Fitness and skills assessments are imperative to new memberships in training and sports facilities. These assessments give a starting point for each member and allow them to fully understand their strengths and weaknesses. From there, they can target those weaknesses and train hard for their incoming tryouts or sports season. Not only does this allow the member to track their improvement, but it also can allow you to charge an initial membership fee that potential members are willing to pay.
You may be asking, won’t an upfront fee scare away new business? The answer – it won’t if you provide something of value in return. If you properly utilize the assessment in your sales pitch, potential clients will understand that the assessment is essential to their success and will pay for it, for the same reason they choose to pay for the classes and training. Some other things you can include with onboarding new members would be facility branded T-shirts, a bag to carry fitness gear, a printed manual going over the programs offered at your facility, and more. The potential member is happy with the free gear, and you just sent out marketing materials to be seen by friends, classmates, and teammates.
Pricing for this upfront fee can vary based on your membership pricing, how much you pay your staff, and more. In my past experience owning DNA Sports Center, I charged $69 (not including tax) for the enrollment fee. This cost allowed me to pay for the staff’s pay for the assessment, the onboarding member materials, the equipment used for the evaluation, and even the commission for the staff member that sold the membership.
Once laid out in front of them, clients will understand that for a small fee to get started, they will walk away with a private assessment that uses industry-leading evaluation technology, plenty of merchandise, and a written in-depth report to guide them through their membership program.
Additionally, the assessment can be a great incentivized sales tool when a client is stuck on the overall cost of the membership. It can be waived or discounted as a strategy to confirm the sale. Another way I allowed the staff at DNA Sports Center to utilize this tactic is that they could waive the enrollment fee with the purchase of a longer membership package. Waiving this small, but often intimidating, fee is typically more cost-effective than discounting other services that come with the membership.
Have more questions on how to maximize profits in your sports facility? Reach out to us at contact@esoftplanner.com and set up a consultation.