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Sales Pitched at 24-Hour Fitness... and I WON'T be joining!

By
Education & Training with Sell with Soul

work outLast night, I went to 24-Hour Fitness to meet a girlfriend of mine for Power Yoga. I don't belong to 24-Hour Fitness, but she assured me I could get a 24-day free membership. Cool.

Well, of course, in order to get my free membership card, I had to sit through a sales pitch. I HATED it and y'know what? I probably won't join just because I don't want to give that salesy little hardbody the satisfaction. I don't want him to think that he successfully SOLD me!

What really bugged me was that we were having a nice little time together - he showed me around the gym, we talked about food sensitivities - y'know, we're bonding, so I thought. Then, he whips out his buyer agency agreement flip chart of why I should hire him join the club. He made his case and I politely declined to commit TODAY. Why? Because I hadn't even tried out the club yet, I didn't know if it would return my calls promptly suit my needs, I didn't yet feel comfortable signing the EBA commiting to a year membership. I explained these reasons to him, but he wouldn't give up. He had this baffled look on his face, followed by an annoyed look - implying that I'm 1) rude for wasting his time and 2) an idiot for not signing up.  Gotta tell ya, implying that I'm a rude idiot does NOT win any brownie points with me. I was waiting for him to tell me he wouldn't put me in his car give me my temporary membership card unless I committed to him on the spot.

Anyway, I finally convinced him that I was not going to sign up, so he walked away for a minute to pick up the temporary card he'd printed for me. When he came back, he said he'd just remembered a special the club was offering! He told me about the special and then said "Do you STILL just want a temporary membership?" Oh, yes, even more so now, thank you.

Blech. This is what sales is all about, huh?

 

  www.sellwithsoul.com

 

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Comments(70)

David L. Sartirana
Northwest Ct Realty - Winsted, CT
CHMS
I have to share this one with you. I was invited to this new resort up in Maine to come check them out. They offered an overnight in their resort, dinner and listen to a short presntation. The only reson I went was for the last three years I have promised my wife a trip to Bar Harbor and I figured half our weekend paid for how bad could it be to try and get bullied into what seemed to be a time share. We get there Friday night, in the middle of a snow storm, check in, everyone was very nice, go to the dining room for the presentation, take a quick 20 min tour of the facilities, sit down to a very nice dinner, listen to a 30 min no pressure presentation  and brunch the next morning. I could not believe it. We were on our way to Bar Harbor by 9:30 only to get greeted by more snow and we couldn't see a thing!!
Apr 06, 2008 07:54 AM
Rob Graham
Windermere Real Estate - Seattle, WA
Rob Graham
I quit 24 hour fitness for the same reason. That sales pitch doesn't end when you are a member.  Then they want you to buy training sessions and towels and equipment and food.  Its bad.
Apr 06, 2008 08:51 AM
Anonymous
LaNita Cates
Great blog!  What a huge waste of tiime for you. Just imagine if he had approached it differently.
Apr 06, 2008 09:09 AM
#88
Bob & Carolin Benjamin
Benjamin Realty LLC - Gold Canyon, AZ
East Phoenix Arizona Homes
Had this guy handled it differently you might have felt differnetly and been all ready to join up. Their loss.
Apr 06, 2008 10:43 AM
Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn
Sell with Soul - Pensacola Beach, FL
Author of Sell with Soul
Y'know what bothered me the most? That I really was enjoying chatting with sales dude (as an introvert, I don't "chat" easily) and perhaps foolishly felt that he was enjoying chatting with me too. When he went headlong into sales pitch mode, it kind of hurt my feelings that I was just another prospect to be sold. I hope I never make anyone feel like a number!
Apr 06, 2008 10:46 AM
Lisa Friedman
Alliance Realtors - Bedminster, NJ
Central New Jersey Real Estate
Is there really such a thing as a 24 hour gym?! That sounds like my dream come true. However, I agree with you, that tactic is very tacky and unacceptable. Being pleasant, letting you have a good experience and then following up with you after one or two weeks is much better.
Apr 06, 2008 11:01 AM
Tim, Josh, and Ally Heers
ERA Ranch & Sea Realty - Carlsbad, CA

This just happen to me too on Tuesday!!

Well, I was a memeber of 24hours about 10years ago.  And there was a class action suit and I recieved a 30 days FREE pass a couple months ago.  

So I decided to start my 30days on the first day of the April.  I was excited because my friend goes to 24hrs, so I would have someone to workout with! 

I went to the brand new Sport one by my house and there was this very nice guy who showed me around and then sat me down for the sales pitch! Urgh!

He said that I had to give him my credit card right now!  And that I don't have to pay for 30days, but I have 5 days to cancel.  What!?  

I told him that I had received this FREE 30day pass from all the problems I experienced before and I just want my FREE 30days!  He said all the pass does is activite your old account so you don't have to pay the downpayment again!  But I still had to pay the $40 a month!  I asked if I could just have a 5 day pass then and he still said I had to give him my credit card!  Then I asked him about just for today, because my friend was coming.  And he said well if your friend has a guest pass for today then you can, otherwise no!  I couldn't believe it!  So I walked out!  I wasn't even allowd to try out their gym for 1 day!  I then went to the old 24hrs gym by my friend's house.  And the sales lady was going to sit me down for the sales pitch, when she said, You look like your in a hurry.  I said, yeah my friend is already here.  And she said, Oh, go on and work out and come to me afterwards!  Finally I got to work out!  So it really depends on the salesperson!  This wasn't an April Fools day joke either, but the first sales person sure made it seem like he was trying to fool me!  

by Ally Heers

www.heerstheateam.com

 

Apr 06, 2008 12:29 PM
Christy Powers
Keller Williams Coastal Area Partners - Pooler, GA
Pooler, Savannah Real Estate Agent
That's horrible. I hate sales pitches, especially when done by an over the top salesman. 
Apr 06, 2008 12:49 PM
Wayne B. Pruner
Oregon First - Tigard, OR
Tigard Oregon Homes for Sale, Realtor, GRI
The sales pitch would have been more effective after a positive workout experience. Instead of a sales pitch, you should have first gotten some attention by a trainer.
Apr 06, 2008 01:51 PM
Joe Virnig
RE/MAX Gold Coast REALTORS, Ventura County, California - Ventura, CA
No Ordinary Joe
Many years ago I joined the same gym.  But not on the first day.  When ever I hear I have to decide today, I smile and say I can decide today and the answer is "No, but if only I had another day it might very well be yes."  I've never had anyone not willing to wait an extra day.
Apr 06, 2008 02:23 PM
John Chase
Ask about land and ranches for sale in WY- Chase Brothers - Sheridan, WY
Land and Ranches in Sheridan, WY
Jennifer- it seems you too don't try to "sell".  I'm the least "salesy" person alive, but I'm passionate about where I live and why I live here, and I think that can be infectious.  I never try to sell anyone anything; I just listen to what they want and then I try to link them to what they want.  I usually spend quite a bit of time on a tour of the area to get a good chance to listen while they look.  I hate being "sold" too.
Apr 06, 2008 03:39 PM
Charles Tharp
Prudential California Realty - Fontana, CA
Inland Empire, Real Estate & Short Sale Specialist
If you think those are bad, try a timeshare or co-op presentation. Those will drive you insane and they definately rip you off.
Apr 06, 2008 04:46 PM
Robert Machado
HomePointe Property Management, CRMC - Sacramento, CA
CPM MPM - Property Manager and Property Management
Your blog is right on.  I hate the canned pressure.  It is not necessary and useless.  If you like the healthclub, join and tell management about your experience.
Apr 06, 2008 05:07 PM
Kelly Bovi, Charlotte Area Real Estate
NavMak Enterprises, LLC - Charlotte, NC
that is exactly why I do not automatically whip out they buyers agency agreement the very first time I meet someone. It would annoy me if someone did that to me!
Apr 07, 2008 02:35 AM
Brad Andersohn
Retired Executive Director of Education at eXp - Boulder Creek, CA
ActiveBrad - 707.646.1876
So did you email him a copy or a link to this post?  You might be doing him a huge favor by doing so.  Helping people is what we do and I know it's what you do very well.  It might be in order to help this poor guy out too.  You know, the ol "Paying it Forward" concept?  Just an idea, I kinda felt sorry for the guy after reading your post! Love your stuff here Jennifer, you certainly do "Sell With Soul!"  :-))))
Apr 07, 2008 02:44 AM
Jenn Beilmann
Coldwell Banker Gundaker - Mehlville, MO
St. Louis MO Realtor
Great post, Jennifer, and great comments! You should definitely send that guy a copy of this post!
Apr 07, 2008 03:21 AM
Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn
Sell with Soul - Pensacola Beach, FL
Author of Sell with Soul

I'd hate to ruin the guy's day - he's just doing what he's been told to do and heck, it probably works. Just like in our business, pushing, closing and/or intimidating our clients and prospects works with some (thus the end justifies the means???), but it's not the way I want to run my business. I'm so glad so many of you agree!

Apr 07, 2008 03:44 AM
R. B. "Bob" Mitchell - Loan Officer Raleigh/Durham
Bank of England (NMLS#418481) - Raleigh, NC
Bob Mitchell (NMLS#1046286)

Jennifer....this post hits close to home.....While I was working on getting my company open way back in the day, I took a job working at a Gold's Gym as a salesman.  It was kind of odd, because I WASN'T a 22 year old hard body.  I was a 37 year old guy who had been flying a desk for the previous 14 years.

The rest of the "sales" people were all young go getters who listened to every word that the consultant that the new owner had hired to "teach" these young folks to sell (NOT).  I politely listened to the guy and smiled at him.  I then watched as each of these "sales" people attempted to work the folks who came into check out the gym (it was a cool gym located in the loft district here in St. Louis).

I too would talk with these folks, but I used a much "softer" sell with them.  I also went out to the local businesses and offered them a way to make a membership in our gym part of their benefits package.  The reception that I got was great...here I was, closing in on "middle age" (I still haven't gotten there in my opinion) with a gut being invited to address employee groups from these companies....long story short, I out "sold" the hard bodies something like 10 to 1 in memberships.

I think the fact that I was "real" and not a hard body actually worked for me.....I was fighting the same battles that these folks were and they could identify with me.  

I eventually got my company open and gave the gym up (at least as far as working at one) and really hadn't thought of it for years now, but your post made me think back to how wrong that consultant was.  I loved the way that you applied your logic to our profession.  Great post...sorry for the length of my comment.

 

Bob Mitchell

ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc. 

Apr 07, 2008 03:51 AM
Carlie Pardue
Placer Title Company - Roseville, CA
He should of let you try the gym out first! :)
Apr 07, 2008 11:15 AM
Bob Haywood
McGraw Realtors - Owasso, OK
BobHaywood.com

Jennifer,

Great post!  You crack me up.  You continue to be a great writer.  Hope things are going well.

Apr 10, 2008 03:43 PM