A club community communicates
E-communication, in all of its many morphing
forms, is also playing an increasingly valuable role
E
at GHFC. Cirulli carries a Blackberry and identifies
it as his primary Web tool; so, too, does Lee, who
considers it pivotal. “We’re relying less and less on
traditional ways of reaching people—snail-mail
and telephone—and more and more on the new
landscape of technology,” she observes.
Coley-Cannon is a big fan of Zwurly, makes heavy
use of e-mail in her dealings both with prospects and
current members, and turns to Google to identify
and research promising corporate clients. “That
way, I’m able to effectively tailor my sales presenta-
tion,” she says. She credits the Internet with a 20%
increase in her own membership sales.
GHFC makes use of the services of Retention Man-
agement, an IHRSA associate-member company
based in Cornelius, North Carolina, to conduct an
ongoing, eight-week e-mail campaign that’s designed
to “initiate and integrate” new members. The mes-
sages provide information and updates about the
by sales, marketing, public-relations, and personal-
club’s programs, activities, and other offerings, and,
training staff to access educational Webinars.
conveyed in a friendly, familial tone, help cultivate
the sense of community that’s so important to Cir-
The apps just keep on happening
ulli. The program costs about $700 per month for all
The Internet has proven a very flexible—and sticky—
three GHFC facilities.
Web in terms of keeping everyone involved with
Similarly, the club makes use of a biweekly elec-
GHFC “in the loop,” but, within individual depart-
tronic newsletter to keep in touch, and maintain its
ments, it’s also employed to address very specific
relationship, with all its members. The goals, in this
needs. It can be used, for instance, to conduct detailed
case, are not only to keep everyone interested,
market research, obtain competitor intelligence,
involved, and well-informed, but also, Lee acknowl-
identify and purchase new fitness equipment. The
edges, “to encourage them to do the things we want
possibilities are very nearly endless—literally.
them to do”—e.g., sign up for a class, book an hour
At GHFC, the maintenance department utilizes
with a personal trainer, etc. The content for the news-
the webexone.com intranet to file reports on faulty
letter, which costs about $175 per month, is culled
machines, place orders for parts, track repairs, and
from a variety of media sources or written by the
maintain a record of a particular machine’s repair
club’s own staff.
history. The club’s personal trainers may enlist the
Internet’s expertise to help them design programs
“My goal is to constantly figure out how
for members, illustrate exercise fundamentals
with photos or diagrams of the body, or print out
we can make our site even better.”
regimens for clients who are traveling. The trainers’
favorite sites are the instruction-centric ptonthenet.
Coley-Cannon estimates that the e-solicitations
com and, for monitoring calories, bodybugg.com.
have produced a 15%-25% increase in the sale of
Now being discussed: a GHFC-produced online
personal-training sessions.
personal-training application.
An in-house, Internet-based grid—the Group Inter-
“Business was growing pretty strong before the
active Network (GIN) System—allows the club’s
Internet came along,” reflects Cirulli, “but it’s fast
management and its 400 employees to stay on the
become essential, integral, to the club’s overall devel-
same page, and to stay on top of things, with respect
opment. It won’t ever replace the personal touch, or
to one another. The network, developed by Group
be more important than a solid business plan, but
Interactive Solutions, Inc., of Gainesville, employs
it can, in fact, further enhance the members’ experi-
e-mail and a message board to do everything from
ence. The Internet has the potential,” he says, “to help
posting announcements about meetings to making
them get the most out of their workouts, and, in turn,
requests for work-shift coverage. The GIN intranet
to get the most out of their lives.” —|
also hosts employee-training videos, and can be used
– Patricia Glynn, p.glynn@fit-etc.com
www.ihrsa.org | OCTOBeR 2009 | Club Business International
57
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120