Footprints: Part 2 – Programming
Footprints leading to profitability, stability, growth: Part 2.
In Part 1, we discussed the influence footprints (your equipment) can have on your membership base. We posed the question, “Does your equipment show where you’ve been or where you’re headed?” Knowing your answer is vitally important as you will either attract or repel current and new customers.
Based on information from IHRSA, a majority of your current members plan to return, and many facilities are showing a significant increase in new memberships. They do, and will, depend on ‘their’ facility to enhance their health, fitness, and wellbeing. Providing them with an experience that caters to these wants and needs is crucial for profitability, stability, and growth.
The equipment that comprises a footprint is the starting point. However, the profitability, stability, and growth will ultimately come from the experience derived from that footprint. A strength station consisting of a rack and barbells, lifting platform, and kitted with various accessories such as pull-up and dip bars, power (elastic) bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, landmines, glute benches, plyo-boxes, and more can allow multiple people to safely perform different exercises at one time. Beyond that, a strength station allows for a wide variety of training styles to be performed like weightlifting, powerlifting, functional fitness, and even tactical training. This will accommodate your current membership base as well as be a draw for new members.
Having the means to provide instruction and programming to your members is another key component as it can further enhance the member experience. This entails having a training staff up-skilled in coaching and armed with programming that matches that footprint. When you add in programming that caters to your membership base, you now have a complete experience and a satisfied member. We all know that satisfied members lead to profitability and stability in our membership base and helps to promote growth.
Here is one simple example 4-week programming strategy that allows up to 4 people to train on the strength station at one time. Make sure to warm-up and cool down properly.
Conclusion
The footprints in your facility should be spaces demographically optimized to generate a powerful member experience that enhances their health, fitness, and wellbeing. Selecting the right balance of equipment, education, and programming creates the framework for consistent and reproducible member experiences. Involved and fulfilled members are a vital component to achieving profitability, stability, and growth.