Why do members really quit? Is it because of standing on the same old treadmill watching the same old television? What can we do to avoid boring our members?
The study Why People Quit, published by IHRSA in 1998, cites reasons people quit their clubs that we’ve all heard before: can’t afford it, it’s overcrowded, new demands on one’s time, inconvenient location and lost interest or motivation. If someone wants out, these excuses are as good as any. One great way to help keep members longer is to develop a personal relationship with the member to help motivate them to make it their priority to find time to exercise at YOUR club!

Key is ‘creating constant opportunities for contact and interaction between the club and members on a daily basis.
Here are some tips:

1. Member Appreciation Month – Each day during this month, put out large bowls of complimentary fruit, hand out free bottled water, and create fun events that grab members’ attention. Hold special activities at the sports/juice bar, such as a Happy Hour every Thursday from 6-7pm with free drinks and snacks. Barter with a local disc jockey for in-club music during this time. Consider offering free one-on-one or semi-private group training for every member who wants to try it (this results in more training business during the following month).
2. Announce Adding or Replacing old Equipment – It’s all a matter of presentation. New pieces can be presented as a gift to members for their loyal support. But don’t just buy the equipment – announce it to your members through your iGo Figure Software Welcome Screen, a large sign, ribbon or anything else you can think of. Everyone will notice that you care for your members and share the appreciation.
3. Group Exercise, Weigh Management Programs, Personal Training – Motivation can work wonders and it is a lot easier to create this in a group. Seeing others doing the same exercise and looking great shows your members that your club is right for them. Don’t forget to mix it up and offer different or even additional classes like a boot camp for the summer. It’s easy to track them with the iGo Figure Member Management Software as well as providing their results and achievements.
4. Open 24/7 – Anyone can be available 24/7 with a Door Access System. Systems like the iGo Figure Door Access do not require any additional staffing, because members simply scan their card and your doors open automatically. Your members will appreciate the extra hours you are there for them and no longer use time as an excuse to quit.

Start creating an environment in which every member is touched every day. Do this, and a higher retention rate is practically guaranteed.

Cheers,

Kyle Z

Source: http://cms.ihrsa.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=18576

According to the 2009 released statistics by the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), revenue and membership numbers in the U.S. health club industry remained steady.  The recession caused consolidation of club locations and the closure of weaker performing clubs while new club locations emerged in underserved markets. In addition about 23% (10.5 million) of the 45.3 million health club members were new.

The rise of niche and theme-oriented facilities impacted the 2009 survey results significantly. Many owners are getting creative on how to manage their business and tools such as a membership management software or retention management system make it even easier to accommodate their needs.

According to IHRSA the increase in revenues was due to increases in health club usage and non-dues spending. “Increased usage is typically associated with increased spending in non-dues related items, such as personal training, lessons, juice bars and other services,” says Jay Ablondi, IHRSA’s executive vice president of global products.  Special offers and discounts can be easily managed with a membership management software.

Attract new consumers and boost your non-dues sales with the all-in-one iGo Figure Software.
It’s time to get creative and say “bye, bye recession”!

Cheers,

Matt Z

Source: http://clubindustry.com/forprofits/ihrsa-revenues-membership-results-20100331/index.html

I just returned from training over 100 new users if the iGo Figure software in London last week. It was a lot of fun and the attendees were very appreciative for the event. It was also exciting to train on our newest version (3.6) which will be available in a few weeks. New and existing users alike were very happy to see features such as:

• Profile-based security
• Web-based scheduler
• Session based memberships
• Email Member Retention program

There are more new features than that coming in this version, but those were the only ones I had time to showcase. Check out our news and event tab for more on-site training events going on around the world. Also, remember to look for other training resources from the training section of our website.

Be well, Kyle Z.

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Member scheduling services are becoming a must for many day spas, fitness centers and yoga and dance studios. As a function of customer service, we have found that many of these types of businesses simply can’t survive without this in valuable feature. That is why we have added the new scheduling feature in version 3.6. All iGo Figure users will now benefit from having the ability to schedule classes, sales appointments, employee schedules, etc. See a complete demonstration of the iGo Scheduler:

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iGo Figure Software Home Page

The iGo Figure, member and customer management software, version 3.6 is available to users that speak the following languages:

1. English
2. Français – French
3. Deutsch – German
4. Español -Spanish
5. nederlands – Dutch
6. Türkçe – Turkish
7. עברית – Hebrew
8. الْعَرَبيّة – Arabic
9. Русский язык – Russian
10. Italiano – Italian

There are no separate modules to purchase. All languages are professionally translated and we work to have each verified by one of our current users that speak that language to help ensure the quality. More languages are on the way, but we did not forget that our users may have members or customers of their business who speak a different language than they do! Users of the iGo Figure software will be able to select language preferences for members as well. This means that when a member scans a key tag for attendance, views a receipt from an item they purchased, or views a weight and measure report, they will see each of these areas in their language! There are currently 18 languages to choose from.

We feel that our software architecture is unique in that it enables us to make quick changes to our code and update languages in a short period of time. We think that we have the most robust and dynamic set of features in the industries we serve: Health Clubs, Fitness Centres, Gymnastic Centers, Yoga Studios, Day Spas, Chiropractors, Gyms, Massage Centers, and Physical therapy businesses.

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iGo Figure is pleased to announce that more and more Yoga centers are adding the iGo Figure software as the cornerstone management tool for their facilities. “Tracking members, sales commissions, door access, point of sale, attendance, scheduling… the list goes on and on. We couldn’t be more impressed and pleased with our decision to go with iGo Figure,” says Peggy Stavanich, managing director of the Bay Area Dharma yoga chain. Thank you Peggy!

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Attention Australian users! iGo Figure has integrated EZi Debit electronic billing system into iGo Figure, version 3.6. Hands down, we are the best membership management solution down under. Hundreds or iGo Figure users for health clubs, gymnastic centers, karate studios, yoga centers and day spas can now save time and receive a discount off their current EZi Debit fees with this convenient integration! Learn more about direct debits in Australia.

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