“Alliance Leisure have helped make all this happen by changing the way we worked though excellent training and support.  By helping to provide funding and advice on marketing, targeting customers and how to convert our pay and play customers to the aspire membership. They have helped grow our health and fitness suites and ‘programme’ into becoming the major source of income for Salford Community Leisure.”

Peter Shelley

Fitness Manager, April 2007

“The support we have received from Alliance Leisure has been excellent, starting with sales training for our front of house staff straight through to our current Christmas offer. They have produced art work for adverts we have placed in the local press and helped us devise a corporate image with all our promotional material. They turn work around within short timescales and they have been very supportive throughout. Our sales have exceeded our targets to date and things have got off to a very good start. I would like to thank Alliance Leisure for their professionalism and support. Our facility has definitely benefited from our partnership.”
Alan Pugh M inst SRM. (Dip) Health / Sports Complex Leader, Jan 2007

Hambleton District Council’s four leisure centres have seen a 17.6% growth in Direct Debit members through Alliance Leisure’s bespoke sales training.

All staff, from receptionists to managers, took part in the REPs accredited Professional Sales Process training course, to formalise the site’s sale process and learn the basic principles of sales with the objective of increasing direct debit memberships.

The day-long course formed part of a 12-month bespoke sales training package for Hambleton, Stokesley, Thirsk and Bedale Leisure Centres, which included an initial audit of the centre’s sales process, advanced selling, closing, objections and customer call backs training, as well as dealing with referrals and promotions.

A year on, Hambleton District Council’s four sites achieved nearly 3,000 active members and a 17.6% growth in Direct Debit members, and are now enjoying a two year sales, operations and marketing partnership with Alliance Leisure to develop a further two operational areas.   The first is a retention system called GOAL (gym operations at Alliance Leisure) to decrease attrition, and the second a number of structured marketing promotions to help increase sales during quiet periods.

Adam Moseley, Marketing and Business Development Manager for the leisure centres said:  “All our staff were trained on site to help us move towards more of a sales culture and give staff the confidence and skills to sell memberships without the need to outsource to external impact sales teams.

“The training also concentrated on a few individuals - our ‘key influencers’ - to further develop their confidence, train them to train new members of staff and run the sales process in the centres.

“We are delighted with the results so far and look forward to even more new members through our two year partnership with Alliance Leisure.”

“Alliance has produced branded posters, banners, flyers and leaflets to help us promote all the health benefits of swimming as well as all the pool based opportunities on offer at all our centres, from lessons, swimming clubs, parent and baby sessions, aqua aerobics, life saving lessons, parties and the 50+ sessions.

“But, the WAG wants us to use the free swimming initiative as a springboard to increase people’s overall activity levels and Alliance Leisure’s sales training is helping staff, from front of house to general managers, to be more commercially minded and think of creative ways to entice customers to other areas of the centre, so that once the customers are in the door we can encourage them to give some of the other activities a go too!”
Ian Saunders
Leisure Manager, Health, Fitness and Business Development

Eckington Leisure Centre’s Activo Fitness Suite celebrated its 1000th direct debit member – despite having no dedicated sales team.
The small community based leisure centre in North East Derbyshire partnered with Alliance Leisure three years ago to launch a ‘zero investment’ sales initiative to set up a direct debit scheme, bring a sales culture to the site and boost membership figures.

Geoff Warburton, Duty Manager at the leisure centre, said:  “We had tried impact sales in the past, but it didn’t work for us.  It was more like a sticking plaster for a year, as when the sales team left we were back where we started.”
The partnership project with Alliance Leisure involved training every member of staff from the fitness team and receptionists to the managers in the art of sales, from approaching prospective members and touring a customer to closing a sale. 

The partnership works on a performance related income share basis, so Alliance Leisure bore all the training costs up front, with Eckington Leisure Centre only paying commission once membership payments exceeded an agreed threshold. 

“This approach worked really well for us as it guaranteed results with no worry, pressure or up front costs – all they needed was our commitment to implement new ideas,” said Geoff.   “Now the whole team has sales targets, which encourages them to work together.  They think about how many members we’ve got this month and how many we need to reach target.  It’s really boosted the team’s morale.”

Membership sales rocketed 300% at the Riverside Recreation Centre in Stafford, just one year after its relaunch in partnership with Alliance Leisure to boost its 385 direct debit members.

Just 12 months on the leisure centre reached a staggering 1,300 active members – 500 over its target of 800 for the first year. 

John Martin, Indoor Leisure Manager at the Riverside Recreation Centre said:  “We had just completed a partnership contract with another company, but were disappointed with the membership figures.  We decided to work with Alliance because of the company’s proven track record of results with similar facilities – and they certainly haven’t let us down!”

Staff at the Riverside Recreation Centre were given sales training and regular on site support, which has seen the team grow in confidence and ability.  

“Alliance have helped us to achieve a complete culture change,” said John.  “The team used to shy away from potential members, but now they’ve grown in confidence so much that they actively enjoying selling at every opportunity.”
Alliance also developed a brand and designed internal point of sale and external advertising material, which has helped to strengthen the centre’s identity within the local community.

The relaunch was so successful that seven months later Stafford Borough Council developed a new gym and class based facility at its existing Westbridge Park site in Stone.  Alliance was tasked with setting up the sales systems for this second development, which, in just six months, built a direct debit membership base of over 1,000.

John said:  “We have monthly on site support from Alliance to ensure we fully maximize fitness income, and we regularly analyse performance of incoming members and retention rates of existing members. 

“Throughout our 12 month promotional calendar we saw a continued increase in revenue, and have exceeded all our membership expectations and beaten budgeted targets.”

Alliance Leisure has delivered training to help 16 leisure centres run by Swansea City Council, Monmouthshire County Council and the Conwy County Borough Council, promote the swimming elements of the leisure centre, raise awareness of the Free Swimming initiative and boost the number of swimmers coming through their doors. 
The swimming development training, consists of five modules including Alliance Leisure’s Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) accredited ‘The Professional Sales Process’ training day, and covers, sales, aftersales, advanced selling, sales planning and outreach, PR and corporate development and customer care.
Monmouthshire County Council has also invested in Alliance Leisure’s marketing support package to promote the Free Swimming initiative at the four centres in its area.  Ian Saunders, Leisure Manager, health, fitness and business development for the council said:  “Alliance has produced branded posters, banners, flyers and leaflets to help us promote all the health benefits of swimming as well as all the pool based opportunities on offer at our centres, from lessons, swimming clubs, parent and baby sessions, aqua aerobics, life saving lessons, parties and the 50+ sessions.
“But the WAG wants us to use the free swimming initiative as a springboard to increase people’s overall activity levels and Alliance Leisure’s sales training is helping all staff, from front of house to general managers, to be more commercially minded and think of creative ways to entice customers to other areas of the centres, so that once the customers are in the door we can encourage them to give some of the other activities a go too!”