It is a question that some gym owners are asked on a daily basis; “Expensive” like hard, soft, cheap, hot, cold, etc. is a subjective and relative term. Expensive compared to what? Expensive compared to the $10-40/mon traditional gym membership that allows you access to equipment, no coaching, and a few pizza parties each month? Or expensive compared to P90X in your living room with no feedback or accountability? Or compared to the cost of living the final years of life with one of a myriad of obesity-related diseases?
This isn’t going to be a rant about why what we offer is better than what you’re doing now; as long as what you’re doing now doesn’t solely consist of a couch, an Xbox 4, a box of donuts and a liter of Coke.
Our goal is to help change your behaviors so that exercise and your health can become a top priority; it’s not to tell you that we are the only means to that end.
Gyms are not created equally. Some are expensive in regards to what they offer, and should be charging less; most of those will be forced to close in the near future. There are also some that offer a phenomenal value for what they provide. In the book, “The Go-Giver,” Bob Burg writes about The Law of Value. It states, “Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.”
When a potential member calls and tells us that a similar gym down the block charges $50 less, or has a Groupon deal; and asks if we’d match it; it’s a quick, simple answer: “No. We don’t compete with businesses based on price, but on value and services we provide. We welcome you to come stop by and experience how we are different.“ However, from that initial conversation, it’s unlikely this person would be an ideal client of ours. Our ideal client contacts us and asks about how we can provide the outcomes they are looking for, not how to spend as little money as possible investing in themselves.
Walk into a Lexus and Kia dealership and you can see and feel the difference. I assure you that the Lexus dealership is not complaining about a business across the street that’s selling a “similar product” (in regards to public perception; a car) for 50-70% less than their own. A Lexus is considered “expensive” to a lot of people. Ask the Lexus dealer why. You’ll be able to tell the difference from the second you walk in the showroom.
When you join us at Live Active Charlotte, you may be thinking that you’re just joining a gym. You’ll be wrong. Why is it so “expensive”? We invest in our members. We invest in our staff. We invest in giving our members an experience they won’t get elsewhere. You’re not paying for access to some equipment, half of which you don’t know how to use. You’re paying for a change in lifestyle. You’re paying for a place that, in many cases, can become the social hub of your days. While classes may last 60 minutes, members hang around for twice that time AFTER they finish their workout. It’s a place where others will hold you accountable for your actions. Being part of a community of like-minded individuals is going to increase your chances of success. The “suffering” is always easier when you have people to join you!
We are here to empower people to make better and more informed decisions about health and fitness. We teach how to lift safely and efficiently. We are a vehicle of change that can add 20-40 years to a person’s life. What would you pay to add years to your life? Nix your $5/day Starbucks addiction? Or the two times a month you drop $100 at the bar with your friends? Life is a series of choices. Live by them; die by them. It’s your call.
If you drive to our facility in a $50,000 car, walk up the stairs in your $200 shoes, then put your keys into the pocket of your $300 pair of jeans; and before you’re willing to take out your $200 wallet to pay for a membership; you ask, “Why is it so expensive?”…..Before we talk health and fitness, we’re going to talk about priorities.