Negotiate a better membership rate

Many years ago I used to work at a gym selling memberships so I want to share with you some tips on how you can negotiate a better rate for a gym membership.

1. Always sign up at the end of the month. Most gyms have a monthly quota and the last day of the month is a panic day. Membership sales reps struggle to fill their quota and as a result end up giving better deals just to get you to join.
2. Never accept the first price they offer! When the sales person tells you what the price is, act very surprised and tell them that price is much higher to what their competitor is offering. Always suggest that the competitor is offering a price at least 10% lower than what the gym is offering you.
3. Tease the sales person. Simply put, never sign on the first day. Tell them you need to think about it, you need to organize your finances, that you need to ask your spouse. Let them know you need some time to make sure this is what you want.
4. Ask for a trial membership. Almost every gym will give you a 7 day pass and if they don't it is because they want to pressure you into signing today.
5. If you are a student, if you have a family member that wants to join, a friend that might want to join with you tell the sales rep. Most of the time, if two people join at the same time you are often going to get a better deal.