The staff at Excel Fitness Center in Anderson, Ind., had heard the excuses before — over and over, as a matter of fact. So they decided to do something about it. The “If What?” health promotion, targeted at the couch-potato population, encouraged people to stop making excuses and start focusing on doing something good for themselves — namely, exercising.

To get its message across, the club launched a full-scale health-promotion campaign, using the “If What?” slogan as its premise. A full-size billboard located at one of the busiest intersections in its market displayed the following message: “Fifty-eight percent of the dying population dies from heart disease … and 85 percent of most medical problems are a result of stress … what have you done for yourself lately?” The billboard was placed at one of the longer traffic lights in town, enabling potential members to read, think and become aware.

“At Excel Fitness Center, we believe each of us is responsible for our own actions and bodies,” says Lisa Lynn, president of Pro-Fit Services, a consulting and management division of Excel. “One of the best things about this campaign were the people who would call up and say, ‘Now what exactly were those statistics?’ It’s great because they really want to know.”

Beyond increasing memberships, Lynn says first and foremost, the campaign is about education. “You can turn a deconditioned market into a ‘get-fit’ market, but it’s a very gradual process that needs to start with education and continue with commitment. That’s our whole focus,” she says.

To further saturate its market, Excel launched a direct-mail campaign. Tri-fold brochures featured the following excuses printed boldly on the cover: “If I have time… If someone doesn’t call… If it doesn’t rain … If my project gets done… If the car starts… If it doesn’t snow… If my clothes are clean… If I get around to it…. Inside, prospective members found the words “If What?,” and an invitation to receive a two-week VIP pass to the fitness center. According to Lynn, Excel mailed about 2,000 promotional mailers per month, and received about a 10-percent return. “Building our membership has really been a slow-but-steady process,” she says, adding that since 1989, the club’s membership has grown from 2,500 to 8,000 members. “I think it’s better that way — building gradually. It’s certainly easier to service your clients when you’re not having huge ups and downs in membership.”