The value of exercise is in its continuation

As exercise guys, and girls, we tend to place a premium on exercise. And, often, we as owners and managers believe our own hype when it comes to the value of what it is we are selling.

Is a guest pass really worth $15… I know some clubs that charge $25, even $40 for a single guest/day pass.

Of course, some of these are priced to be prohibitively expensive to move prospective members towards a membership but the problem is that these owners and mangers start to behave like the guest pass/day pass is actually worth 15, 25, or 40 dollars.

In free markets the true value of anything is whatever the market will pay.

When I was an instructor my boss approached me on shift and told me he wanted me to take a bunch of free passes and hand them out in the shopping center on the floor below (another one of those ad hoc marketing tactics).

I couldn’t give them away.

Of course, his thinking was who wouldn’t want a fifteen dollar free pass… but the value in that marketplace was virtually zero, even when the cost was zero.

Here’s the problem with the free pass give aways… everyone who values exercise (or at least exercise in a club) probably already has a club membership. That’s not to say they won’t take a pass and give your club a try but they won’t leave their club until their membership come due. And if they’ve already got a club on your area they probably already considered your club… and rejected it.

For almost everyone else, the people who don’t value exercise, aren’t going to be convinced on the basis of a single visit. In fact, a single visit to your club is more likely to confirm why they don’t value exercise… they don’t know what they are doing… they feel stupid… everyone else is so much better than them… they feel like everyone is looking at them…

You’ve essentially convinced them not to continue exercising… its negative reinforcement in action. If they feel bad by coming into the club the solution to feeling better is to not come into the club… problem solved.

The point is to get them to want to continue exercising. They only get the benefits of exercise if they continue exercising… and you only get the ongoing revenue stream if they continue exercising.

Therefore, for these beginners, you need to be able to demonstrate to them how they can continue in your club (by overcoming their fears) and not simply showcasing your stuff.

A guest pass can’t do it… a week can’t do it… even two or three weeks (without more) is a stretch.