Telling your boss what's up????

[jdgregory84]

Ok...so I started my job at 24hrfitness a couple of weeks ago and coming from an extremely successful private business and not a national corporation, I've been noticing things that we do, that is completely inefficient, and for the most part a waste of time. Basically, the way we try and get more business is to call people that are referenced to the gym by other people. I'd say that less than 5% of those references even come in to check out the gym. Plus, anytime I call one of those references, it seems like they're kinda pissed that I called to offer them a free trial run. Just not interested, which I understand. What I have noticed is that people that actually come into the gym are a lot more likely to join, even if I just give them a free 7 day pass and then call them a few days later.

My question is, should I bring this up to my manager? I feel like it's gonna make me seem lazy. I'm not trying to avoid work, but I feel the company needs to advertise more/differently. I'm expected to make 30-50 calls a day talking to people that never showed any interest in joining a gym when I could be taking in more guests that walked into the place b/c they're obviously ready to join a gym and change their lives.

When is the last time somebody saw a commercial for 24hr fitness? That's my big thing. I mean, company's will spend big bucks to advertise during a major sporting event. You have, work out at home info-mercials advertising all the time in the middle of the night, and they're ridiculously successful.

The past couple of days, my direct manager has told me and the other team members "You need to call, you need to set appointments...etc" I love where I work, but I feel that their business strategy is good, but also....in need of improvement.

Anyways, sorry for the long post. Just let me know what you think. There are a lot of smart motherfuckers here, plus you guys are normal peeps. Just wanted to get some input.

[YALE]

In my experience, the difference between constructive criticism and complaint is that constructive critcism should attempt to provide a superior alternative. I'd start by figuring out what you actually cost the company while you're doing this task, then how much you make the company doing this task, then find a new task that makes more money. For instance, if I want to justify a new capital expenditure at the cheese factory, I have to project a minimum return of 25% on that investment per year. Ideally, home office wants a justification of at least 50% (those projections get fast tracked). I'd come up with an idea, crunch the numbers, write a proposal, then take it to the store manager, and the district manager (your shift manager doesn't control a damn thing). If they like it (and that's a mighty if, so don't be discouraged if they turn it down), they'll re-run the numbers and submit it to their superiors with their names on it (get used to it). Change enough, never get down about your suggestions being rejected, and you'll start climbing the corporate ladder. It's the shortest path to success in a big corporation.

[347Mike]

If you bring an issue to the table you need to have a solution backed behind it or you are just a whiner, and no one likes them. If you bring a solution to the table you need to make sure it is realistic not some farfetched sounded good at the time idea you thought of. Additionally, I would make sure this doesn't fall under one of their "best practices" if this is something they have been doing for years and has been any sort of successful in the past, I don't see it changing. you don't want to come across the new guy who is going to reconstruct the entire company. I am not saying those are you itentions but no one likes one of those guys when it is their first week there.

I would be careful just because 1) you are new and 2) you are new and it isn't necessarily your job to improve things. I work everyday "fixing" things and putting solutions to processes that aren't efficient and anyone that brings things to the table I value, but if someone is constantly complaining about how things don't work and are useless then I lose interest in listening and even worse, I lose my patience with them and don't really have a need for them as they are usually causing more problems than fixing things at this point.

So in conclusion, I would bring it up because I think anyone who shows interest in fixing things for the greater good says a lot about them but at the same time you don't want to insult a process that has been in plan for years and has been somewhat successful. Maybe there is a reason why they still have that process around?

[32vfromhell]

dialing for dollars at the consumer level? fuck that

[cool cat]

Being a newb, pretty much anything you say will fall on deaf ears. Get some skins on the wall and then you can offer ways to change the world.

[BP]

You aren't cold calling, it's part of the job to follow up on leads. On the low side if you call 30 people and 2 of them come in and one joins, didn't you accomplish something? As a seller that's a crappy close ratio but it's a whole lot better than straight cold calling will get you. As long as the revenue generated exceeds the costs of paying you to call leads you'll still be calling leads.

Also screw dealing with one person at a time on the phone. Get in with the HR or marketing people at all the office buildings and call centers in town. Setup a table with a couple of hot chicks in the lunch room and you'll have dozens of new members instantly. All you'd need to do is offer free registration and $24 a month or something. Then hook up with the apartment complexes around, offer the same deal to their tenants and give a kick back to the manager for every new member.

Then I'd figure out what it'd cost to set up a tent outside of the Ranger's ball park and the Cowboys stadium. Same deal, hot chicks, just hand out free water, stress balls and business cards offering your free visits. 10k+ people will walk by you in half an hour, you'll contact more people in that span of time than spending an entire year on the phone calling leads.

[Broncojohnny]

No matter what you do, I don't see you ever getting away from following up on leads in that environment.

The best way for you to change anyone's mind is going to be pounding out those calls, determining what your closing ratio is and then going out on the floor and talking to people and signing them up face to face and determining what your closing ratio is. Unless you are closing two or three times as many people face to face, I don't ever see you not calling those leads. You would have to demonstrate that the calls are a tremendous waste of your time.

[Chili]

They may not need as many people in your position if they choose to change their business strategy. I mean, if they aren't expecting to make hundreds of outbound calls a day then they could probably cut staff. Make sure you don't "What's up" yourself out of a job!

[Roscoe]

I think you're a bit too "new" to tell your boss he needs to realign the business plans.

As Al mentioned, know your close ratios over the phone as well as walk-ins. Have a plan in another month to go to your boss with your findings and comparisons in a fact-based presentation to let him know that with more focus on walk-ins you'd be able to more efficiently close business.

Numbers don't lie, but going with your first post you'll come across as a "bad hire" in his eyes. Just my $0.02.

[clevelandkid]

They may not need as many people in your position if they choose to change their business strategy. I mean, if they aren't expecting to make hundreds of outbound calls a day then they could probably cut staff. Make sure you don't "What's up" yourself out of a job!

This.

What other job responsibilities do you have? Want to get canned or demoted to cleaning toilets? Unless you think they're going to move you to corporate marketing...

[Brandon-k]

Yea..the unsolicited calls are pretty annoying. The on ehere in Denton keeps calling me....even though I canceled my account due to their staffs negligence and disrespect. I'm always polite but I let them know that they are being a pest.

[mustangguy289]

Don't suggest yourself out of a job. I hear bitching about how certain things are done sometimes. I ask the guys.... you like the overtime right? They immediately shut up.

[jluv]

I'm sure they have someone who gets paid to sell
memberships to people who walk in. They also want people who pound the phones. Know your role. What are the chances that you, the new guy, knows of some brilliant new strategy that they haven't figured out after all these years? Don't be silly.

[Treasure Chest]

Fish bowl marketing is a pita, but even if you spend several hours of paid time a week on the phone, and get one membership, the profit off the membership more than makes up for your time spent.

I wouldn't say anything to knock the phone calls, but I would suggest talking to your boss about letting you participate in expos and other events.

Also, if you have trial membership cards at your disposal, write your name and work contact info on them, get in with apartments and other businesses that put together welcome packages; place them at tanning salons, non-corporate retailers, privately owned salons, and anywhere else that deals with health and beauty.
Whenever you go into a restaurant or business, give one to the hostess, waitress, and pass them out to the office staff at businesses close to the gym.

Once your membership numbers are high enough, and your boss sees a higher number of free membership vouchers with your contact info coming in, he'll be more inclined to hear your ideas for marketing and won't be on your back about making calls.

[suckerdin]

i had someone call me from 24 hr fitness because a friend referenced me....

i ended up telling this friend not to ever do that again.