For about a year I have seen the new consumer in action.  The one who is more cautious, risk averse and wants to make shorter and smaller commitments.  In clubs this means prospects prefer programs over memberships.  Yesterday I heard more evidence for this when a neighborhood grocery store owner commented:

‘My customers used to  buy gallons of milk, now its quarts.’

‘My customers used to buy beer in 18 and 24 packs, now its 6 packs.’

So we see a choice to by the usual super size cut by 25%-(remember 4 quarts to a gallon?)What iis the equivalent for a club? Three month memberships at the outside! Six to eight week proigrams appear to sell like hotcakes.

I suggest you design at least half a dozen short short term programs: pilates, group exercise, personal training, fitness only, spinning, weight loss, introductin to exercise, etc.

Use these as back ups if you are anxious about making these your primary offereings.  In other words try the regular membership sale and if it fails offer these.  SOme clubs had so much success with short term programs as back upsales they made them the primary offer.  Then ended up converting 80%!

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