Blog Article: Everyone needs what we sell…

Everyone needs what we sell…Everyone needs what we sell…

You would think that since I own a company that provides software and billing solutions to gyms, health clubs, PT studios, hospitals and rec centers that I must be talking about…well, my industry. But I’m not. No I wanted to tell you about an experience I had about 3 months ago that MIGHT just explain where our industry is headed. And I don’t know if it’s good or not.

I went mattress shopping. Forget everything you have ever heard about used car salesmen. The mattress salesmen puts them to shame.

First, unless your name is Bear Grylls or Survivorman, everybody needs a mattress. Whether you just have the metal bed frame or you buy the perfect 4 post bed with the elaborate wood work, you still need the mattress. And that’s when things get interesting.

You walk into the store and immediately you do the socially acceptable thing…lay down on as many mattresses as you humanly can in a matter of 90 seconds (one leg still on the floor so you don’t completely look like you’re there to nap). And after you have tested the first 4 or 5 or 6, the guy walks up to you and does a granny smile and asks you, “What kind of sleeper are you?” I usually like to have them buy me a drink before we get this personal but…

Apparently how you sleep makes all the difference. Stomach sleepers (like me) prefer hard mattresses. Back sleepers (like my wife) prefer soft. And I can’t remember what side sleepers liked. The headline, and I think every couple can relate, that if I had to do it all over again, the first question I would ask a potential mate is…what kind of sleeper are you? It would certainly have saved us from potential arguments.

After determining your preferred sleeping style, you do exactly what you did when you first walked in, but now under the eye of the Master of Mattresses. And he proceeds to explain in amazing detail exactly what you will experience with this particular mattress. And after the 4th or 5th or 6th mattress they all basically feel the same.

So is that’s what happening with gyms? Have all gyms basically become the same. I mean is your 40 pound dumbbell  worth spending $10 more a month? Is your front desk staff nicer than theirs? As an industry guy, I can walk into a gym and I notice the little things. The things that make it worthwhile. The things that make it unique. But I’m not sure the average member is that attuned. As we have discussed in the past, most members want a clean, convenient, and consistent.

So how are you differentiating yourself? How do you stand out in a crowded marketplace? Or are we destined to become an industry where HOW no longer matters because the what and the where is all most members care about?

Put another way after the 4th or 5th or 6th club that a member has belonged to in their lifetime, can they tell the difference? Are members buying on preset notions? I would say yes. And like your mattress purchase, the club business doesn’t end with the purchase. It’s the reason you ought to buy a good mattress. Because you end up using that thing every day and that’s where quality comes into play. Now let’s not take this analogy too far because I can’t tell the difference between foam and foam that the astronauts used but…

But quality does come into play in clubs as well. We call it retention. After the where and the what have been forgotten, it’s your job, your staff’s job to deliver the HOW. And that’s where 40 pounds doesn’t always weigh the same!

HOW is a tough question to answer. There are financial considerations that come into play. Too much time and staff and you end up with not enough money. Too little time and staff, and you end up with not enough money.

If you have questions about this blog, feel free to stop by the Mattress Discounters in Bethesda. I’ll be the guy in the back jumping on the beds!

That being said, I had two operational items I wanted to take care of.

1. Next Saturday we are doing a live webcast about social media from the Fitlife conference in stunning Bend, Oregon. We will be joined by the President of IHRSA, Bill McBride. Details to follow…
2. As many of you are aware, I am actively involved in a charity called Bike to the Beach. If you are interested in donating, please use this link: Bike to the Beach

Thanks Hossein Noshirvani Co-Founder, Motionsoft