AMONG MANY types of membership
strategies, fitness center tours
produce the highest percentage of
pro.spects from leads, and memberships
from prospects. A membership
salesperson who has
mastered the art of the tour can
be assured to generate quality
prospects and membership sales.
But, there are key steps involved
in staging a successful facility tour.
Start with a Q&A
Begin the tour with a relaxed
Q&A session. Sit down in an
open, non-intimidating setting
and offer prospects water. Then,
talk to them about why they want
to join, their favorite activities,
goals, etc. This information will
not only increase the chances of
the membership sale being closed,
but can prove invaluable in setting
up the tour. This feedback can
also be used to improve membership
growth and retention.
Find their “hot spots”
Potential members are knowledgeable,
and giving them a
“canned” tour is one of the worst
things you can do. It can turn
prospects off, and detract from
the level of professionalism of
your staff members. The tour
should be personalized for each
prospect, based on the priorities
indicated in the Q&A session. Use
that information to identify the
prospect’s “hot spot,” and start the
tour there.
Introduce prospects to your
facility’s experts in their indicated
areas of interest. If the tour has
been scheduled, arrangements
should be made for the experts to
be present. If the tour is unscheduled
and an expert is not available,
the fitness director or an
assistant can fill in.
Never lead off a tour of the fitness
area by saying, “this is our
cardiovascular room,” or, “we have
Nautilus equipment.” These are
obvious statements that indicate a
lack of professionalism and
understanding of the prospect’s
specific needs. Instead, focus on
what sets your fitness center apart
from other clubs, and what those
differences mean to the prospect.
Focus on the staff, service, members,
programming, etc. — not
the equipment.
“Want to try the facility today?”
Give prospects the opportunity
to use your fitness center that day.
Better yet, connect them with
another member or a staff person
who can provide any needed
assistance.
Introduce a member
From a sales perspective, nothing
nothing
is stronger than the testimony
of a member to show a prospect
the value of your facility. The
introduction between a prospect
and a member should be short
and brief. A satisfied member can
be your best salesperson.
Provide printed information
Prospects should be provided
with the facility’s brochure before
the tour begins. This way, they can
reference information presented
in the brochure during the tour.
In addition, the tour should
include a brief review of the
fitness center’s programs
and/or events. It is important
that the prospect gets a feel for
the various activities and traditions
of your facility. This situation
also represents a great
opportunity for prospects to
ask questions, and gives the
salesperson the chance to elaborate
on the level of member
participation in the facility.
Ask for the sale
After the tour is complete, the
salesperson should sit down with
the prospect in a non-intimidating
setting and ask if he or she has
any further questions. After providing
answers, the salesperson
should ask for the sale. If the sale
doesn’t occur, the salesperson
should give the prospect a guest
pass, and then follow up at a later
date to see how his or her visit to
the facility went.
Steps to success
A well-planned membership
tour is one of the most effective
things a facility can do to help
bring about membership sales.
Collectively, these steps can provide
fitness centers a pathway to
success.