Letter published in Club Industry magazine March, 2004.

"Dear Editor,
I read your First Word cloumn every issue. I am a fitness professional (personal trainer, group fitness instructor and gym manager) in Largo, FL.
I was intrigued by your commentary in the February 2004 issue. I understand that your magazine suggests all the typical corporate ideas of 'making the sale.' And I understand your concern with not being asked what you were looking for in a gym by the sales people you encountered. But, as a long-time employee of smaller, family-owned fitness centers, I pride myself on the 'no pressure,' 'no sales pitch' approach to gym memberships.
I have never tried to 'close' a sale. I always try to build a rapport with a potential member, get them talking a little about what it is they're looking for, give them a tour, give them prices, newsletters, group fitness schedules, etc., and ask them if they would like to join.

If they are undecided, I simply let them know that I hope to see them again soon. Nine times out of ten, I do. And, later down the road, once I have gotten to know them better, Ii often hear that the reason they came back to our gym was because there was no pressure. I personally don't feel special when I'm sales-pitched. I get aggravated. I feel like just a number. If the gyms in your area are shifting away from the high-pressure tactics of selling gym memberships, then I commend them, and I hope it is a trend that spreads to the rest of the United States."

Gemma Hughes