Ian Makowske competed for Team Mikey’s Way at the Winter Cup out in Las Vegas. Check back to see results.
10 Lessons in Marketing Brilliance
10 Lessons in Marketing Brilliance
During the height of her popularity, Paris Hilton once fired this retort at critics: “It will work. I am a marketing genius.” Sadly, those of us who aren’t as blessed must face the fact that creating a campaign that captures lots of eyeballs and produces millions in sales is about as likely as Hilton’s big Hollywood comeback.
Every year there are marketing initiatives that hit on that winning combination of:
- Great Idea
- Perfect timing
- Flawless execution
Here are 10 marketing lessons from 2011. The rest is up to you.
1. Go Guerrilla. Warner Brothers had a bill board to promote the movie Contagion that actually grew bacteria and mold to spell out the name. The NEWS about the marketing was as big as the NEWS about the movie. For things to go viral you need to break the mold (pun intended).
2. Pay Attention to what is going on. You can score big if you keep up with current events and speak to what is on peoples mind.
3. Find a way to turn your best customers into brand evangelists. Reward your current customers for getting the word out.
4. Get Personal. Relating to customers is vitally important for any marketing effort. Tap directly into peoples emotion and what they care about. Show how your gym is perfect for how they feel.
5. Raise the Stakes. Give your customers a reason to care, and helping them, help you. If at a birthday party at your gym, the parent of the birthday child gets 3 or 4 kids to sign up for class, give them the party for free.
6. Be Exclusive. Two words: INVITATION ONLY. Have an invitation only event at the gym. Make it THE place to be.
7. Have a Conversation. Talk to your customers. If you engage in dialogue with customers you will do better than one who prefers to lecture.
8. Make it SHARE worthy. Social Media is all about the “pass-along value”. We used to cut out news paper clips of our children to pass around. Now sharing is just a click away.
9. Solve a Problem. It is always a good bet to focus on how a product or service helps customers rather than bragging about your best features. EVERY TIME there is an article in your newspaper or on line on child hood obesity- You should be able to take that to the bank. Want to be a better down hill skier- Try gymnastics. Want to be a better soccer player- Try Gymnastics.
10. Knock it Out of The Park. Few (if any) companies can rival Disney’s Ad spend, but no matter what budget, a traditional, well executed campaign with one stunning narrative can be more effective than one that’s fragmented across contests, Facebook fan pages and other channels.
With all marketing, make sure you can track your investment. If you can’t track if it is working, it is not marketing, it is a contribution.
Wit and Wisdom, February 3
“All the president is is a glorified public relations man who spend his time flattering, kissing, and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway”Harry Truman. (Sounds like coaching doesn’t it?)
“Happiness, it turns out, is a destination we reach only when we are trying to get somewhere else.”British author Matthew Syed.
“In a thousand years, archaeologists will dig up tanning beds and think we fried people as punishment.”Olivia Wilde
“The finest fury is the most controlled.”Christopher Hitchens
“Facts and truth really don’t have much to do with each other.”William Faulkner
“Death is a distant rumor to the young.” Andy Rooney
“Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you.”Pericles
“Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain.”Lilly Tomlin
“The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office” Robert Frost
Have a quote you would like to share? Keep the MOMENTUM going- SHARE
TEAM MIKEY’S WAY
Contributor Eddie Umphrey sent me an e-mail last week bringing my attention to Ian Makowske, MIKEY’S WAY and TEAM MIKEY’S WAY. I immediately knew that I needed to get GYM MOMENTUM behind this. Keep the MOMENTUM going. Spread the word and get involved with MIKEY’S WAY.
Here is an excerpt from his e-mail
Tony,
I first met Ian several years ago when he came to the University of Michigan summer gymnastics camp. He was interested in joining the team and attended the summer camp to get a closer look at the university. Right off the bat, Ian stood out as one of the hardest workers in the camp, but what caught my attention most was his willingness to learn and how earnestly he sought to gain more knowledge. He was very genuine in his training. He told Michigan was at the top of his college list & there was no doubt in my mind that he would be a perfect fit at Michigan. By time Ian had began his time as a Wolverine I had already graduated, but had the pleasure of frequently speaking to Ian and following his progress while on campus. Last year I received a Facebook group invite from Ian to raise awareness of Mikey’s Foundation. It spread across Facebook quickly. In October, 2011 Ian created a way to raise even more support and funds for Mikey’s foundation while still training. Thus, Team Mikey’s Way has now introduced Mikey’s incredible story to the gymnastics world.
Eddie
Since then I have been in touch with Ian, discussing MIKEY’S WAY and finding ways for GYM MOMENTUM to help. Ian’s simple response sealed the deal.
Dear Tony,
My main goal in competing for Team Mikey’s Way is to spread Mikey’s story. Mikey was a great friend, an incredible person, and continues to be a huge inspiration in my life. He left an incredible legacy, tangibly in the Foundation that he created, but intangibly as well in the number of number of people he inspired and the optimism he spread. By telling Mikey’s story I hope to not increase the number of people who know about Mikey’s Way Foundation, but also to honor his memory.
By competing in a Team Mikey’s Way uniform, I hope to raise brand recognition on a national level for Mikey’s Way Foundation. By competing with the Mikey’s Way “MW” on my chest I hope to gain exposure at meets and increase media coverage, spread Mikey’s story, and make Mikey’s Way Foundation a nationally recognized organization. My goal is to raise $10,000 worth of donations by Olympic Trials. Currently I have raised about $2,000 since September. People’s support has been truly overwhelming! Half of every generous donation goes directly to Mikey’s Way Foundation as they continue to provide pediatric cancer patients with electronics to help them cope with the stress, fear and boredom of treatments. The other half goes towards Team Mikey’s Way, uniforms, travel and training expenses for me. Ultimately, the coverage and exposure gained by traveling and competing in Team Mikey’s Way apparel will result in greater recognition for the Foundation and will aid pediatric cancer patients as well.
So far this season I have already competed for TEAM MIKEY’S WAY at the Windy City Invitational and the West Point Open. I travel to Vegas tomorrow and compete in the Winter Cup Challenge, and I am looking into the HGC meet at the beginning of March. From there, I will compete at Qualifier, and hopefully US Championships. Should my Irish citizenship go through, I hope to get several international assignments, possibly Northern European Championships.
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate you helping me get the word out. I don’t think people realize how much their support means. Whether it is cheering for me at a competition, wearing Mikey’s Way Blue, or even just sending in a dollar. Everything helps.
Ian
Here is a Video Eddie put together to tell MIKEY’S story and Ian’s quest. Keep the MOMENTUM going. Share it with everyone.
Find out about MIKEY’s WAY on NBC News
Sadly, Michael lost his battle with cancer in October of 2008. He is deeply missed and always loved. His vision for Mikey’s Way continues, and his legacy has only just begun.
ALWAYS BE UPLIFTING. Please share this with Everyone you know. Support Team Mikey’s Way: SUPPORT
Jennifer Love Hewitt on MIKEY’S WAY
Jennifer Love Hewitt says a few words on Mikey’s Way.
[Read more…]
How Do You Know You Are Doing A Good Job?
How Do You Know You Are Doing A Good Job?
For gym owners or managers sometimes it is very difficult to tell if you are doing a good job.
Your employees may be afraid to give you constructive criticism but they are happy to talk about you when you are not around! IF you are lucky you will have one person who is NOT afraid to tell you the truth when you mess something up.
Is there anyone around to let you know when you have done a good job? All too often the answer is, “NO”.
Compliments feel shallow, forced or insincere.
Remember- Actions speak louder than words! In the gym we are more than a paycheck to most (hopefully all) of our employees.
You know you are doing a good job when:
- Coaches/ teachers volunteer to sub for a class.
- Coaches/ teachers do things to make your job easier
- Coaches/ teachers willingly do MORE than what is required of them.
- Coaches/ teachers are PROUD to be associated with you. They want to introduce you to their friends and family
- Coaches/ teachers play a joke on you.
You can not look for these things to happen every day, although that would be nice. If ANY of these things happens every once and a while, you are probably doing OK.
If NONE of these things happen, EVER– You probably have some work to do.
PRAISE THOSE AROUND YOU.
Here’s what the psychologists think about praise: “Positive reinforcement works better than punishment.”
Here’s what the management experts think: “Employee recognition leads to profit.”
Here’s what the neurologists think: “Dopamine, which is released in the brain any time we hear something we like, is a powerful chemical.”
How important is praise in the workplace or in the gym? A 2010 study published in Harvard Business Review found that at Best Buy, a 0.1 % increase in employee engagement drove $100,000 in operating income to the bottom line of EACH store per year.
In your gym- employee engagement involves a lot of things.
- – Personal fulfillment
- – Career advancement
- – Maybe even Free Coffee
Chester Elton, co-author of The Carrot Principle, found that the single most important factor was SIMPLE RECOGNITION.
Praise involves very little effort and produces a lot in return. It is a no-brainer IN and OUT of the gym.
Try the PSED principle.
Praise
Someone
Every
Day
Do you have a business Tip you want to share? Keep the momentum going- SHARE
Strength and Stability to Help with Tumbling
Thanks to Thomas Hamblin, Head Coach from Silver Stars TnT in Silver Springs, Maryland for sharing. You can view his blog- TUMBLE TECH. Tom is a former National Champion in power tumbling, trampoline, and acrobatic gymnastics. As a coach he has national and international level experience. [Read more…]
On Sportsmanship for Gymnasts, Coaches and Parents
SPORTSMANSHIP
On the long drive home after a very successful weekend at an Invitational my coaches and I had an opportunity to reflect on the behavior of some coaches, parents and gymnasts. We were in agreement that sportsmanship is really something NOT addressed enough in our sport. It came down to that there are some coach/club owners who allow such behavior out of parents from their gym that it becomes an embarrassment to the sport itself. Many of these same coaches are so focused on the score that they do not see an exemplary performance. These coaches are often the “Bad Winners”.
To get good at winning, you have to get good at losing.
The bottom line is that you or your team is NOT going to win every competition you go to. All winning streaks come to an end. When I first started coaching, my goal was to have each gymnast, and therefore, each team competitive at each level. I knew we weren’t going to have a lot of 1st place team trophies but we were going to have a good product on the floor. As my team grew and my coaching staff improved we started winning more, but my goal was the same. To be competitive. I made sure that every gymnast, coach and parent knew this.
To the Gymnasts: If you have a good meet and someone has a better meet, congratulate them. Appreciate their hard work and determination. It is OK to want to beat the competition, but beat them on their BEST day. If you have a bad meet (and you will), get over it, get back to the gym and get to work. I have seen so many gymnasts not be able to recover from a bad event or a bad meet. Move on. Read my post on Failure, A Prerequisite for Success.
To the Coaches: Practice the 6 P’s. Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. If you plan and Prepare your gymnasts in practice then your job in the meet should be easier. You can not control the competition and you can not control the score. If you go to a meet and get your butt kicked, congratulate that team. As difficult as it is, try to catch some great performances from other teams.
To the Parents: Keep in mind, you never know whose parents or grandparents you may be sitting next to. Say NOTHING negative. Appreciate a good routine regardless of what color leotard that child has on. During awards, clap for every place whether 1st place or 101st place. In the team competition, be respectful. Cheer for every place. If your team wins- Be happy but try not to be over the top with your cheering.
The following is a letter I sent out to parents from my gym following the last competition.
Parents,
There is no way I can possibly tell you how proud we are of your children. Not just for their performance in the meet but for their composure, and sportsmanship they displayed. In every meet, someone is going to have a good meet and others are going to struggle. Athletes at both ends of the spectrum handled their individual situations with poise and dignity. They cheered for their team mates, they cheered for other competitors. During awards they were respectful of the competition, they were showed real class. This is one thing as coaches we expect of your children at competitions and we are so happy that they acted accordingly.
At FAR TOO MANY competitions, we have seen and heard groups of parents that cheered and acted like they were at a football game. It is always awkward when a team of parents is cheering for “their team” to the point of being obnoxious. I am so happy that this has NEVER been a parent from Atlantic. We really dominated this competition at every level and age group. During the competition I heard many of you applaud for a good performance regardless of what color leotard that gymnast had on. During awards I heard you cheer for every place from top to bottom.
As I left the meet and went over to thank the Meet Director, John, and his brother Gene (the guy giving out awards) they congratulated Atlantic as a team for having a good weekend and then commented on what a classy group of parents we had. We shared a few stories of parents from other gyms who are not as gracious guests and really are an embarrassment to the sport as a whole.
For being such great parents and teaching your kids such great values I THANK YOU. I AM PROUD.
Tony
Crash Of The Week. January 30
Craig Zappa from ENA in Paramus, NJ shares a great video of a failed PAK SALTO.
[Read more…]
A New Class Management Program
I recently heard about a new Class Management Program. It seems pretty cool and solves many of the problems that club owners face. I requested some info and here is what I received.
Aces Management Systems
Aces Software
Aces Management Systems introduces Aces Software. Aces Software is the industry’s newest Web Based School Management System. Aces Software is positioning itself as a complete business package with its ability to handle: Online Registrations, Class Management, Online Billing, Internal Communication System, Task Management, Financial Reporting to INCLUDE EXPENSES, and more! Aces Software is also leveraging todays latest technology tools to make it faster, more efficient, and easier to use than its competitors. However, the greatest advantage to using Aces Software is its economical advantage! Aces Software ONLY costs $99/Month, and for a LIMITED time the cost is only $79/Month…FOR LIFE for those who take advantage! The monthly cost has NO STRINGS attached…there are NO LIMITS to the number of customers and there are NO LIMITS to the number of users!
For more information visit our website at www.aces-ms.com or email info@aces-ms.com.
