Just before Christmas your members and prospective new customers are somewhere else with their thoughts running around in shopping frenzy. For sure you are going to struggle with a smaller retention and all consequences of it – problems with staff management, low attendance or even cancelled group classes, smaller number of memberships- which all brings us to a smaller revenue with the same costs of the previous months. You can observe this as a yearly trend, thanks to PerfectGym management system which stores all the past data and helps you to build your knowledge, observe trends, prepare strategies to tackle them. On the other hand, people keep searching for a perfect gift and this is your chance to get their attention. But please, don’t jump out as the rest of high-street promotions with their special offers based on the price like: Get our half price 12 month membership now! Think of something else that will help you to celebrate holiday time with something that does not devaluate your services.
Night Out
If you really care about building a strong brand, you should probably step back from any too cheesy or too commercial promotional ideas. Of course it may help you to gain few new customers and temporarily repair your budget, but this is not a long term strategy. Such a simple promotion does not bring loyal customers and soon you will lose those people if a better and more price aggressive promotion occurs. Again such a way of running the business is super short sighted and nobody cares then about relations, building a circle of people around gym and general atmosphere. What could help to achieve this goal plus build your potential customer base during holiday season are “open nights”. Let your members bring their friends for free trial workouts. You will have people who are coming with someone they know, that spread already good word about your place, with positive attitude. The only thing you have to do is to provide your place and staff. Of course the more you prepare such night, the better the experience and higher chance of keeping new comers. Show the spirit of holidays – which is spending time with friends and family from a bit different perspective, yet very warm hearted and kind.
Charity
Have you ever thought of it? Not that obvious for a fitness business, right? Support local children’s charity or homeless dog shelter by gathering necessary products. Offer an incentive for all people donating such as a free class, 15 minute personal training or a personal nutritional assessment. This is completely different type of value plus it builds positive relationships among gym community.
Healthy holidays
It is typical that periods such Christmas are ruining diet plans of many gym lovers. Use your social media, blog, newsletter and text messages send through PerfectGym management system to help people stay fit and strong with some nutritional tips closely connected to holidays. People will really appreciate the know-how and some life saving tips and tricks. You just have to be super relevant and realistic so the recipients can relate to the messages.