There’s a lot to learn from shutting up and listening.

June 7, 2012
Categories: Data & Reporting • Member Acquisition

Have you ever heard the song by Madonna, “Cherrio Girl.” Probably not. You know why? Because she never sang a song called “Cherrio Girl.” Unfortunately for me, I thought it was one of her best songs ever. If only I had taken the time to listen closely, I would know that she was singing the song “Material Girl.” It would have saved me quite a bit of embarrassment, and at least one atomic wedgie! Stay with me on this one, there is something here that might be helpful to your business…

If you were listening to our webinar last week on search engine optimization (SEO), you heard me mention that I have always wanted my very own monkey. Well this week for my birthday, the people in my office who listened to the webinar, surprised me with my own dancing monkey. Click here to see my amazing dancing monkey. Let’s just say, I was wowed when he showed up at my door.

But let’s put this into context for you and explain why this is important. At Motionsoft we have three tenets that we consider when building club management software for your facility. We call it “Get. Keep. And Know.” The “Know” part speaks to the importance of “reporting” In my mind what my team did for me is a perfect example of taking knowledge and turning it into action. They KNEW what I wanted by listening and paying careful attention. Then they wowed me. In fact if you just listen to your members carefully they will tell you everything you need to do to surprise them and make them happy.

Since it’s not possible to talk to all your members every day, that’s where reporting comes in! In a lot of ways listening is the one on one version of reporting. You “listen” carefully to their patterns, habits and trends both in your club and in their lives outside. And when you start thinking you’ve uncovered some insights, “listen” again. Do you ever call them randomly and ask them what they think? Do you ever pull out a sample of the ones who your reports show come every day and ask them what they think and like, and dislike? And then pull out the ones who have slowed down and asked them similar questions? What about the ones who spend the most? Or those who spend the least? Or come everyday and but don’t take extra services? This isn’t filling out comments box stuff, folks. This is observing specific types of customers and then listening specifically and asking the right questions.

If you want to continue to grow your business you need to know. One of my favorite quotes is by Mark Twain and his take on knowing…“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Observe what you think might be the case and then go directly to the source. They have the answers. Just ask them the questions so you know what’s so.

And speaking of birthday wishes coming true, the only thing I can imagine better than getting your own monkey is having Dr. Art Curtis join us on a webinar on how to become a multi-club, multi-market club. Yes the very same Art Curtis of Sports Club LA fame and IHRSA fame, and Jefferson Starship fame (ok I may have made up that last one but would you be adverse to him breaking out his a cappella version of “We Built this City” at the end of the webinar). Dr. Curtis brings years of experience growing clubs, and I think there is a lot you can learn by just listening to what he has learned over the years.

Had it been me, and my amazing listening skills, I would have ended up with a pink DONKEY and had Art Garfunkel do the webinar. Not so great if you are trying to grow your business but that would have been a pretty amazing version of “We Built this City.”