We aren’t curing cancer…

…but if we do our job well, we can get people healthier!

I didn’t have the stomach to become a doctor (or maybe the brains) but I do know that if we, Motionsoft, were to build a better club management software package that has all the bells and whistles that you expect, then in a way I can cure cancer. Things like (ready for my first list):

1. Staff Management
2. Facility Management
3. Prospect Management
4. CRM (This is item that should have its own blog!)
5. Membership Management
6. Check-In
7. Reporting
8. Scheduling
9. Billing
10. Collections
11. Member facing items (I will be blogging about this in the coming weeks)

There is obviously a lot more that gym owners need, want and expect, but I think this list represents the majority of items. Our goal at Motionsoft has always been to provide the best solution in the industry to meet these needs…and I think we have! We have some of the best brands in our industry using our software and solutions.

And here is the problem, what the industry needs, wants, and expects (and what we have historically delivered as software vendors) DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM! The problem is member retention. The problem is what we sell, what people buy does not help make them healthier (Example: Work out for 45 minutes and then I eat a Big Mac!)

So let me be the first to say it…RETENTION and RESULTS are one and the same! If you can help people get healthier, they will not stay members.

Part of this is your fault. You need to:

• Show the member how to use the gym
• Take the time to understand their goals
• Give them the knowledge to reach them
• Provide them with the motivation to make it happen

Most gyms don’t do this.

Part of this is our fault, the software and technology partners that you count on. We have no mechanism to help you help your members reach their goals. We don’t provide engaging systems (for you) and content (for your members) that allow you to reach outside your four walls. Let me repeat that. We don’t provide engaging systems (for you) and content (for your members) that allow you to reach outside your four walls.

Why? The answer is simple. Because we sell club management software and billing solutions. We give you tools to manage your front desk. We give you tools to get money. We give you solutions to collect your dues.

What we need to give you is member management solutions! Operating clubs is easy, managing people (whether employees or members) is the hard part. Its time the software and billing guys stop being vendors, and start being partners. We need to provide you with solutions to manage AND KEEP members.

Hey, in my last blog I got up on my pedestal last time and told you what you did wrong. I’m man enough to admit that we (Motionsoft, ABC Financial, ASF, CSI, FiServ, Checkfree, Twin Oaks, Club Ready, IGo! Get physical, EZ Facility) we are not giving you the right tools!

As GI Joe said, “knowing is half the battle”. In the next few blogs, I will opine on things we will do to solve this problem…

So as I was looking on other blogs and boards I found myself laughing uproariously at Joe Peacock’s The Rules Of The Gym. I think that he’s right on so many points. Read it for yourselves and let me know if you feel that people break these rules at your gym, or if you would add any to this list:

http://www.joethepeacock.com/2005/01/ok-maybe-im-not-guy-to-do-it.php

Thanks Joe!

(Warning, this blog entry requires me to sit on a very high horse. When reading it please do not look down )

We all know there is a significant disconnect between what the member thinks s/he is buying, what the club sells, and what the club actually delivers. Today’s blog entry will address some of these disconnections. Read More »

Egg Nog! Holiday songs! Holiday parties!! Holiday fun!!! These are a few of my favorite things at the end of the year. But my absolute favorite thing, as we all know, are lists. Best songs, worst songs, richest people in the US, richest people in the world, and of course list of what’s hot and what’s not…so without further ado here is a list of what I think will be hot and not in 2010 in the health and wellness industry…

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I know it’s a drag to be back in the office again, but the Holidays are right around the corner!

Now, for the nitty gritty…

Whether you are a small fitness only facility, a 200,000 sq. ft. multi purpose gym, a hospital-based wellness center, or a personal training studio there is one common component to every gym…the front desk. Read More »

According to CNN Membership Manager at a health club is the 6th most stressful job in America:

Median pay: $42,600
% who say their job is stressful: 67%

You know the guy who calls you during dinner to ask why you let your membership lapse? Well it turns out he’s not thrilled about bugging you at home either. Reaching out to existing and former members of museums, fitness centers and health clubs in order to meet sales goals is not an easy way to make a living. The callers have to deal with insults, hang ups, and other bad reactions to the unwelcome calls. Plus, they often work long or odd hours so they can catch people at home.

“It’s a numbers game and you have to get calls out, and it definitely entails rejection,” said Cathy Gambino, a regional sales manager of Equinox in southern California. “Sometimes you just can’t break people down.”

Here’s the full article in CNN:

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/pf/0910/gallery.stressful_jobs/6.html

ACG, the Association for Corporate Growth, announced that Motionsoft is one of the three finalists in the Services and Other Category for the 2009 ACG Deal of the Year Awards! The winner will be announced on Nov. 4 at a ceremony at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD.

Marc W. Ottinger, the Chair of the Deal of the Year Awards for ACG, personally congratulated Motionsoft’s president Al Noshirvani this past Wednesday, saying:

 Considering the economic environment I did not expect to get many nominations, but I was proven wrong. Congratulations on your nomination for the 2009 ACG Deal of the Year Awards. 

This nomination recognizes the acquisition of Conexion by Motionsoft that merged the best-of-breed membership management software with the leading billing service which allows Motionsoft to offer one of the most complete and comprehensive services to the health and fitness industry.

I’ll be at the Gold Gym’s Owner’s Conference this Monday and Tuesday, October 5th & 6th in NYC. I will be talking to members of the Gold Gym’s Franchise Association members (GGFA). For more information on the Conference and it’s agenda, see their website:

Mark your calendars! CI 2009 is almost here!

Make sure to visit us at Club Industry 2009 in Chicago, October 14 — 17. We’ll be at Booth 343. We’ve posted more specific information, like our location at the conference, who’s attending, and what we’ll be exhibiting on our website:

http://www.motionsoft.net/events/club-industry-2009

If you’re interested in meeting with us at CI 2009, you can call us at (800) 829-4321, email us, or fill out our online form and speak to one of our reps that will be attending to make arrangements. We’ll be more than happy to accommodate you.

We look forward to seeing you there!

 The world of corporate wellness is rife with hype, misleading propaganda and false promises. 

I found this great article in the online version of Corporate Wellness Magazine. The article is written by Greg Justice and it strives to dispell the myths around the concept of “corporate wellness”. It’s part of a series and this is the first. I encourage you to read this part and then follow up by reading the rest of the series. Here is the link to the article: