Promoting Heart Rate Monitors

The heart is the most important organ and muscle of the human body. From the beginning of life, blood is driven throughout the body's blood vessels, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as a result of the heart working and beating continuously. Even if a person has lost all brain function, her heart will continue to beat. The heart, working nonstop from the point of conception, is one of the amazing marvels and miracles of life.

If an individual were able to look inside the human body for a 24-hour period, her observation would help her learn how to achieve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. By watching, she could gather information that would offer a clear picture of how to manage weight, manage stress, and how to become physically fit.

In a way, this type of observation is very possible - with heart rate monitors. Using the technology of heart rate monitors, members and clients receive accurate biofeedback regarding their fitness programs, which results in higher success rates, quality programs and services, and increased retention.

The following is a four-step process that we have implemented at The Fitness Centre at Celebration Health to promote sales and the use of heart rate monitors.

1. The first step is to educate staff about the product and how monitor usage is so vital to the success of the facility or health club. One of the largest challenges among fitness professionals is successfully educating staff about the importance of target heart rate and how it affects training. Remember that fitness is about heart rate, not pace. Our staff has been trained to understand that it is more effective to train and measure exertion by using a heart rate monitor than it is to obtain information from a pulse check or chart.

Training staff to understand the importance of monitors can benefit employees. Monitors have made our employees more confident. Since staff can discuss monitor biofeedback with members, our employees have increased credibility. At the same time, members have become more satisfied.

2. The second step is to educate members about the product and the value of its use. We presently have several programs that are designed to educate members. We also offer a free class twice a month, training members how to use monitors. In this class, we emphasize the relationship between target heart rate training and a successful fitness program.

3. The third step is to institute programs around the use of monitors. As part of the initial fitness assessment and orientation protocol, we offer a segment discussing monitors. This is a great opportunity to sell the product and to motivate members. Additionally, we offer specific group exercise classes that require members to have a monitor in order to attend and participate.

4. The fourth step is to recognize and reward staff. We provide monthly bonuses to staff through incentive programs that reward the employee who sells the most monitors.

The heart rate monitor is one of the most valuable tools in the fitness industry today. These monitors are inexpensive, easy to operate, and precise fitness tools that assist fitness professionals in working with their clients. By implementing this four-step process, clubs can improve the relationships between staff and members, improve workout results and generate additional revenue.

Benefits of Using a Heart Rate Monitor

- Accurate and convenient

- Provides biofeedback measuring the heart's responses

- Provides effective and safe workouts

- Inexpensive

- Variety of monitors

- Regulates intensity and quality of workouts

- Guides users to stay within target heart rate zones

- Excellent tool for cardiac and rehabilitation patients

- Fine-tuning instrument for athletes

- Assists in weight loss

Tips for Selling Heart Rate Monitors

- Introduce members to monitors during fitness assessments/orientations

- Offer coupons in new member packets

- Offer monetary bonuses to the employee for sales (for example, The Fitness Centre runs a monthly incentive program that awards $100 plus an additional dollar for every monitor sold to the staff member who sells the most monitors within that month)

- Offer group exercise and educational classes using the monitors

- Do quarterly contests for members and give away or upgrade monitors for the winners