
instructor makes
the announcement so the members will know who to look for.
Allow the personal trainer to determine how they wish to present. This
is a great opportunity for them to build their client base. One example
is for the trainer to spend five minutes explaining the mechanics of
the muscle group, describing how the machine works and demonstrating
the exercise. Then a few members can be invited to try the exercise
while the trainer assists, corrects and continues to hold the interest
of the other members who are observing. During this time, the trainer
informs all members present of current and future group training
programs and invites them to participate in these programs. The members
can then be reminded that one-on-one personal training sessions are
always available at any time of any day. It is also a good idea to
provide the interested members with an information sheet summarising
what the trainer talked about and which includes the list of programs
offered and how they can easily enrol.
Take care to make these sessions special by offering them
intermittently. If you offer them after every class, the members and
the personal trainers will lose enthusiasm for them.
10KM AND MARATHON RUNNING/WALKING TRAINING
The popularity of group cycling classes has naturally created a trend
for classes that utilise other pieces of cardiovascular equipment. A
‘treading’ class can be added to your group exercise schedule and
conducted on treadmills at off-peak times.
Individuals who participate in this class are vigorous walkers and
runners. During this 45-minute class done to music, participants are
‘coached’ by an instructor who is not only experienced in running 10km
races and marathons but who is also very motivating and able to create
a memorable experience in every class. Ideally this instructor/coach
will also be able to work with members to improve their running and
walking techniques.
During each class, the coach can paint a mental picture of completing a
10km race or a marathon to further enthuse the class members who are
evidently already interested in running and walking. At the same time,
the coach can invite them to take this vision and make it a reality by
enrolling in a group training session like ‘10 Weeks to 10km Success’
that will prepare them for specific events, or a one-hour seminar on
how to select proper shoes.
The instructor/coach can remind the class participants that one-on-one
sessions are also available. Local races can also be announced, with
members being encouraged to join the coach and a group of other members
at the event.
NUTRITION ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS AND GROUP WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS
The number one goal identified by club members is weight loss. Many
members think that by simply exercising three times a week at a
moderate intensity the kilos will melt away. We in the club business
know that it is not that simple. Where weight loss is concerned, making
good food choices along with proper exercise is the key to success.
Once a month, the individual on your team identified as your nutrition
expert can conduct a ‘Nutrition Focus’. Your nutrition expert can be a
dietitian, nutritionist, personal trainer or fitness professional, as
long as they do not step outside of the legal scope of practice
guidelines associated with their educational background, certifications
and licenses.
To conduct a Nutrition Focus, set up a table in your foyer staffed with
your nutrition expert and featuring a sign that tells members what you
are doing (and even if they are still sign-blind, the manned-table
should not escape their attention!). Choose any food you like – common,
new on the market, unusual – and put out samples. Let’s choose, as our
example, a baked potato chip in three different flavours; sour cream
and onion, barbeque and salt-and-vinegar. Prepare a product information
sheet that compares the nutritional qualities of baked potato chips to
other brands of traditional fried chips. In addition, list all current
and upcoming nutrition and weight management programs and how they can
enrol, along with any products your club sells and the easiest way they
can be purchased.
As members walk past the Nutrition Focus table, the nutrition expert
can personally invite them to sample the food. It is up to your
resident foodie to engage the member in conversation. A savvy
nutritionist will schedule the member for a complimentary one-on-one
consultation so they can discover together which programs and services
will best lead them to success. They can also be scheduled for an
upcoming nutrition seminar or simply talk about the different programs
offered as outlined on the product information sheet.
MASSAGE THERAPY
As an alternative to periodically offering a complimentary chair
massage to members as a way to market this service, invite your massage
therapist into any group exercise class to conduct an eight-minute
relaxing cooldown. This can be done several times a week. Allow the
massage therapist to choose how they wish to present the cooldown.
It is their opportunity to showcase themselves in the hopes of booking
business. One example is to take the participants through a quick
stretch followed by a lesson in simple self-massage techniques. The
massage therapist can walk among the class to make hands-on contact
with as many people as time allows. A savvy practitioner will invite
the members to purchase sessions for themselves or to give as a gift.
Special coupons can be distributed to motivate them to schedule a
specially priced session before a certain date. One-on-one services and
programs like Pilates, yoga and tai chi can be promoted in this way as
well.
There is a great advantage of cross-program marketing done in
conjunction with traditional program marketing methods. The individuals
responsible for delivering the programs – personal trainers, coaches,
nutritionists, and massage therapists – experience quality face-to-face
contact with significant numbers of members; people they may not have
had the opportunity to connect with before. We still need our flyers,
posters and brochures, but the impact of personally connecting with
members regarding our programs always results in an increase in member
participation, which has a flow-on effect which can include increased
revenues and retention for your club.
Laurie Cingle, M Ed.
A fitness business success coach and club consultant, Laurie
specialises in creating successful club program champions, developing
non-dues revenue profit centres, establishing market differentiation
and designing programs that increase profit and retention. For more
information, e-mail laurie@lauriecingle.com
CLUB NETWORK • SPRING/SUMMER 2008 • PP11-13
