|News & Know How| News >
Short Takes |CDC: Strokes Becoming Common in Youth
The number of people between the ages of 15 and 44 hospitalized for stroke jumped by more than 33% between 1995 and 2008, report researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During the same 14-year period, there was also a significant increase, among adolescents and young adults, in the incidence of diabetes, high cholesterol, and tobacco use.
Client Management
Alumni Make a Comeback! By Julie King
F
aced with a challenging economic climate and persistent competition, savvy health club operators are making a concerted effort to win back former members.
“Clubs sometimes overlook this important resource, and, yet, many times our
return on this prospecting opportunity exceeds 15%,” reports Thomas Kulp, the chief motivational officer at the Universal Athletic Club, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. “The industry, overall, understands that it’s easier and more effective to
recruit a former member than it is to cultivate a new prospect,” points out Stephen Tharrett, the president of Club Industry Consulting, based in Highland Village, Texas. Clubs should first scrutinize exit interviews or questionnaires to determine
why former members quit, the experts advise, and then address those issues, specifically. “Our centers conduct an extensive survey to better understand what worked, and
what didn’t work, for the member,” explains Bonnie Patrick Mattalian, a vice presi- dent of MediFit, a provider of corporate wellness services based in Florham Park, New Jersey. “And we ask if they’d consider rejoining at some point if the situation were to change.” The recommended timeframe for following up with ex-members ranges
from 30 to 120 days after termination, following ongoing communication via newsletters, advertising, and community involvement. Consistent contact with alumni—employing direct mail, phone, e-mail, and social media—helps main- tain the relationship and cultivate a sense of still belonging to the club, suggests Eddie Tock, a partner at REX Roundtables for Executives. “Former members continue to receive educational and promotional materials
“I was surprised to see the extent of cardiovascular risk factors in this young population,” says lead researcher Dr. Mary George, of the CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention.
George and her team used data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project to find people hospitalized for stroke. They found that almost one in three ischemic stroke patients were between the ages of 15 and 34 years old.
“We really need to encourage people to lead healthy lifestyles from the time they’re very young. Stroke is largely preventable, and eating a healthy diet, getting regu- lar physical activity, (and) avoiding tobacco and alcohol abuse can go a long way to prevent stroke.”—|
28 Club Business Internat ional
from the club, which results in quite a few renewals,” notes Debra Lee, the director of marketing at the Gainesville Health and Fitness Centers, in Gainesville, Florida. Targeted marketing campaigns and personal outreach have also proven to be effective. “We try to reengage former members through various year-round marketing efforts, which often prompt them to seek out the club again,” says John Greene, the vice president of marketing for the ACAC Fitness and Wellness Centers, based in Charlottesville, Virginia. To lure alumni, many clubs offer “We want you back!” incentives. “Our amnesty program involves a direct-mail invitation from our owner to
rejoin without paying any back dues or new fees, which is followed by a phone call,” says Lee. “We recoup about 15% of the former members that we reach out to each month.” At the Rochester Athletic Club (RAC), in Rochester, Minnesota, General
Manager Greg Lappin explains that his annual alumni letter, sent each fall to former members, offers a deeply discounted enrollment fee and entices more than 100 people to rejoin each year. Exclusive events are another popular and productive tactic. “Invitation-only activities allow former members to visit, which reminds them about all of the things that they once enjoyed about the club—the benefits that they left behind,” says Greene. While tapping former members can be surprisingly rewarding, a strong retention focus is even more effective. “The best strategy of all is to not lose members in the first place,” concludes Lee.—|
| NOVEMBER 2011 |
ihrsa.org
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