At ProFitness Program, we are extremely excited to begin publishing our redesigned newsletter! Expect to see it in your inbox every 2-3 months starting this month, February. We have consulted with numerous PFP users to find out what you would like to see in our regular newsletters and welcome continued feedback and ideas for future inclusions. It is our intent to use this newsletter as a vehicle to continue to: provide education notify you of PFP Track updates announce new PFP clubs put a spotlight on PFP clubs, fitness consultants, directors and trainers provide Q & A notify you of upcoming webinars, meetings & other events We hope you find this newsletter valuable and look forward to your input! Background Photo: Our Feature Club Gold's Gym - Linglestown, PA. See page 4 for our Spotlight on Gold's Gym, PA.
Welcome to the new PFP News, our quarterly newsletter designed to keep you updated on all things Pro Fitness Program!
Issue No. 1 Mar 2019
PFP News
Jeff Russo presenting Chris Acker of RVC with an award for Fitness Consultant of the Year munere inimicus omittantur no, cum cu dicunt efficiendi.
It has been quite a while since our last newsletter - in fact our last club newsletter went out in December of 2016. I am super excited about this new format and the opportunity to use this new platform to better share information with all of our PFP clubs. This updated PFP News will be sent out to clubs and staff 4 - 6 times per year. In addition, we will be creating a brand new Pro Fitness Program website with a new email capture platform. We will soon be updating our existing email database and therefore will be asking you all to sign up to our new system to continue to receive PFP News and other updates. Keep and eye out from an email from us when it is time to do so! We have some exciting plans for the upcoming year that you will not want to miss. Our new website will be a valuable resource. It will feature a private PFP Club area where we will be including the latest PFP tracking forms, training materials / videos and marketing ideas / pieces in addition to hosting our newsletters and blogs. The site will also host a Club Member area that will replace the current Pro Fitness Member site. It will feature information on the assessment program, videos and testimonials, and will be used to market the consultation to the local community. Check out our article in this issue discussing how to effectively use video to market your consultation. We are excited to be celebrating our 20th year in business in 2019. It seems like so long ago that I first ventured to the River Valley Club in Hanover, NH and started working with their team of 5 part-time Trainers. At the time, RVC was doing $69,000 a year in personal training. For the past several years, they have generated over $ 2 million in PT and in 2018, that rose to almost $ 2.5 million. Fast forward from our first PFP club to last year when we added 17 new organizations and had a our biggest year in history. All of these organizations have the same opportunity to duplicate the success of RVC and grow their back end to millions of dollars in revenue, creating full time rewarding careers for their employees. I welcome your feedback, questions for our Q & A section and suggestions for both articles and staff we should spotlight in our upcoming issues. Thank-you for your ongoing business and support. Wishing you a prosperous and successful 2019. - Jeff Russo
| February 2019
| Pro Fitness President
Pro Fitness Program in 2019 CEO
Jeff russo
President's Message
Jeff Russo, PFP President, discusses PFP's 20th anniversary and looks ahead to exciting developments in the coming year.
"We are excited to be celebrating our 20th year in business in 2019."
Pro Fitness Program Client Generates 2.4 Million Cash in PT in 2018!
| Al Tassel, PFP Consultant
Al's snapshot Headline
Every month, Al writes a blog to highlight outstanding achievements from clubs that utilize the Pro Fitness Program for their new member on-boarding process and 1 to 1 PT program. We will be including one of Al's blogs in each issue of PFP News. Though 2018 saw many clubs produce their best cash totals ever, the River Valley Club (Lebanon, NH) reigned supreme once again! 2018 Highlights - 2.4M cash PT sales - $100,000 avg. monthly PT EFT - 29,825 PT sessions CEO Jen Poljacik attributed their success to the following: “Our trainers embrace the program because most of the selling is done for them. The feeder system eliminates having to obtain their own clients so they can focus exclusively on training.” “Membership does a great job in presenting the program to prospects so it makes the on-boarding process very impressive.” “The detailed reporting pertaining to performance, purchases, scheduling and payroll provides our managers with data that is utilized on improving team performance.” “We have been following the process for 20 years because it works. Before we had this structured program, we struggled in 1 to 1 training just like everyone else. Everyone is making more money because of this program so everyone is all in!" “We have been following the process for 20 years because it works. Before we had this structured program we struggled in 1 to 1 training just like everyone else. Everyone is making more money because of this program so everyone is all in!” “We have been following the process for 20 years because it works. Before we had this structured program we struggled in 1 to 1 training just like everyone else. Everyone is making more money because of this program so everyone is all in!”
Nostrud iuvaret cu quo, tale probo libris mea ex. Usu an possim democritum.
Gold's Gym Linglestown, PA.
Contributors to their Community
We would like to welcome Gold's Gym Linglestown & Camp Hill, Pennsylvania to our PFP community! In December, PFP Consultants Jeff Russo & Al Tassel teamed up to complete Gold's in club training. In addition, RVC Fitness Consultant Chris Acker flew in for a couple of days to train FCs. www.goldsgym.com/linglestown www.goldsgym.com/camphillpa
SPOTLIGHT ON GOLD'S GYM | Linglestown & Camp Hill, PA
Who is Gold's Gym - Linglestown & Camp Hill, PA.
Off to a great start with PFP!
stair climb for Remembrance on 9/11
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Gold's Gym
| Linglestown
"We have all grown into our current positions after a lot of hard work and dedication to both the business and the Czupils."
After an extensive in club training with Jeff, Al & Chris playing tag team, Gold's Gym Linglestown & Camp Hill, PA launched Pro Fitness Program in late December and are off to a great start! From the time they went live in the latter part of December, Linglestown was able to ensure an 83% consultant appointment show ratio. In addition, they generated $ 151,000 in 1 to 1 PT revenue with an average of $ 2,400 per PT sale. According to Jeff Russo, having the owners Jim and Dianne Czupil attend all of the training and fully support and back the program was pivotal in ensuring a successful PFP launch and implementation. Their commitment to this program and their attention to managing all details of the system will result in tremendous growth of their PT Department. Although Linglestown and Camp Hill are Gold's Gym franchises, they are first and foremost a family business. Owned and operated by Jim and Dianne Czupil for the past 7 years, these 2 locations both offer the lastest equipment, private PT areas, turfed training areas and multiple studios at an average monthly membership rate of $35 / month. Their mission statement at Gold's Linglestown & Camp Hill, or as Director of Business Development Emily Gavazzi calls 'Our Super Bowl,' is to "Maximize the Member Experience." Every team member, whether they are in housekeeping, membership, front desk or the PT department, strives to collectively achieve this goal through their specific job functions. Their family atmosphere is bolstered by policies of developing staff and promoting from within. The management team of Linglestown and Camp Hill is comprised of 10 people, many of whom started out in different positions within the company. Emily, herself, and Finance Director Tyler Roberts both began at the front desk and Sierra Czupil, their Camp Hill GM, started with Gold's in their Kid's Club. According to Emily, "we have all grown into our current positions after a lot of hard work and dedication to both the business and the Czupils." Gold's Gym has worked to become known for their strong group fitness program which is the best in their area. This reputation is largely the result of the work done by Dianne Czupil, owner and Linglestown GM, who herself has had a well known reputation as an exceptional group fitness instructor in the area for many years. Linglestown and Camp Hill are now striving to gain that same reputation for their personal training program and as a result, have partnered with Pro Fitness Program to both get their current members face to face with their team of talented trainers and become known within their market as the club that comes alongside its new members and 'will not let them fail.' Gold's Gym Linglestown & Camp Hill are consistent and creative contributors to their community. Their charity involvement bolsters their reputation in their market in addition to creating a strongly connected and contributing member community. October is a very busy month in which Linglestown and Camp Hill run several events for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Their owner, Jim Czupil, recently rode in the 'Tour De Pink.' In addition to their October events, their 2 Gold's locations choose a different local charity each month, collecting donations and highlighting their organizations. Charities they partner with include food banks, organizations that provide assistance to the homeless, military charities and animal rescues. Their creative 'Kitten Yoga' event brought kittens in from local rescues to take part in a class and hopefully find 'furever' homes. Gold's Linglestown and Camp Hill are very proud of a Stair Climb Remembrance on 9/11 event they ran this past September for which they received national recognition. They shut down all of their stair climbers to members and invited all of the first responders in the area to participate by climbing 110 flights of stairs (the same number of flights that were in the Twin Towers) in full gear. They had an amazing turn out and raised money for Tuesday's Children, a 9/11 charity. Emily explains that "9/11 is always a very solemn day for everyone and we wanted to find a way to honor it." For more information on this event and other similar events around the country, check out this Huffington Post article. Gold's Gym Linglestown Gold's Gym Camp Hill gglinglestown ggcamphill
This is how To Promote!
Consider creating videos to promote PFP and the consultation!
| The Consultation
"Without question, the consultation is truly THE differentiator and USP in today's extremely competitive market."
For those of you who send your new prospects to profitnessmember.com prior to their initial consultation, you will notice a new video on the Annual Consultation Guide page. This video (seen at top), created by Gold's Gym Linglestown & Camp Hill (PA), represents the first time that a new PFP client has taken the initiative to create a marketing video for our program using their existing fitness consultants. The club used this video to market the Pro Fitness Program and their Styku* 3-D Body Scanner to existing members through social media. There is no better way today to capture the features and benefits of a program than through video. It is little wonder that Gold's Gym Linglestown sold 102 initial and annual fitness consultations in their first month and a half with the program. The Fitness Firm in Burlington, ON, Canada had several promotional videos professionally produced included this one highlighting their Fitness Consultant Kwesi Millington and their consultation process. The Fitness Firm in Burlington, ON also recently produced a video highlighting their own Fitness Consultant Kwesi Millington and the consultation process. Although The Fitness Firm has been a PFP club for just over a decade, they continue to look for new ways to market it outside of the club. *A word on Styku.... Styku is an excellent tool for building excitement and interest for the body composition component of our assessment. If you have Styku, make sure to promote it along with the consultation. If you don't have Styku, however, you are not at a disadvantage. It's far from the most important element or feature in the sale of personal training. The client interview, the ability to overcome objections and make strong prescriptions are still the most important ingredients for PT sale success.
| Burlington, ON, Canada
Do not miss the opportunity to market your PFP consultation program to both members and non members in your community. Without question, the consultation is truly THE differentiator and USP (unique selling proposition) in today's extremely competitive market. Consider creating one or more videos to promote your consultation. We have found that using your own club employees and members in your videos and print marketing pieces is extremely successful in helping prospective and existing members feel connected to your club and its people because it builds familiarity. We cannot state strongly enough how powerful it is to identify your individual staff members who are superstars - individuals who are charismatic and inspiring - and use their personalities to promote your program. This is equally important whether you are a new PFP club promoting the consultation to your existing members or are a long time PFP club promoting the program to non members. As you know, for a large proportion of your prospects, entering a fitness club is a daunting process. You will, however, make a prospect's onboarding process much less intimidating if they already feel not only a familiarity but also a connection to members of your staff through your videos. Reassurances to a prospect from a friendly face that your club 'will make them feel at home,' and 'will not let them fail' will go a long way in encouraging them to walk in your front door (and not your competitor's). These videos should be posted regularly on your social media as well as sent to missed guests, ex members and corporate prospects (through the HR department). Also consider including a QR (quick response) code on your print marketing pieces that sends prospects to a landing page hosting one of your videos. Taking video also used to be a daunting process. That is no longer the case. Today, a video can be taken easily on a smart phone with the use of a tripod and edited using free editing software that can be found online such as Lightworks. The entire process should take no longer than 15-20 minutes per video (maybe a little longer the first time you give it a try....). If you do not need to edit the video, it should be done in a matter of minutes.
Two PFP Clubs Create Videos To Market The Consult
The Fitness Firm
| Linglestown & Camp Hill, PA
We would like to thank Gold's Gym Linglestown and Camp Hill Director of Business Development Emily Gavazzi and Fitness Consultant Gina Stasyszyn for taking the initiative to promote PFP and the consultation.
Gold's Gym Linglestown, PA
on the move
After an incredible 20 year career at the River Valley Club in Lebanon, NH, Jen is leaving her position as CEO and her husband Chris Poljacik is leaving his position as Fitness Director to embark on a new and exciting journey. They are both very proud of their contribution to RVC, helping it to become one of the Top 10 clubs in the country in 2018 and growing its personal training revenue from $69,000 a year to $ 2.4 million. Although their time at RVC has been extremely rewarding, they feel it is time for them to set their sites on a new and exciting adventure in the fitness industry! After considering many great options and opportunities, Jen and Chris are heading to the Midwest and relocating their family to Stevens Point, Wisconsin to join the team of Adventure 212. Adventure 212 is family owned and operated by Chris and Michelle Peariso. A 10 year old business, Adventure 212 is a beautifully designed 36,000 square foot facility that offers a wide variety of services to its community. They offer fitness programing, a bistro, spa services, kids zone and aquatics programing but best of all, it is a PFP club dedicated to improving the lives of their community. Jen, Chris and their family could not be more excited for this opportunity to work with a fresh new team and bring the same success to Adventure 212 that they helped bring to RVC. (Keep an eye out for our Spotlight on Adventure 212 as well as what Jen and Chris are working on there in the next issue of the PFP News)
|Jen Poljacik, PFP Consultant
adventure212.com Adventure 212 Fitness adventure212fitness
adventure 212
At PFP, we are very excited for our very own PFP Consultant, Jen Poljacik, as she and her family embark on a new adventure - literally!
| Front Desk
Adventure 212 Stevens Point, WI adventure 212.com .
Q & A
Q. Why should we be using a guest register for every club tour? A. The guest register serves the same purpose as the Fitness Consultation that is emailed to your new member prior to their consultation. It's principle purpose is to help both the membership representative and prospective member to uncover obstacles and problems that have stood in the way of them achieving results on their own. Your job as a fitness business professional is to be a solutions provider, asking the prospect the right questions to help them see that your solution is a benefit to them. Simply listing or showing a bunch of features without attaching any benefit is of no use to the prospect and demonstrates that you are either not paying attention or do not have the client's best interest at heart. Never go into a presentation of the consultation program before getting the client to admit to you that they need help in the areas of motivation, education, programming, efficiency and intensity. According to Neil Rackham, "people do not buy from salespeople because they understand their products, but because they felt the salesperson understood their problems!" For more information, read Spin Selling by Neil Rackham and talk to your PFP business consultant to receive a sample guest register. Guest registers can also be ordered directly from Pro Fitness Program. Q. Should my trainers be self generating clients & revenue above and beyond what the fitness consultation program provides them with? A. Without question, trainers should still consider themselves the CEOs of their own businesses. They should have a marketing plan in place to generate leads both inside and outside of the fitness club. In past years, PFP clubs required trainers who are under 25 hours per week to complete a minimum of 10 Member Assistance Sessions (MAS) per month. Trainers should sit down with their Fitness Director during their KPI reviews and use their personal training business planner to outline 3 - 5 marketing programs that they are going to initiate and execute each quarter. Examples include business card distribution with offers for free personal training, running a PT Demo Day offering frees sessions for any member who signs up that day for PT and training a local business owner (ie. of a hair salon) at no charge in exchange for them distributing passes and generating new clients for you. For further information, contact your PFP business consultant for a list of marketing ideas for Trainers. Q. When is a Member Assistance Session (MAS) booked? A. There are 3 situations in which a Member Assistance Session can and should be booked. The 1st results from a 'no show' PT charge. In order for a Trainer to get paid for that appointment, they must offer a free MAS to a current member during that time slot who does not have training. The 2nd occurs 3 - 4 weeks after the PT Demo if the client does not purchase personal training. After the Demo, the Trainer must book the member in for the 60 minute MAS appointment within a few days. The Trainer is paid for that session when it is completed. The 3rd scenario occurs when a Trainer approaches a client on the floor or brings in a non member through an external promotion and takes them through a 60 minute session. They are paid for that session. In all 3 cases, the Trainer has the opportunity to make a 5% sales commission and gain a new personal training client. If the Trainer has no time available to take on a new training client, they can still earn the commission and pass the client along to another Trainer who will complete the training sessions. For more information on how to increase your Member Assistance Sessions, watch the training video done by Anthony Janicas in last years webinar series. If you do not have the link to that webinar, contact your PFP consultant. Also feel free to contact your PFP business consultant for a list of marketing ideas for Trainers.
Every newsletter, one of our PFP Consultants will answer your questions. If you have a question, please submit it to stacyc@profitnessprogram with the subject line 'Q & A'.
| with Jeff Russo
ONTARIO PFP Mastermind Meeting
(From left) Brian Bahm, Owner of Bao Fitness in Georgetown; Mike Peshko, Owner of RPM Total Fitness in Toronto, PFP President & Consultant Jeff Russo; Ed Alvarez, Owner of Unionville Athletic Club in Markham; and Kerri Sherk , Owner of The Fitness Firm in Burlington.
On February 22, the Unionville Athletic Club in Markham, ON hosted the first PFP Mastermind Meeting in the Ontario region of 2019. Attended by some of our Ontario PFP club owners, the meeting dedicated half an hour to each club owner, putting them on the hot seat. Each club provided their quarterly membership numbers as well as a review of their marketing initiatives and the successes or failures. Each owner is able to bring concerns to the group and our PFP consultants for discussion. Topics of interest this past week included remuneration, staffing and HR issues, programming, equipment, and the integration of technology.
| February 22, 2018
In The News
Ph: 416.252.5700
Webinars April 17 @ 2:00 (EST) - Marketing Magic, Myths & Mistakes with MaryBeth Bradley June - Topic TBD with Al Tassel or Jeff Russo August - Topic TBD with Jen Poljacik October - Topic TBD with Anthony Janicas Conferences: IHRSA (San Diego) - Mar 13-16, 2019 Al Tassel and MaryBeth Bradley will both be representing PFP at IHRSA in San Diego again this year. Fitlife Summer Conference Bend, OR) - Jul 11 - 13, 2019 MaryBeth will be in attendance Mastermind Meeting: ON Region - May 10th @ RPM Total Fitness (Toronto)
profitnessprogram.com
stacyc@profitnessprogram.com
UPCOMING EVENTS
Toronto, ON.
