I


n such a young and competitive field, it’s be easy to get lost by try- ing to simultaneously improve mul- tiple areas to maximize revenue. Fortunately, I learned long ago that


changing everything isn’t necessary to make improvements. A better ap- proach is to perform a specific needs analysis to determine one or two areas that need direct attention and which will improve other areas indirectly. At our club, we regularly take a de-


tailed look at areas such as brand- ing, marketing, sales/revenue/profit margins, client systems (including on- boarding, retention and satisfaction, staff satisfaction, staff competence/ productivity) and more. After analyzing these areas, we dis-


covered that the biggest space that currently needs work is our client on- boarding system. We already do a good job here (with


the initial contact and first few weeks of exercise), but I believe our initial in- teractions could be even better. After all, there’s only one opportunity for a first impression and we want to nail it every time. Setting expectations is key to a posi-


tive experience and successful rela- tionship building. I believe we can do a better job providing a more detailed overview of what’s available to new members and clients. I also believe we should give new


clients more when they sign up. We have a fantastic e-book to help with cleaning up nutrition thoughts and habits, and people love it! There’s a ton of value to it that we charge money for. But instead, I’d like to give this to our


Adam Lloyd


new members. A high value and unex- pected gift like this goes a long way in promoting word of mouth, which helps our business grow. This is a win, win, win scenario: the


client benefits from the added-value offer; a potential prospect, who other- wise might not have heard of us, ben- efits when the client shares his or her experience; and of course we benefit by growing our opportunity to help people and generating more revenue. And this is all because we identified one key area to improve.


Adam Lloyd owner/CEO ALP Training Institute Hamilton, Ontario


This is where our members enjoy a well-earned cocktail, grab lunch or a protein shake, watch a game on the big screen or play some table tennis. What also makes it unique is that it is surrounded by three squash courts. We are a 3,000-member club with a squash section of over 400 members. Until three years ago, the Lounge


O


was a consistent loss leader for us. Being located in the financial district of Toronto, our members have access to countless restaurants and fast food outlets, and competing with them had always been a challenge. Three years ago, we made some changes to our


ur Lounge is located in the centre of our club and has hundreds of members travelling through it daily.


food and beverage program and, as a result, the Lounge now turns a small profit. We have always felt that having a


food and beverage operation is impor- tant to separate us from our competi- tors. It’s a part of what makes us a club over a gym, and the Lounge is a major differentiator for us in our market. As a result of this thinking, we are


in the process of spending $1 million upgrading the Lounge. Although im- proving the ROI on our food and bev- erage program is a tall order, we be- lieve the investment is right for the club as a whole. We want every inch of our club to


be seen as world class, and we truly be- lieve that our members will appreci- ate the improvement. They’re proud of their club!


Matt Cassells general manager The Adelaide Club Toronto


NEXT ISSUE’S QUESTION:


What lesson, learned at a recent professional development event, have you have successfully implemented in your facility?


To respond to this question or to suggest a question for a future Q&A, contact Stephen Longwell at stephen@fitnet.ca.


May/June 2017 Fitness Business Canada 13


Matt Cassells


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