Using vouchers to increase sales at your gym

One of the most efficient marketing and sales tools is, without a doubt, vouchers.

I assume you already know what a voucher is and how to use it as a customer. We all received one at some point, either for purchasing online from various shops or as a discount to brick-and-mortar stores.

How inclined were you to make more purchases at the shop after you received that voucher?

Am I right in saying that receiving that voucher made you more likely to buy something else just so you can use it? Maybe it even convinced you to buy something you didn’t necessarily need.

Well, this sales and marketing tool has yielded excellent results for years in various sectors, including fitness.

Whether we are talking about vouchers used at the front desk or discount codes used online, these tools really get results, and we’ve seen this with all our clients.

 How to use a voucher at a fitness club?

 In two ways: you can offer a discount for a membership or a free test membership. Both are excellent ways to increase sales.

Discount vouchers

In the first case, the discount can be applied at the reception desk or online if you sell memberships that way. The system is easy to implement – you use a voucher with a series and a set of numbers or just a simple discount code that provides a specific discount to a particular membership type.

For the online version, you need a system that allows members to apply the code when they purchase the membership. For the reception desk version, all you need is for your staff to know exactly what the discounts are.

Test membership vouchers

The sales process is a bit longer but equally efficient when using vouchers to offer a test membership. Based on a voucher, those interested can activate a test membership for one or more days.

This offer is even more interesting for those who haven’t trained at your gym. You will receive their contact details when they activate that test membership, which means a new lead for your sales team.

Moreover, if you ensure the new member has the best experience when they visit your gym, you will have even more chances of converting them on the spot. That person is already in the club. They are testing your services and can understand on their own the benefits of a membership at your gym.

That is the perfect moment to make them an offer they can’t refuse. Then, when the experience is fresh in their mind, the post-workout endorphins will have a say in the client’s decision.

How to start using vouchers at your fitness club

 No matter which of the scenarios I described above you want to use, the first step is to lay out a strategy and make it well-known among your team.

 If you only use discount codes for online purchases, your staff at the front desk and your sales reps should know exactly what that means and how they can use it in case they need to help a member.

For test membership, the role of your receptionists and trainers is even more significant. That’s because they will oversee the client testing the services. In addition, they are responsible for ensuring the client’s experience is perfect and won’t leave the club without a new membership.

Another important part of this sales strategy is ensuring clients can benefit from these offers as easy as possible. Surely you wouldn’t be too thrilled if, when trying to use a discount code, it won’t work the first time or if you would need a long time to activate a test membership.

The more you streamline the process, the more your conversion chances increase.

In the end, as usual, don’t forget to check your results. How many discounted memberships have you sold? How many people that used test memberships also purchased one right after? Only based on these numbers, will you be able to figure out what is the best strategy for your clients.