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Jan
11
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Posted by cameron
January 11, 2007 |
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My career has spanned the gamut of fitness disciplines and includes personal training and club sales. During this time “on the inside†of a multi-billion dollar industry I have learned secrets that can save you big bucks. I’m certain there are variations between clubs but the basics are all true. Here is your money list:
- Everything is negotiable. Membership salespersons earn their living by commission in this industry. They earn a small base that nobody can live on. This means they must close sales to eat. They will do anything within their power to close the deal, which means everything is negotiable. Do not sign up immediately. The longer you negotiate the more they will give you
- Use that free trial membership in its entirety and keep telling the salesman that memberships are too expensive. Close to the end of your trial he will be the most desperate to keep you coming back so that is the time to close the deal for yourself.
- Join in January. Clubs know that a high percentage of new memberships occur in January after those New Year resolutions. This is the best time to join and the clubs will all be trying to outbid each other.
- Get the price you negotiate, not the one that is “right for youâ€. Salesmen will have a list of prices that vary depending on who you are. If he needs a sale you can get special pricing even if you don’t match the description on his price sheet. A few examples of price variances in my experience are these:
- Doctors and Therapists often have relationships with gyms or health clubs that get their patients “preferred†pricing if they join the club.
- Senior citizen prices.
- Seniors have special prices based on health insurance. Check my previous post about Silver Sneakers.
The salesman will offer you one of these deals rather than let you walk. His management will not look on this favorably but he will do it to eat. That trumps management.
- Join at the end of the month. Salesmen are paid commission monthly and they will have a quota to make. Some clubs penalize the commission rate severely if the salesman doesn’t make quota. This makes every salesman very hungry at the end of the month, especially the worst salesman.
- Personal Trainers are salesmen too. They are trained to sell you, and up-sell you. Make no mistake about that. Clubs will usually give you a couple of “free†sessions with a trainer but those two free sessions are nothing more than an opportunity to sell you services.
The old saying applies; “you get what you negotiate, not what you deserveâ€.
Comments
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Good ideas!