Ab Seduction

The next time you are in the checkout line at your supermarket, take a look at the covers of the fitness magazines on the racks. The headlines scream out to you: “Flat Belly in 7 Days,” “Shrink Your Belly Fast” and “Secrets for a Sexy Tummy.”  Publishers use these headlines to get people to buy lots of magazines. How does this work? The answer lies in human beings' basic desire to look their best, and flat abs area part of that package. The bottom line for marketers is this: the promise of a flat midsection is one of the most powerful motivators when it comes to health and fitness. Health clubs can use the same type of marketing strategy utilized by magazines. Several successful club chains have already followed suit.

For example, a Planet Fitness owner in New York decided to give members what they wanted — an area in the club dedicated to core training. When Planet Fitness corporate saw the results of member excitement, the company decided to recommend that all of its new clubs add this area.

Another major health club chain, Retro Fitness, has created an area in its clubs called "Retro Abs" so that its members can work on core training in a dedicated area of the fitness center. Many other independent club operators are doing the exact same — setting up a dedicated space in their club with innovative abdominal machines where members can focus on core training. If you want to use this strategy to increase your sales closing ratio, here are a few things for your club to try:

• Start focusing on abs when marketing. Let members know that you can help them lose weight and earn flat abs.
• Create a dedicated ab area in your club just for ab machines. The more variety, the better. When touring prospective members always finish the tour with, “And this is our ab area, where our trainers can focus on ab training and the importance of losing belly fat.”
• Before leaving the club, get your prospect to try an innovative ab machine. Once your prospect feels their abs burning, they will be hooked.
• Show "before" and "after" photos to prospects of some of your members who have lost weight. Then focus on the positive side effect of losing belly fat, such as a healthier heart, greater energy and more.

These successful health club chains understand that catering to their members is the key to good business. Giving your members what they want will help retain membership rates and also increase new memberships. Ab-focused marketing works.