Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Redbox Codes That Work For Free
Redbox is the best - you can rent DVDs for $1 a night with no membership fees! You should try it out. If you click on my link and it's your first time renting online, they'll give you a free one-night online rental credit.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
How To Sell More Gym Memberships Series Of Articles
Lately we've been posting many of our new ideas for circuit training gym owners on a different site. We've been posting there because we're getting more hits there. But never fear! We'll still be posting great health club marketing secrets here on this blog, so check back often!
In the meantime, just follow these links to read more of our 100% original articles that will help you squeeze more profit out of your gym:
How To Sell More Gym Memberships With A Guest Register
How To Sell More Gym Memberships With Member Referrals
How To Sell More Gym Memberships With A Business Of The Week Program
How To Sell More Gym Memberships With Group Selling Opportunities
How To Sell More Gym Memberships With Seminars and Classes
How To Sell More Gym Memberships Using Guest Passes
How To Sell More Gym Memberships Using Fish Bowls
Grand Opening Ideas For Gyms
How The Curves Zumba CD Is Making Circuit Training Fun Again
How To Sell More Gym Memberships With The Lead Box Strategy
Why The Old Change Stations CD Is Killing Circuit Training Now (and what you can do about it)
As always, don't forget to visit our main site for a huge listing of gym marketing articles. Just click here to visit our articles page.
In the meantime, just follow these links to read more of our 100% original articles that will help you squeeze more profit out of your gym:
How To Sell More Gym Memberships With A Guest Register
How To Sell More Gym Memberships With Member Referrals
How To Sell More Gym Memberships With A Business Of The Week Program
How To Sell More Gym Memberships With Group Selling Opportunities
How To Sell More Gym Memberships With Seminars and Classes
How To Sell More Gym Memberships Using Guest Passes
How To Sell More Gym Memberships Using Fish Bowls
Grand Opening Ideas For Gyms
How The Curves Zumba CD Is Making Circuit Training Fun Again
How To Sell More Gym Memberships With The Lead Box Strategy
Why The Old Change Stations CD Is Killing Circuit Training Now (and what you can do about it)
As always, don't forget to visit our main site for a huge listing of gym marketing articles. Just click here to visit our articles page.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
How The Curves Zumba CD Is Making Circuit Training Fun Again
In the typical circuit training health club, members alternate between resistance exercise machines and aerobic stations like jogging squares. Lively music plays at a rapid BPM (beats-per-minute) to help clients stay motivated and maintain their pace. At the same time, another stereo plays an audio cue CD that prompts gym members to “change stations” at set intervals.
In other words, in most circuit training health clubs members perform resistance exercises for thirty seconds (or sixty seconds), then “change stations” to jog in place for another thirty (or sixty) seconds.
The problem is that when you’re doing the same thing, day after day, it can get BORING!
To combat the boredom, and the inevitable member retention problems that accompany that boredom, some circuit training health clubs have mixed things up by adding new exercises and/or by changing the intervals between “change stations” cues.
Using specialty cue CDs designed just for the circuit training industry, such as those offered by www.cuecd.com, many gyms are having their members perform new and exciting exercises at regular intervals. For example, when using a "Bicep Curls" cue CD gym members will be prompted to step away from the regular circuit and perform various dumbbell lifts every ten minutes. Adding a new exercise to a familiar workout is a sure way to keep interest high and keep gym members coming back.
But while many independent circuit training health clubs are doing a great job of using cue CDs to keep the workout fresh and exciting, Curves for Women has hit an absolute HOME RUN with their new Zumba workout!
Curves is now offering "the only 30-minute class that mixes the moves of Zumba with the proven strength of training of Curves for a wildly effective workout" (source: www.curves.com/the-workout/zumba-fitness). The Curves Zumba workout involves their regular circuit, with the exception that the typical aerobic stations have been replaced with Zumba dance!
Using a 60-second audio cue CD such as the one offered by www.cuecd.com, in conjunction with a Zumba music CD, the Curves Zumba workout prompts gym members to "change stations" at 60-second intervals. Health club members thus spend sixty seconds on a resistance strength machine, followed by sixty seconds of vigorous Zumba dance.
The reason why this innovation has been so successful for Curves is that Zumba is one of the most popular workout routines in the world. Zumba is "..an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health" (source: www.zumba.com/us/about).
To be more specific, the official Zumba website (www.zumba.com) offers the following explanation of the Curves Zumba phenomenon: "Zumba in the Circuit – Maximize your workout while still having a total blast. Zumba in the Circuit is 30 minutes of high-octane, Latin-inspired dance-fitness moves combined with circuit training, a series of strength exercises at timed intervals. Get the metabolism-boosting, strength-building benefits of circuit training while perfecting Zumba moves—all in the same class! Guaranteed to blast calories and thwart boredom, Zumba in the Circuit moves students from one exercise station to the next to the thumping beats of reggaeton, salsa, merengue, hip-hop and more. Be in and out in 30 minutes flat —this time-effective and efficient class can be adapted for all fitness levels."
By combining Zumba music, a 60-second audio cue CD, and the traditional Curves circuit training workout, Curves for Women has achieved what so many circuit training health clubs strive for: a circuit training workout that is not only effective but FUN.
The Curves Zumba CD has not only made circuit training fun again, but has also helped millions of women reach their weight loss goals. Curves has done it again, and if history is any indicator we’ll see countless independent circuit training health clubs follow their lead.
In other words, in most circuit training health clubs members perform resistance exercises for thirty seconds (or sixty seconds), then “change stations” to jog in place for another thirty (or sixty) seconds.
The problem is that when you’re doing the same thing, day after day, it can get BORING!
To combat the boredom, and the inevitable member retention problems that accompany that boredom, some circuit training health clubs have mixed things up by adding new exercises and/or by changing the intervals between “change stations” cues.
Using specialty cue CDs designed just for the circuit training industry, such as those offered by www.cuecd.com, many gyms are having their members perform new and exciting exercises at regular intervals. For example, when using a "Bicep Curls" cue CD gym members will be prompted to step away from the regular circuit and perform various dumbbell lifts every ten minutes. Adding a new exercise to a familiar workout is a sure way to keep interest high and keep gym members coming back.
But while many independent circuit training health clubs are doing a great job of using cue CDs to keep the workout fresh and exciting, Curves for Women has hit an absolute HOME RUN with their new Zumba workout!
Curves is now offering "the only 30-minute class that mixes the moves of Zumba with the proven strength of training of Curves for a wildly effective workout" (source: www.curves.com/the-workout/zumba-fitness). The Curves Zumba workout involves their regular circuit, with the exception that the typical aerobic stations have been replaced with Zumba dance!
Using a 60-second audio cue CD such as the one offered by www.cuecd.com, in conjunction with a Zumba music CD, the Curves Zumba workout prompts gym members to "change stations" at 60-second intervals. Health club members thus spend sixty seconds on a resistance strength machine, followed by sixty seconds of vigorous Zumba dance.
The reason why this innovation has been so successful for Curves is that Zumba is one of the most popular workout routines in the world. Zumba is "..an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health" (source: www.zumba.com/us/about).
To be more specific, the official Zumba website (www.zumba.com) offers the following explanation of the Curves Zumba phenomenon: "Zumba in the Circuit – Maximize your workout while still having a total blast. Zumba in the Circuit is 30 minutes of high-octane, Latin-inspired dance-fitness moves combined with circuit training, a series of strength exercises at timed intervals. Get the metabolism-boosting, strength-building benefits of circuit training while perfecting Zumba moves—all in the same class! Guaranteed to blast calories and thwart boredom, Zumba in the Circuit moves students from one exercise station to the next to the thumping beats of reggaeton, salsa, merengue, hip-hop and more. Be in and out in 30 minutes flat —this time-effective and efficient class can be adapted for all fitness levels."
By combining Zumba music, a 60-second audio cue CD, and the traditional Curves circuit training workout, Curves for Women has achieved what so many circuit training health clubs strive for: a circuit training workout that is not only effective but FUN.
The Curves Zumba CD has not only made circuit training fun again, but has also helped millions of women reach their weight loss goals. Curves has done it again, and if history is any indicator we’ll see countless independent circuit training health clubs follow their lead.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Sell More Gym Memberships With Groupon
If you're a circuit training health club owner, then chances are you're interested in how to sell more gym memberships. You're probably tired of trying to sell gym memberships the old-fashioned way, with newspaper ads and radio commercials. These methods cost thousands of dollars for limited results. Most likely, you've also tried some things that didn't work at all.
Well, you're about to be BLOWN AWAY by the new marketing tool that the www.cuecd.com team has discovered! It's called Groupon, and if you want to sell more gym memberships then you NEED to get started with Groupon TODAY.
Here's how it works. Groupon sends out an exclusive offer each day via email. These offers are targeted locally. Groupon members then decide whether or not they want to buy the coupon each day. Since a minimum number of people must buy for the offer to be valid, Groupon guarantees paying customers. These subscribers are not looking for “the perfect deal.” They’re looking for the perfect excuse to try something new. Groupon gets them to your business, and you bring them back again and again.
There are no out of pocket costs associated with being featured on Groupon. Instead, Groupon makes money by taking a piece of each Groupon sold. In other words, they only win if you win – and you know what you’re getting at every step of the process.
Gym owners, did you catch that? Not only does Groupon bring you in more customers, but when the promotion is over they send you a check for 1/2 the money raised through coupon sales! You pay ZERO up front! You get new customers AND you get paid! Signing up with Groupon is the biggest no-brainer in the history of the health club industry!
To become a Groupon member, just click here now. It's completely FREE, and you'll learn first-hand how effective and addicting Groupon is to the typical consumer.
The eager, young Groupon audience looks to Groupon as a city guide, pointing them to all of the great stuff they may have never tried, or maybe never heard about, right in their backyard. Customers find about about great new businesses, and businesses get more new customers than with any other form of advertising.
A Groupon feature puts you in front of thousands of subscribers in each Groupon city – with thousands more opting in each day. Groupon subscribers share your offer with everyone they know via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. This buzz will continue to attract new customers for months following your feature.
Circuit training health clubs who want to sell more gym memberships should consider these statistics from other businesses who have used Groupon:
1) 95% were satisfied with their Groupon experience.
2) 95% would use Groupon again.
3) 96% recommend Groupon to other businesses.
According to a recent business survey, 92% of businesses said that Groupon brought in quality customers and 89% said those customers were likely repeat customers.
So do people use Groupon? According to a recent subscriber survey, 66% of Groupon subscribers read the coupon email every day. Groupon members are also habitual users of Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and other social media tools so they'll tell other people about your health club too!
The best way to get started is to join Groupon yourself as a subscriber to their daily email. It's completely FREE, and you're under no obligation to buy anything, ever. Click here to get started. Once you have a feel for their program, then you can apply to get approved as a Groupon business. Be advised that Groupon is so successful that, in many cities, there is literally a waiting list to be a featured business! Not all applying businesses are accepted, either. Groupon is so white-hot right now that they can afford to be choosy!
That's the bottom line. You will sell more gym memberships with Groupon than you ever thought possible, so why not get started today before your competitor reads this article?
Still not convinced? Then read this real testimonial.....
The Globe and Mail
Published on August 20, 2010 by Amber MacArthur
Jen Best admits she isn't the most technical person in the world, but when her website designer suggested in June that she check out a new service called Groupon she was curious. After spending thousands of dollars on traditional advertising, without much success, she was keen to promote her tea shop to a brand new community. The 34-year-old entrepreneur sifted through the group buying site for a few days, and like many of the site's members, she got hooked. Best contacted Groupon and then went through the process of applying to get Steeped and Infused as one of the site's daily deals, which she says involved a lengthy selection process to determine if her brand was a good fit for the service's 130,000 Toronto subscribers.
On Tuesday, Groupon featured Best's shop, offering a $20 gift coupon (or “Groupon”) for just $8. Best admits she thought they might reach a couple hundred orders, but by 8 a.m. on Deal Day, 350 buyers had already signed up. By midnight, when the promo ended, consumers had bought 950 certificates.
“It's the most effective marketing dollars I've spent yet,“ Best says. As for the revenue split, Groupon takes 50 per cent of the money paid for the coupon and sends Steeped and Infused a cheque (Best didn't have to pay any money upfront).
Groupon is an amazing success. The site launched in 2008 and although the company is based in Chicago, they now serve more than 13 million subscribers in 29 countries. The company is your classic overnight success story, and is bound to explode into the public consciousness thanks to a recent Forbes magazine article that calls it one of the fastest growing computer companies ever. (An interesting aside -- still in its early days Groupon’s twitter profile only has a little more than 7,000 followers. Check back in a week to see how that’s changed).
Just today, the site's founder and CEO Andrew Mason is speaking in Vancouver about a Gap deal they featured on Thursday (a $25 coupon worth $50 credit in any North American Gap store), which was Groupon's first national promotion. According to some reports, Groupon sold more than 445,000 vouchers, leaving them with a hefty profit.
Today is Best's first anniversary at her Leslieville store (there is another Steeped and Infused in downtown Toronto, which is licensed to another owner). As she explains, it's not easy for small businesses fighting for pedestrian traffic in an up-and-coming neighbourhood, so the Groupon deal was like marketing magic. The tea promotion was such a success, Groupon has invited the shop to be a platinum member, which means they can do a featured promo twice more within the next year (this is a big deal since Best explains there is a two-month wait for Toronto businesses to get on the list as one of Groupon's daily deals).
“I would encourage any small business owner to use Groupon,” Best explains. “You get to gauge how your marketing dollars are spent and they can create exposure for your business that you can't create on your own.”
Well, you're about to be BLOWN AWAY by the new marketing tool that the www.cuecd.com team has discovered! It's called Groupon, and if you want to sell more gym memberships then you NEED to get started with Groupon TODAY.
Here's how it works. Groupon sends out an exclusive offer each day via email. These offers are targeted locally. Groupon members then decide whether or not they want to buy the coupon each day. Since a minimum number of people must buy for the offer to be valid, Groupon guarantees paying customers. These subscribers are not looking for “the perfect deal.” They’re looking for the perfect excuse to try something new. Groupon gets them to your business, and you bring them back again and again.
There are no out of pocket costs associated with being featured on Groupon. Instead, Groupon makes money by taking a piece of each Groupon sold. In other words, they only win if you win – and you know what you’re getting at every step of the process.
Gym owners, did you catch that? Not only does Groupon bring you in more customers, but when the promotion is over they send you a check for 1/2 the money raised through coupon sales! You pay ZERO up front! You get new customers AND you get paid! Signing up with Groupon is the biggest no-brainer in the history of the health club industry!
To become a Groupon member, just click here now. It's completely FREE, and you'll learn first-hand how effective and addicting Groupon is to the typical consumer.
The eager, young Groupon audience looks to Groupon as a city guide, pointing them to all of the great stuff they may have never tried, or maybe never heard about, right in their backyard. Customers find about about great new businesses, and businesses get more new customers than with any other form of advertising.
A Groupon feature puts you in front of thousands of subscribers in each Groupon city – with thousands more opting in each day. Groupon subscribers share your offer with everyone they know via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. This buzz will continue to attract new customers for months following your feature.
Circuit training health clubs who want to sell more gym memberships should consider these statistics from other businesses who have used Groupon:
1) 95% were satisfied with their Groupon experience.
2) 95% would use Groupon again.
3) 96% recommend Groupon to other businesses.
According to a recent business survey, 92% of businesses said that Groupon brought in quality customers and 89% said those customers were likely repeat customers.
So do people use Groupon? According to a recent subscriber survey, 66% of Groupon subscribers read the coupon email every day. Groupon members are also habitual users of Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and other social media tools so they'll tell other people about your health club too!
The best way to get started is to join Groupon yourself as a subscriber to their daily email. It's completely FREE, and you're under no obligation to buy anything, ever. Click here to get started. Once you have a feel for their program, then you can apply to get approved as a Groupon business. Be advised that Groupon is so successful that, in many cities, there is literally a waiting list to be a featured business! Not all applying businesses are accepted, either. Groupon is so white-hot right now that they can afford to be choosy!
That's the bottom line. You will sell more gym memberships with Groupon than you ever thought possible, so why not get started today before your competitor reads this article?
Still not convinced? Then read this real testimonial.....
The Globe and Mail
Published on August 20, 2010 by Amber MacArthur
Jen Best admits she isn't the most technical person in the world, but when her website designer suggested in June that she check out a new service called Groupon she was curious. After spending thousands of dollars on traditional advertising, without much success, she was keen to promote her tea shop to a brand new community. The 34-year-old entrepreneur sifted through the group buying site for a few days, and like many of the site's members, she got hooked. Best contacted Groupon and then went through the process of applying to get Steeped and Infused as one of the site's daily deals, which she says involved a lengthy selection process to determine if her brand was a good fit for the service's 130,000 Toronto subscribers.
On Tuesday, Groupon featured Best's shop, offering a $20 gift coupon (or “Groupon”) for just $8. Best admits she thought they might reach a couple hundred orders, but by 8 a.m. on Deal Day, 350 buyers had already signed up. By midnight, when the promo ended, consumers had bought 950 certificates.
“It's the most effective marketing dollars I've spent yet,“ Best says. As for the revenue split, Groupon takes 50 per cent of the money paid for the coupon and sends Steeped and Infused a cheque (Best didn't have to pay any money upfront).
Groupon is an amazing success. The site launched in 2008 and although the company is based in Chicago, they now serve more than 13 million subscribers in 29 countries. The company is your classic overnight success story, and is bound to explode into the public consciousness thanks to a recent Forbes magazine article that calls it one of the fastest growing computer companies ever. (An interesting aside -- still in its early days Groupon’s twitter profile only has a little more than 7,000 followers. Check back in a week to see how that’s changed).
Just today, the site's founder and CEO Andrew Mason is speaking in Vancouver about a Gap deal they featured on Thursday (a $25 coupon worth $50 credit in any North American Gap store), which was Groupon's first national promotion. According to some reports, Groupon sold more than 445,000 vouchers, leaving them with a hefty profit.
Today is Best's first anniversary at her Leslieville store (there is another Steeped and Infused in downtown Toronto, which is licensed to another owner). As she explains, it's not easy for small businesses fighting for pedestrian traffic in an up-and-coming neighbourhood, so the Groupon deal was like marketing magic. The tea promotion was such a success, Groupon has invited the shop to be a platinum member, which means they can do a featured promo twice more within the next year (this is a big deal since Best explains there is a two-month wait for Toronto businesses to get on the list as one of Groupon's daily deals).
“I would encourage any small business owner to use Groupon,” Best explains. “You get to gauge how your marketing dollars are spent and they can create exposure for your business that you can't create on your own.”
Thursday, December 9, 2010
How To Sell More Gym Memberships
As a circuit training health club owner, you're always interested in selling more gym memberships. After all, that's how you get paid!
No doubt you've tried many different things over the years, from radio advertising to the classic "meet and greet" Chamber of Commerce functions. Perhaps you've even tried some of the ideas posted on our very own www.cuecd.com site.
But have you overlooked the most basic way to sell more gym memberships?
Have you forgotten that, as a gym owner, you need to be an absolute expert on health and fitness news?
When your gym members know that you're an expert on weight loss and other health issues, they will recommend you to their friends. People in the community will start saying things like "Oh, you should talk to Joe. He's my trainer at ABC Gym, and he knows all about this stuff".
That person comes into the gym and talks to you. Now you have two people telling their friends that you're a fitness expert. Those two people tell two more people, who tell two more people, who tell.....well, you do the math.
So how do you become an expert on health and fitness issues?
It's simple, really. All you have to do is read newspapers, magazines, and internet articles. Watch the news. Check out Google Health news, and do it every single day. Browse the internet for weight loss articles from reputable sources, and soon you'll know all about the latest health information. For example, do you know about the recent study that shows how just IMAGINING eating a fattening food can make you eat less of that food? You should.
If you're a lawyer, you continue to read publications and stay on top of recent court rulings. If you're a realtor, you know current market conditions and the sale prices of local homes. If you're a gym owner, then you need to know about health and fitness news.
For a listing of eight FREE publications for health club owners, click here. There's a wealth of information in these magazines.
For a great article on weight loss that's specific to this time of year, click here.
If your gym members are asking you how to choose a diet plan to lose weight fast, then search the internet for how to choose a diet plan to lose weight fast.
In short, do some homework. Do some research. Become a health and fitness expert. Soon you'll have a reputation, and that's how you sell more gym memberships.
No doubt you've tried many different things over the years, from radio advertising to the classic "meet and greet" Chamber of Commerce functions. Perhaps you've even tried some of the ideas posted on our very own www.cuecd.com site.
But have you overlooked the most basic way to sell more gym memberships?
Have you forgotten that, as a gym owner, you need to be an absolute expert on health and fitness news?
When your gym members know that you're an expert on weight loss and other health issues, they will recommend you to their friends. People in the community will start saying things like "Oh, you should talk to Joe. He's my trainer at ABC Gym, and he knows all about this stuff".
That person comes into the gym and talks to you. Now you have two people telling their friends that you're a fitness expert. Those two people tell two more people, who tell two more people, who tell.....well, you do the math.
So how do you become an expert on health and fitness issues?
It's simple, really. All you have to do is read newspapers, magazines, and internet articles. Watch the news. Check out Google Health news, and do it every single day. Browse the internet for weight loss articles from reputable sources, and soon you'll know all about the latest health information. For example, do you know about the recent study that shows how just IMAGINING eating a fattening food can make you eat less of that food? You should.
If you're a lawyer, you continue to read publications and stay on top of recent court rulings. If you're a realtor, you know current market conditions and the sale prices of local homes. If you're a gym owner, then you need to know about health and fitness news.
For a listing of eight FREE publications for health club owners, click here. There's a wealth of information in these magazines.
For a great article on weight loss that's specific to this time of year, click here.
If your gym members are asking you how to choose a diet plan to lose weight fast, then search the internet for how to choose a diet plan to lose weight fast.
In short, do some homework. Do some research. Become a health and fitness expert. Soon you'll have a reputation, and that's how you sell more gym memberships.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
How To Motivate People To Lose Weight
As a gym owner, perhaps the biggest struggle you face on an ongoing basis is how to motivate people to lose weight. After all, most folks are not going to remain happy (and paying) health club members unless they're seeing some weight loss results.....and they're not going to see any weight loss results unless they're consistently exercising.
Thanks to a recent study conducted by Stanford University, you can learn how to motivate people to lose weight today!
As reported by the Wall Street Journal on May 18 in an article titled "The Power Of A Gentle Nudge", Stanford researchers proved that even a little bit of social support can yield huge motivational results.
In a nutshell, what the researchers in the Stanford study did was call participants every 3 weeks for a year. During this call they asked how much the participant was exercising, and encouraged them to exercise more.
Simple, isn't it?
At the end of the year, researchers found that the people receiving the encouraging phone calls were exercising 78% more than they were 12 months earlier. Did you catch that? Participants who received a phone call every 3 weeks were exercising 78% more!
One of the study participants, Ms. Lowe, summarized the study results quite nicely by saying "When you know you were going to have to report back on what you had done, it motivated you" (source: Wall Street Journal, 5-18-2010).
So how can you, as a gym owner, motivate people to lose weight with this same technique?
It's quite simple, and it will cost you NOTHING.
Here's the answer: Call your gym members. Call them every 3 weeks. Ask them how they're doing. Ask them how much they're exercising inside the health club, and also at home. Encourage them to exercise more. Don't pass judgment, don't be critical, and don't patronize them. Just get their report of how much they're exercising, and then encourage them to do more.
If your fitness center members follow the same trend as the participants in the Stanford study, the result is that they will exercise 78% more. That will, in turn, make them more successful in their weight loss efforts and more likely to continue as a gym member. Oh, by the way, they'll also be more likely to refer your health club to their friends and neighbors.
So, if you want to know how to motivate people to lose weight today, the answer is with a few phone calls. It costs you nothing. There is no downside other than your time investment, and the PROVEN results are huge (78% is HUGE)!
Thanks to a recent study conducted by Stanford University, you can learn how to motivate people to lose weight today!
As reported by the Wall Street Journal on May 18 in an article titled "The Power Of A Gentle Nudge", Stanford researchers proved that even a little bit of social support can yield huge motivational results.
In a nutshell, what the researchers in the Stanford study did was call participants every 3 weeks for a year. During this call they asked how much the participant was exercising, and encouraged them to exercise more.
Simple, isn't it?
At the end of the year, researchers found that the people receiving the encouraging phone calls were exercising 78% more than they were 12 months earlier. Did you catch that? Participants who received a phone call every 3 weeks were exercising 78% more!
One of the study participants, Ms. Lowe, summarized the study results quite nicely by saying "When you know you were going to have to report back on what you had done, it motivated you" (source: Wall Street Journal, 5-18-2010).
So how can you, as a gym owner, motivate people to lose weight with this same technique?
It's quite simple, and it will cost you NOTHING.
Here's the answer: Call your gym members. Call them every 3 weeks. Ask them how they're doing. Ask them how much they're exercising inside the health club, and also at home. Encourage them to exercise more. Don't pass judgment, don't be critical, and don't patronize them. Just get their report of how much they're exercising, and then encourage them to do more.
If your fitness center members follow the same trend as the participants in the Stanford study, the result is that they will exercise 78% more. That will, in turn, make them more successful in their weight loss efforts and more likely to continue as a gym member. Oh, by the way, they'll also be more likely to refer your health club to their friends and neighbors.
So, if you want to know how to motivate people to lose weight today, the answer is with a few phone calls. It costs you nothing. There is no downside other than your time investment, and the PROVEN results are huge (78% is HUGE)!
Monday, March 1, 2010
How Normal Weight Obesity Sells Gym Memberships
If you're reading this blog, then you're probably a health club owner and you probably know all about normal weight obesity. Just in case you need a refresher, though, normal weight obesity is a term used to describe how people can be a "normal" weight and still be obese. In other words, the number on the scale can tell you that you're healthy, and you can look thin, but you can still have a higher-than-healthy percentage of body fat.
"People don't have to be overweight to have excess body fat. Instead, these people have a higher ratio of fat to muscle tissue than do people with low body fat. Indeed, even people of the same weight, or those with comperable body body mass index, which factors together weight and height, can have different bodyfat percentages" (source: The Wall Street Journal 1-26-10).
For more information on normal weight obesity, click here to read a great article titled 'Skinny Fat People'.
All of that being said, did you know that this phenomenon of normal weight obesity can help you sell gym memberships? The potential market is huge, too. Cardiologist Francisco Lopez-Jiminez of the Mayo Clinic estimates that ".....as many as 30 million Americans may fall into the normal weight obesity category, many of them unaware they may by at increased heart risk" (source: The Wall Street Journal 1-26-10).
Think about it. That's 30 MILLION PEOPLE who NEED to exercise and don't know it.
If that doesn't make a gym owner excited, I don't know what will!
So how do you help people realize that they may suffer from normal weight obesity, and then how do you turn that knowledge into action?
Perhaps the best approach is to invite anyone and everyone into the health club for a FREE body fat assessment. A body fat analysis will show your percentage of body fat, and therefore show if you're a 'skinny fat' person. The average person on the street pays attention to their weight only, which does nothing to indicate their body fat content. By offering them a free body fat analysis, you're opening up a dialogue where you can educate them on normal weight obesity.
If you don't yet have a body fat analyzer, you should get one now. They're surprisingly affordable, and no gym should be without one. Here are a few reputable dealers:
Body Fat Analyzer
Omron Body Fat Analyzer
VitaMinder Fit & Healthy Body Fat Analyzer, 1-Unit
By inviting the public in for a free body fat analysis, you'll be helping them realize a hidden danger in their own body. Since high body fat has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome and a host of other health issues, the free test you're offering may even help some folks live longer!
Of course, once you've administered the body fat test and explained the results, you should also invite each person to become a member of your health club. You may want to offer a special promotional price, or give them a 7-day free trial membership just for coming in to take the body fat analysis.
However you decide to approach this issue of normal weight obesity, it is a topic that simply cannot be ignored by any health club owner. Too many people (30 million!) need your help understanding and dealing with normal weight obesity.
Should you decide to take our advice and start a 'Free Body Fat Analysis' promotion, don't forget to notify the media via a press release! Once you have the facts about normal weight obesity, the local newspaper may even interview you for a story. With a little luck, you could even get a local television personality to come down for a free body fat analysis! As always, in everything you do, you've got to be looking for ways to get some free publicity for your gym.
Now go out there and do what gym owners do best: educate, help people, and grow the business!
"People don't have to be overweight to have excess body fat. Instead, these people have a higher ratio of fat to muscle tissue than do people with low body fat. Indeed, even people of the same weight, or those with comperable body body mass index, which factors together weight and height, can have different bodyfat percentages" (source: The Wall Street Journal 1-26-10).
For more information on normal weight obesity, click here to read a great article titled 'Skinny Fat People'.
All of that being said, did you know that this phenomenon of normal weight obesity can help you sell gym memberships? The potential market is huge, too. Cardiologist Francisco Lopez-Jiminez of the Mayo Clinic estimates that ".....as many as 30 million Americans may fall into the normal weight obesity category, many of them unaware they may by at increased heart risk" (source: The Wall Street Journal 1-26-10).
Think about it. That's 30 MILLION PEOPLE who NEED to exercise and don't know it.
If that doesn't make a gym owner excited, I don't know what will!
So how do you help people realize that they may suffer from normal weight obesity, and then how do you turn that knowledge into action?
Perhaps the best approach is to invite anyone and everyone into the health club for a FREE body fat assessment. A body fat analysis will show your percentage of body fat, and therefore show if you're a 'skinny fat' person. The average person on the street pays attention to their weight only, which does nothing to indicate their body fat content. By offering them a free body fat analysis, you're opening up a dialogue where you can educate them on normal weight obesity.
If you don't yet have a body fat analyzer, you should get one now. They're surprisingly affordable, and no gym should be without one. Here are a few reputable dealers:
Body Fat Analyzer
Omron Body Fat Analyzer
VitaMinder Fit & Healthy Body Fat Analyzer, 1-Unit
By inviting the public in for a free body fat analysis, you'll be helping them realize a hidden danger in their own body. Since high body fat has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome and a host of other health issues, the free test you're offering may even help some folks live longer!
Of course, once you've administered the body fat test and explained the results, you should also invite each person to become a member of your health club. You may want to offer a special promotional price, or give them a 7-day free trial membership just for coming in to take the body fat analysis.
However you decide to approach this issue of normal weight obesity, it is a topic that simply cannot be ignored by any health club owner. Too many people (30 million!) need your help understanding and dealing with normal weight obesity.
Should you decide to take our advice and start a 'Free Body Fat Analysis' promotion, don't forget to notify the media via a press release! Once you have the facts about normal weight obesity, the local newspaper may even interview you for a story. With a little luck, you could even get a local television personality to come down for a free body fat analysis! As always, in everything you do, you've got to be looking for ways to get some free publicity for your gym.
Now go out there and do what gym owners do best: educate, help people, and grow the business!
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