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else do you have coming up over the next few months that I could help you with?” is immediately after completing a project. They like your work, so they should be keen to rehire you.


Steve Slaunwhite marketing coach Brampton, Ontario www.steveslaunwhite.com


4. Make a connection Reach out to one high-profile com-


munity leader, potential client and/ or business professional. For example, if you read about a business profes- sional who received a promotion or a leader who did something special for the community, send a congrats card with a gift certificate to your studio. It could say, for example, “Joe, I just read about the fundraiser you hosted that raised $25,000 for the local shelter. Congratulations! Thank you for every- thing you do for our community! As a thank you for all you do, please accept the enclosed gift certificate for a pri- vate training session and a two-week pass to our studio. We love having go- getters like you around – the energy rubs off on others.”


Sherri McMillan owner, Northwest Personal Training Vancouver, Washington & Portland, Oregon www.nwpersonaltraining.com


5. Check in with Twitter I quickly check in with my client


Twitter feed at least twice a day. Staying involved with my clients’ lives by sharing wellness information and links to local events extends my services beyond the time I am directly with them. Twitter is word-of-mouth marketing for me and is now my only avenue of new client acquisition.


Wendy Chappell The Whole Way Health and Fitness Studio Charlottetown, P.E.I. www.thewholeway.ca


6. Connect with your staff Spend time with members of your


team. In five minutes you can inspire your staff to perform better by ac- knowledging them and appreciating


What to avoid spending time on? Checking your cell phone during meetings, says Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling. “Your client or prospect should feel like the most important person in the world. When you even glance at your phone, you give the impression that others matter more.”


their efforts. A simple thank you, or sharing a laugh, a card or an unexpect- ed gift goes a long way. These actions speak louder than words.


Helen Vanderburg co-owner, Heavens Elevated Fitness Calgary www.heavensfitness.com


7. Clean up Pop the hoods on your treadmills,


and vacuum out the dust bunnies that accumulate there. While you’re at it, vacuum underneath the treadmills too. Dust causes friction and prema- ture wear and tear on equipment and it can overheat the motors. Doing this just once a month can easily save you $1,000 per unit – the cost of a new belt and deck and the labour to install them. The belt and deck will eventu- ally need to be replaced, but simple monthly vacuuming will make them last four years versus two years.


Alfonso D’Alessio Eastern Canada Territory Manager Matrix Fitness www.matrixfitness.com


8. Get rid of the spray bottles The consoles on cardio equipment


look flat and perfectly sealed, but when people use a spray bottle to clean them the water often makes its way around the back and into the cooling vents. You can add signs to each piece asking members not to spray them, but when we repair equipment at these clubs we inevitably find rust inside the consoles or connections that have shorted out due to water. Try moist towelettes or something similar, and you can save yourself from a lot of ex- pensive repairs.


Brian Furlong president, Advantage Fitness Sales Inc. Markham, Ont.


9. Do some grunge work Spend a few minutes doing some of


the grunge work that your employees do every day. For example, empty and clean the dirty vacuum cleaner, break down some boxes and take them to the recycling area, clean up a spill or mess, or take on one of those uncom- fortable “courageous conversations” with a member who isn’t following the club’s procedures. When employees see their manager or club owner doing some of the same not-so-glamorous tasks that they do on a regular basis it helps build rapport. The message is that we’re a team all in the same boat and are working toward the same goal.


Angie Wood Fitness Coordinator, Department of Athletics Durham College & UOIT Oshawa, Ont.


10. Clarify and announce your passion Take a few minutes to think about


your club’s life legacy. It’s easy to fill a club with cool equipment, but what’s important to you and what are you passionate about? For example, I’m very passionate about corrective exer- cise, functional training and holistic health. I’ve made this clear to my staff who then help me communicate this passion through all of our clubs and who represent our two clubs as bea- cons of health. Of course you need to be a profitable and successful business, but if all of your focus is on financials it’s easy to find yourself empty and un- fulfilled as a club owner or manager.


Barney Kuntz Pinacle Health & Fitness Inc. Milverton & Elmira, Ont. pinaclehealthandfitness.com


Barb Gormley is the senior editor of Fitness Business Canada, a freelance writer and editor, and a certified personal trainer. Contact her at www.barbgormley.com.


January/February 2013 Fitness Business Canada 33


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