The holidays are now full steam ahead! With all the shopping, parties, cookies and travel, how can gyms possibly compete for a member’s time?
Here are some great solutions for the many reasons why they can’t exercise this holiday season.
Reason: I can’t get to the gym.
Solution: No gym is no excuse. Offer workouts even if they cannot be done at your facility. Be a resource of motivation, expertise and accountability, even when they can’t make it through your front door. Utilize social media to post travel workouts, print off workouts to hand out at the front desk or recruit your top trainers to start an email list to send workouts to members on the go.
Solution: Use positive peer pressure to your advantage. Five minutes of an ab workout alone feels like an eternity of torture! Use small group training or group fitness classes. They will feel accountable to the other participants and will soon find a few minutes is all they needed for a killer workout. Plus, members who work out in a group setting are at a reduced risk of attrition.
Solution: Bring them! Instead of charging out of town guests this year, offer a free workout to each out of town guest. Exercise reduces stress, and who doesn’t need that when hosting in-laws during the holidays? Yes, you will miss out on the daily usage fee, but you will gain the appreciation of your current member and hopefully gain additional sales when the guest buys a water or workout towel.
Solution: Make shopping easy this year by offering pre-packaged personal training sessions, supplements or additional revenue line items like tanning or hydro bed, then market it! Post signage in your clubs in the most frequented areas like the cardio, group fitness and locker rooms. Have your front desk attendants in on the action by offering these easy gift ideas as they are checking members in. Consider complimentary gift wrapping for these gifts so members can get their workout done while their gifts get wrapped. Got an online store? Don’t forget to link to social media and highlight your great products and services.
