Some of the tools on iGo Figure's software that club operators should use more, according to the company, are the member attributes and profile information. Screen captures courtesy of iGo Figure.

Sitting in many fitness facilities right now are valuable instruments that can help increase memberships and revenue, better target prospects and help improve operations. Those tools are part of a facility’s club management software.

Club operators use the software for member billing and scheduling, but these programs often can do much more. And club management software vendors say some of these little-used features or modules should get more traction.

One of the first features fitness facility operators should not ignore is the check-in module, says John Ullrich, president of Aspen Information Systems, Houston-based maker of Aspen club management software. This module can help operators identify members who are inactive or who only infrequently visit the facility.

Although contacting these individuals could prompt some of them to cancel their memberships, the contact also offers an opportunity for staff members to personally invite these missing-in-action members to upcoming events, introduce them to new trainers or classes or discuss new equipment, Ullrich says.

“Offering incentives and rewards entices members to keep their membership and utilize the facility more often,” he says. “Usage data is a valuable tool for retaining members.”

Some software features help club operators better track their prospecting efforts, which should entail more than just off-handedly asking the sales team at weekly meetings how things are going.

“Prospects equal sales, and clubs need to be consistent about entering, tracking and following up on prospects,” says Christie McPherson, software training manager for ASF International, Highlands Ranch, CO-based maker of ClubPRO Online. “Club managers generally have good intentions, but they don’t hold their sales staffs accountable for tracking prospects, following up with leads and closing sales. We have a prospect report that managers can use to quickly see what their closing ratio is to make sure they’re successfully using the prospect tracking database and bringing in new members.”

Many software programs also allow you to manage fitness assessments and personal training. Not only can these features help evaluate and track members’ progress—a helpful tool in member retention—it also can generate additional revenue, says Larry King, owner of Shape.net, Colts Neck, NJ.

“For example, a gym could charge for a series of personal training sessions with an assessment fee in the beginning and the end,” King says.

Club management software also can help to expertly manage personal training programs and capture all associated revenue from them. ClubPRO Online offers a personal training liability report that clubs can use to better target prospects for the program.

“Many clubs give free sessions that are never used; therefore, they never have an opportunity to sell those members training packages,” says Sean Kirby, national sales director for ASF International.

Club managers could use the report to review unused sessions. Also, managers could use the report to identify members who have only a few paid personal training sessions left so they can try to sell them additional packages.

NEXT PAGE: SOFTWARE TOOLS CAN HELP BOOST PERSONAL TRAINING REVENUE

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