Keep and Attract New Students

The full article was distributed with the free TumblTrak January email newsletter. Subscribe on TumblTrak.

By Michelle Kocan

Adapted from an article by Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender

It is a busy world out there—all sport businesses wish they had more customers.  Actually, your competitors wish they had YOUR customers.  Keep competitors at bay and thrill your customers with these easy-to-implement, customer-pleasing, traffic-building, sales increasing ideas!

First impressions set the tone:  The customer’s first 10 seconds inside your gym sets the tone for their entire experience.  What kind of first impression does your gym make?  ///

Hang a bulletin board near the entrance, within the first 5’-15’ inside the front door.  Post a gym map; list the week’s activities, class reminders, upcoming special events, and important information to parents.  In time the customers will stop at the bulletin board to see what is happening and be up on your events.  Keep it current and interesting to look at.

Place speed bumps.  Using small tabletop displays just beyond the bulletin board with the next community event will help customers to spread the news, have flyers about the next open gym, parents night out, trampoline safety class, and birthday parties available to pick up and hand out to their friends and neighbors. …

Do you have signage that is clear and colorful?  Signs can act as an extra sales person in your pro shop, the waiting area for parents and your entry way.  …

Make sure to publicize the community open gyms, open houses, and any competitions you may be having.  …

Promote birthday parties in your facility. 

Hold your staff to high standards …

Implement the 7 feet rule.  Every time an employee comes within 7 feet of a customer, create eye contact and greet them.

Don’t react to customer questions, respond to them.  When you react you tend to give short, unfocused answers.  But when you respond to a customer, you look them in the eye and really engage them in conversation. 

Hold monthly meetings with all your staff, and have an agenda of what you need to talk about and what training you want to do. …

Establish a dress code for all employees, right down to hair and makeup if needed.  …

 Make sure your staff is well trained.  …

Make a staff person responsible for walking the gym everyday to look closely at what you are saying about your business.  Make sure to remind the staff person to walk the gym with a “parent hat” on.  Is it clean?  Are the signs visible?  Is the bulletin board up to date? …

Build a Buzz around Town:  Send out monthly newsletters and keep them current on your web site. …

Make a brag list—list accomplishments of your gym, awards earned by your coaches and staff, and let the town know.  Something in the local paper monthly about accomplishments is a great way to publicize your facility.

Collect customer testimonials and put them in and around your gym as well as on your web site.