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Recession Busting Sales
Even in these difficult times, there are still tens of thousands of sales to be had over the next two months as we approach what is traditionally our busiest period. We have just experienced our busiest (like for like) December on record, which considering the current economic climate raises the question - when is the recession going to bite?
We at Harlands don't believe (unless there are going to be somewhat more dramatic events than we have experienced so far), that the recession should be a barrier to new business. Your business will only be a victim of a recession if you let it. You are not part of a chain of companies that rely on each other, such as the retail or motor industries, and therefore your gym's future lies entirely in your own hands - you'll need to work smarter that's all.
There is no doubt that the most impressive sales figures have been from the lower end of the monthly membership price scale (£9.99 - £19.99). This seems an obvious route to increasing sales, however it will not be a viable option for most, as you really need to increase member numbers hugely, and reduce overheads to make the "budget" model work. You can however, encroach into the budget price range without feeling that you are cheapening your business.
If your standard full membership is hovering around the £30 mark, then why not offer a 3 year contracted membership at £19.99 per month, for example. It is the monthly price that is the major factor in selling gym memberships at the moment, and we are positive this importance will only increase over the next twelve months.
Other factors such as how fluffy your towels are, how friendly the staff are, or how long the contract is, are secondary factors in the buying process. With a three year contract, and with the back-up Harlands can offer in ensuring the contract is honoured, you are still further ahead on your gross income per member, than if they had signed a typical 12 month contract even given the reduced monthly membership fee.
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Direct Mail
Direct Mail is still one of the most efficient marketing techniques available. Through our investment is mailing technology, we can help you achieve low-cost mailshots. The possibilities are endless and include:
Mailers to Ex-Members - as we all know, ex-members can be a great source of new business. If you have used Harlands for some time, we already have the data for your ex-DD paying members and can organise a mailshot for you. If you have your own database of ex-members, we can use this too.
Targeted Mailouts - you may wish to target a specific area, or group of people. Simply forward the data to us and we'll do the rest.
Moving Members onto Contracts - You may have a sizable pay as you go, or casual membership base. Why not send a mailer to offer a fantastic contract deal. Highlight the savings they can make over 12 months. Again, forward us your non-contracted database and we'll mail them.
Contact Paul on 01444 449156 option 3, or e-mail p.jouanny@harlandsgroup.com to discuss the options.
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A Stunning Example
Here is a Stunning Example of our mailshot service being used to great effect when coupled with our on-line sales system Snap: A gym in West Yorkshire had a database of just over 2000 ex-members. We received the data and ran a mailshot. The message in a nutshell was:
"We'd love to see you back. As an ex-member we can offer you a great deal (a zero joining fee and £3 of the monthly fee), the offer is limited and only available on-line by using the promotional code in this letter"
We set up a promotional code on the Snap system which gave access to the offer. The gym achieved just over a 10% sign-up rate, or 205 members with this one mailout! In all our experience of direct mail and marketing, we have never seen figures approaching this success rate, 1 to 2% is the norm.
Why was this so successful? We believe it was due to two reasons. One, it was easy for members to rejoin, it took less than 3 minutes via the internet through Snap. Two, the offer was a good one (though not bank-breaking for the gym) and felt unique to the recipients through the use of our promotional code option.
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The Original and Best Just Got Better
As indicated above, our Snap on-line sales system can now make use of promotional codes. This is just one of many enhancements we have made. The rest include:
Faster portal, more cosmetic flexibility, branch selector (for multi-site operators), option for pro-rata payments, integration into club management software, "bolt-on" options, multi-product selector.
Click here for an example of just how good upgraded Snap can look and perform.
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Sincerely,
Kevin Scott
Harlands Group
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Did you know Social Networking sites can sell memberships?
Facebook, Myspace - just for teenagers to chat on and show how many "friends" they have? No, they can be used to market your gym for free! The key to such social networking sites is the "networking" bit. Your message can travel very quickly to a large number of people. Simply create a page for your gym, encourage existing members to become friends.
 Have a message board, keep it updated (ideally something new, no matter how small, on a daily basis) and let the power of internet networking do the rest. Your members friends will see updates and messages, their friends will... and so on. Couple this with a Snap portal, and you have a powerful marketing system for very little cost. If you don't know where to start - ask a teenager!
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...And finally
If you still operate with paper membership forms, then recent changes to the Companies Trading Disclosures Act mean you will have to carry your company's registered name and office details on the forms. Not carrying this information will not invalidate any contracts, however you would be in breach of the regulations and could be fined (though we feel in the early days this would be exceedingly unlikely).
This is another reason to move to Snap in-club, however, if you are ordering more forms soon, then please be aware that we will be producing new print plates and we will ask you for your registered office details to ensure we are up to date.
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