Use Evaluations and Assessments to Sell Sports Facility Memberships

Fitness and skills assessments are imperative to new memberships in training and sports facilities. Evaluations and assessments give a starting point for each member. It allows them to fully understand their strengths and weaknesses. From there, they can target those weaknesses and train hard for their incoming tryouts or sports season.  Not only does this allow the member to track their improvement, but it also can allow you to charge an initial membership fee that potential members are willing to pay. 

Evaluation Fees

You may be asking, won’t an upfront fee scare away new business? The answer – it won’t if you provide something of value in return. For instance, properly use the assessment in your sales pitch and potential clients will understand it is essential to their success and will pay for it. It’s the same reason they choose to pay for the classes and training. Other things you can include with onboarding new members:

• facility-branded T-shirts,
• a bag to carry fitness gear,
• a printed manual going over the programs offered at your facility,
• and more.

Now, the potential member is happy with their free gear. Above all though, your marketing materials will be seen by friends, classmates, and teammates.

Pricing for this upfront fee can vary based on your membership pricing, how much you pay your staff, and more. In my past experience owning DNA Sports Center, I charged $69 (not including tax) for the enrollment fee. This cost allowed me to cover the staff’s pay for the assessment, the onboarding member materials, the equipment used for the evaluation, and even the commission for the staff member that sold the membership. 

Assessment Incentives

Once laid out in front of them, clients will understand that for a small fee to get started, they will walk away with a private assessment that uses industry-leading evaluation technology, plenty of merchandise, and a written, in-depth report to guide them through their membership program. 

Additionally, evaluations and assessments can be a great incentivized sales tool when a client is stuck on the overall cost of the membership. Waive or discount it as a strategy to confirm the sale! Another way I allowed the staff at DNA Sports Center to use this tactic is that they could waive the enrollment fee with the purchase of a longer membership package. Waiving this small, but often intimidating, fee is typically more cost-effective than discounting other services that come with the membership. 

Have more questions on how to maximize profits in your sports facility? Reach out to us at contact@esoftplanner.com and set up a consultation.