Debitsuccess complements CFM’s business model, driving revenue and global success
18 December 2011
An international sales and marketing company that generates new memberships for fitness clubs is commending partner company Debitsuccess for its effective management of billing administration, which is providing them with 15% more revenue than competitors.
Creative Fitness Marketing (CFM) was established in 1990, and today operates in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada, the UK and Ireland. In its time, the company has signed up more than 50,000 new memberships, working with over 2,500 health clubs worldwide to build their client base and retain customers through a service called MemberDrive.
Co-owner of CFM, Emmett Williams says that the company designed the unique marketing approach to target large untapped markets of localized customers in a way that involves no financial outlay or risk to a club.
With MemberDrive, CFM provides a complete sales and marketing package for a fitness club rolled out over a 4-6 week time period. The package incorporates everything from centralised telemarketing and direct mail, to on-site professional sales consultants, graphic design, corporate outreach programs and mall demonstrations.
At the end of the program, CFM takes a commission for any members that are signed up to the local gym, and hands over the membership payment processing to a direct debit services company.
Over the past eight years, CFM has worked extensively with Debitsuccess in both the Australian and New Zealand markets. Debitsuccess processes about 30,000 transactions for CFM every two weeks.
Mr Williams says it is a partnership that has been beneficial for CFM in terms of administration cost savings and in turn, increased revenue. He says CFM collects 15% more money per month using the full-service Debitsuccess model in comparison to other billing companies.
“Debitsuccess is our most critical supplier. They collect and preserve 100% of our revenue stream and more cost-effectively than any other I have experienced by far. Their ability to collect the top line significantly affects our bottom line.”
Mr Williams says that CFM has worked with a number of payment collection companies over the years, but rates Debitsuccess as the most progressive due to their full-service model and their commitment to being a relationship-based company.
“At CFM, our experience, philosophy and desire are all about driving businesses to succeed by offering intelligence-based customer solutions that go to the heart of every business,” says Mr Williams.
“With the support of the intelligent service that Debitsuccess provides, both through their contact centre and membership tools like the Online Management Gateway (OMG), we can focus on our core business of promoting and selling gym memberships, and leave the administration work – including the tough follow-up of defaults – to them.
“This means we don’t get sucked into the detail of collecting receivables, which frees up our resources and head space for growing the business,” says Mr Williams.
“It also means the money we generate for clubs has guaranteed stability due to Debitsuccess’ predictable collection rates, which in turn ensures greater benefits from the MemberDrive campaigns we operate.”
CFM has offices in Chicago, Nottingham and Melbourne. It is the longest serving Promotional Company member of IHRSA and is also affiliated with the FIA, Fitness Australia & Fitness New Zealand.
For more information about how Debitsuccess can help your business succeed with customer payment solutions and administration, visit www.debitsuccess.com.au or call 1300 305 011.