Art's Blog

Coming August 1st....!

Coming August 1st...  IT'S GOING ONLINE!  A MAJOR overhaul of our industry acclaimed Marketing Manual... More than 200 pages of

• charts,
  
• graphs,
  
• check lists,
  
• pro formas,
  
• operational plans,
  
• compensation,
  
• price-points,
  
• how-to segments,
  
• video,
  
• downloads...
• and much, much more. 

Most notable are the updated sections on Web Marketing, Social Media Marketing and Bonus Material including Ad Slicks!!! 

If you are planning on conducting any sort of weight-management course, program or plan, then, this is the most comprehensive manual available.  PERIOD! 

American FAT Facts!

• The annual healthcare costs of obesity in this country are $147 billion a year. This could rise to as much as $344 billion by 2018, according to one major study.

• Obesity has become one of the most expensive health problems in America today, surpassing smoking, according to a study in Health Affairs.

• Two-thirds of Americans are overweight although 85% of Americans characterize their lifestyle as somewhat/very healthy.

• Obese employee sick days total approximately 39 million workdays and 63 million doctor visits yearly.

• 12 million Americans are considered severely obese, defined as more than 100 pounds overweight.

• Diet books consistently rank as some of the hottest best sellers. There are also over 100 unregulated over-the-counter diet pills on the market and celebrities line up to pitch an assortment of diet products. All of this amounts to a nearly $60 billion weight loss industry.

• Employers have a big stake in getting their workforce to lose weight and reduce the enormous costs in medical claims and lost productivity linked to obesity. Recent studies have shown an impressive return on investment for every dollar spent on prevention and wellness programs.

• Johnson & Johnson's CEO Bill Weldon confirmed his company saved $20 million in 7 years by implementing employee wellness program.

• Nearly a third of the children in this country are overweight and some experts believe up to one third of children will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lifetime.

• For the first time in the history of our nation, some medical experts warn that this younger generation may be on track to have a shorter life span than their parents as a direct result of the obesity epidemic.

- From CNBC "One Nation Overweight" 

Be My Guest

You can be my guest ....on the MAP System.

 

Two months ago I was asked by a local boot camp operator if I would simply allow her to go on the MAP system as a "client" and play around with the "functions."  

 

I set her up on a fictitious account.  She loved it and has now incorporated the menu planner as a premium up-sell to her boot camp. She charges an additional $25.

 

Would you like to try it?

 

Here's her account.  Just go here and enter the following login information:

 

Login

e-mail:       sample@bootcamp.com

password: bootcamp

 

Just another little profit generator!

 

Art

It's All My Fault...

Here's a call I received yesterday from a long-time friend and personal

trainer in New Jersey.

 

"Art... several consultants continue to tell me NOT to waste

money on branding and to stick with direct response. 

Yet, you keep telling me to brand.  I'm confused!"

 

Here's the TRUTH.  Your consultants are RIGHT.  AND, so am I.

 

When I use the term branding... it is in the strictest sense of the word....   applying YOUR LOGO.  Think of it as the way ranchers brand their cattle. 

 

Over the years branding, as it relates to marketing, has come to mean much more... as in brand image, brand personality, brand this, brand that, etc. 

When I speak of branding I'm am NOT referring to that.

 

But, that is exactly what your consultants are talking about.  They are referring to the soft "touchy / feely" ads that are designed to convey some type of emotion.  That's great for some companies that have huge ad budgets.

 

But, independent fitness professionals, small clubs, spas, studios, etc., in particular, should stick with "call to action" sales-driven advertising and outreach plans.  My point, and the whole purpose of our company is, that when you do this, be sure to include your own BRAND/LOGO!!!

 

So, don't be confused.  Don't fault your consultants (they constantly project their logos/brands).  It's my fault and from now on I'll use better terminology like BRAND/LOGO... or BRAND IMPRINT or BRAND IMPRESSION  or some other "qualifier!"

You Must be Famous!

My friend J.J. Johnson told me this story.  He took the branding challenge and found more than 3,000 brand impressions inside his 1,500 sq. foot facility.  He only found 25 brand impressions of his logo!  J.J. took immediate action:

• Ordered all of our products with his logo (we liked that!)

• Terminated all clothing vendors, Nike, Reebok, etc and ordered all apparel with his logo

• Created professionally designed stickers with his logo that read: "Thank you for working out with J.J."  The stickers also include his web address.  He put these stickers all over his equipment and used them to cover up other logos within his facility

• Painted his logo on the walls above the mirrors.

Here's the pay-off.  J.J. Johnson not only became the dominant brand in his studio, he became the dominant training studio in his market area.  The best compliment came when someone walked into his studio and exclaimed, "Wow... you must be somebody famous I've never heard of!"

Here's more information about the advantages of branding.

Skin Care Labels Go All Black

Yes, after all kind of trials we have finally settled on all black ink labels for the skincare line for several reasons.

• With the new transparent labels, various colors could not be created as deeply as we would like.  Hence, many had a "washed out" look.

• We've been told be several packaging experts that with the bottle design, which already includes black ink, chrome lines and clear domes that black ink on clear labels would provide a much more "sophisticated" look.

• Finally, we noticed that those clubs, trainers, spas, etc who already use black ink are selling twice as much of the skin care line.

I guess packaging can make that much of a difference!

We will be revising our website to reflect these changes.

Art

Absolute BEST Fitness Instruction

If you're a Mom or a Mr. Mom... you already know this....

Here's the challenge.  Borrow a 6 year-old kid from a friend or neighbor.  Then, take him or her to a playground and attempt to mimic every single move the kid makes. 

And, don't forget all the fidgeting, twisting, turning, making faces, yelling, jumping up and down for no reason and a host of other important moves while you're waiting in line for the monkey bars or the slide.

Seriously, you'll be exhausted in just 15 minutes.  I mean WORN OUT!  Contrary to the statistics... you'd be surprised at just how fit kids under 10 really are!

So, kids innately know what to do.  They stay incredibly active and fit.  And guess what?   They have a blast doing it.

 What happens to them?  Yup, it is we who screw them up.  We tell them to "Calm down!" or "Sit down and be quiet."  or "Stop fidgeting!"    We, along with the schools, church and other civilized institutions totally kill the idea of activity mixed with fun.

Then we go on to screw-up their blood sugar levels by introducing a regimen of 3 meals  instead of allowing them to eat several small meals and snacks throughout the day.

So, while I'm all for going to a club, a boot camp, hiring a trainer and staying as active as possible, I've yet to encounter a workout as intense and as comprehensive as most 6 year-olds do on the playground.... every day!

Stimulating “Passive” Profit Centers

What is a “passive” profit center?

It’s a service or shop that is totally dependent upon the regular traffic of your club or training facility for business. 

Does your pro shop, juice bar, or tanning business pro-actively solicit business outside your facility? Probably not -- that’s why they’re considered "passive."

If you have a weight-management program, it can be incredibly pro-active through outreach.  It can be aggressively marketed inside and outside your facility.  And, when implemented as a core service, it will stimulate your “passive profit centers” through member retention.

Here’s an example: Mary Jones is Worth $2,000+ - and she has 20 close friends -

• Mary Jones is a member at your facility. She's 35 years old, with two children. She's decided to get into shape.

• Mary enrolls in your Weight-Management and Lifestyle Program (nutrition only) for $299. In one year, she will make twelve $30 supplement purchases for an additional total of $360.

• Mary needs a personal trainer because she's never used some of the equipment. She purchases 6 sessions @$50 per session for a total of $300.

• Mary brings her two children to the gym 3 days a week at $2 per session. That's $6 per week or $312 per year.

• Mary averages $10 per month on tanning as she knows better than to sit too long in the sun. Over the course of a year she'll spend $120. She'll also spend $250 per year at the juice bar on herself and her children.  As Mary's body starts to change, she finds herself in the pro-shop buying fitness apparel that compliments her new figure.

• Mary's friends notice her new lean and energetic persona. They ask her how she did it. She refers them to you and your Weight-Management and Lifestyle Program.

Through weight-management and lifestyle programming, your members and clients achieve their fitness and cosmetic goals -- the very reasons they came to you in the first place. As a result, your retention rate increases. And, with retention, your other profit centers also reap the reward.

Passive” Profit Centers Check List

Do  you have “passive profit” centers located within your facility?  If so, think of ways you might combine efforts to help promote each business. For instance, you might develop a special menu for the juice bar -- or special discounts at the pro shop, etc. Don’t forget that you can barter or trade for products or services under your own roof.

• Pro Shop
• Juice Bar
• Personal Training
• Group Instructors
• Child Care
• Chiropractor
• Café
• Full Restaurant
• Travel Agency
• Salon
• Nail Salon
• Massage
• Car Valet
• Tanning

What kind of activities can you conduct with these passive profit centers to help cross-promote each business?

Here's are some examples:

• One facility ran a sales promotion contest with its program instructors and trainers to see who could distribute the most “Free Fitness Assessment” coupons.  Each coupon had the instructor’s or trainer's name on it.  When it was redeemed, the instructor scored a point. The prize was $100 cash.  This promotion generated 15 new sales. Could you do this?

• Here’s a simple cross promotion.  The weight-management program refers clients to the juice bar for special menu items created specifically for the program.  The clients are provided coupons for the juice bar entitling them to a 10% discount on those menu items.  It’s a simple idea with a win-win result.

• Want to make it even simpler? Implement an internal lead-box campaign at each member service location. Offer a free weight-management program for the winner. Although this may be considered a “no-brainer” you’ll at least gain lots of new leads for your weight-management and lifestyle program.