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Strength-train Your Gym for Slow Seasons

July 16, 2014

By: Hope Osborn

For gym managers, seasons such as summer create the problems of loss of member involvement. Members vacation, weaken in New Year resolve, spending time with kids, favor outdoor athletics, and enjoy increased events. Seasonal diversions also disrupt healthy habits best maintained by continual practice. Good reasons for missing workouts easily lapse into weak excuses for skipping workouts.

If you understand members’ reasons for seasonal absenteeism, you can develop a plan for strength-training your club in preparation for it. The 4 P’s of Marketing has weathered many variables in time, economy, and product. It is a worthy outline for strategizing strengthening your club against unhealthy seasons.

Price

How can I maintain stability in cost, member attendance, and, therefore, profit, despite the instability of season?

Even if actual purchasing and maintenance cost, from fitness drink to fitness trainer, are stable, slow season costs aren’t. If it isn’t moving, you are losing.

Instead of waiting for products and services to expire, retire, or stale, adapt them to the season. Offer discounts on or samples of unused products and services, or, better yet, create from them something intriguingly new. One, your members will appreciate added value in overall gym experience. Two, you will bolster profit with product movement and attendance increase.

Product

How can I package my services so gym members continue to see their benefit during this season?

Members of even the most innovative and diverse clubs grow weary of diet and exercise routine. Captivating beach-side vacations, lawn concerts, and backyard grilling relieve members craving excuse. Passage of time and struggle with obstacle wear down member resolve.

Renew and repackage your services to captivate attention and encourage persistence of members in a seasonal slide. Mix up members’ personal training with new, creative ways that accomplish the same fitness goals and result in trainer and member laughing together. If you have space, use club management software to help you organize classes for members’ kids so parents can have both a break and time for the gym.

Promotion

How can I turn to my gym’s advantages to capture member attention?

17 Templates to Streamline Communication With Your Members in 2024

E-books

Lots of summer activity means lots of word-of-mouth in person and through social media. Apps on ever-present mobile devices also alert members to happenings about town.

Use your club management software and app to alert members to the intriguing new happenings at their very own gym. Manage a rewards program alongside your club management software. A gym-branded app and rewards program alerts motivate member frequency. Also focus social media posts on fun fitness tips and summer interest know-how.

Place

How can I place my product so it goes with instead of against the flow of season?

The gym is one location with unchanging equipment and a routine schedule. Your members are sunning on the beach, grilling in their backyard, jamming to a concert by the river, and visiting friends.

Take your services to your members. Organize a hike or classes under park trees or rink disco-lighting. Have a few classes members can invite the friends they are usually with elsewhere. Use club management software to track guests to remind them of their fun experience…

And to strengthen gym membership!