MARCH 10 LETTERS
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T
OGRAPHEER
OCK.COM/WEBPHO
.IST
get people active by tapping

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into a desire to help others
PICTURE:
I’m not alone in having put in hundreds, I’m not saying we should turn a
if not thousands, of hours into discussing tragedy into some kind of benefit for
the barriers to exercise – the myriad the fitness industry by any means,
reasons people can’t, or won’t, get but we need to find creative ways to
active. And the simple answer is: there is compel people to take action. Marketing
no simple answer. campaigns that communicate messages
However, the terrible earthquake in along the lines of: “Get off your couch
Haiti recently has got me thinking. Are today so you don’t have a heart attack
there broader issues – areas of public tomorrow” are certainly one part of the
interest that lie well beyond personal mix, but there are bigger and broader
wellbeing – that we can tap into as a way things we can initiate that might help
of encouraging people to take action? people to get physically active.
The whole fitness industry could If something like this tragedy can
work together and organise a charity compel people to take action for Paintballing can be used as a fun
walk, let’s say, or even a three-month themselves – or, more accurately, to activity to help retain members
campaign – Get Healthy for Haiti. take action to help others while at the
It would be something the general same time helping themselves – then we must rethink the spend
population could participate in, perhaps it’s worthy of our consideration. on sales vs retention
structured and guided by the fitness john kersh Why do health clubs spend inordinate
industry. That sort of thing might just vp international development, amounts of money, time and effort on
bring people out of their doors – people anytime fi tness marketing and promotional campaigns?
who might not come for fitness itself As an experienced health and fitness
but who will come for something Please turn to page 32 for a full professional, I’ve witnessed for so many
greater. It could just help bridge the gap. interview with John Kersh years this money, time and effort being
wasted on prospects who in all honesty
may never step foot inside your facility.
Why not flip the coin and invest in the
most important people: your current
members? After all, these are the loyal
people who pay their membership fees
month in, month out, year after year.
Studies have shown that it’s almost
three times as expensive to recruit a
new member as it is to keep an existing
one – so why are operators not doing
more to keep existing members happy?
At Healthy Balanced Generation,
we go the extra mile to appreciate and
recognise our members’ loyalty, which
I can confidently say not enough health
clubs do. Over the past 18 months, we’ve
set up sponsored 5km/10km runs and
bike rides for our members, organised
Christmas meals, taken them paintballing,
organised a day of rounders and a BBQ,
and are due to complete the Three
Peak Challenge. Having this attitude has
OCK.COM/P_WEI
resulted in a retention rate of more than
.IST
double the national average. Maybe it’s
time for change and a rethink in the whole

WWW
acquisition versus retention debate.
mark mckeganey
PICTURE: fi tness co-ordinator, healthy
John Kersh suggests charity campaigns could be a good way to get people fi t balanced generation
10 Read Health Club Management online march 2010 © cybertrek 2010
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