If you want more members in your gym or your virtual option, you need a great
sales strategy. And in this video, I'm going to lay out the exact eleven step sales
strategy the top five percent of fitness CEOs I work with used to convert leads into
members regardless of the economic landscape.
Now, before I get into step number one, you need to know when it comes to sales.
You must believe in your product unless you're 100 percent committed to your gym's
ability to help people. You'll have a hard time selling memberships when you sell with
this mindset and use the steps I'll share this video, you'll find sales to be a lot
more enjoyable. Selling means you're helping.
And that's exactly why you got into this industry in the first place.
Right? Step number one is pre-selling before you sell anything
you want warm introductions to potential members whenever possible.
I used to have this challenge with my company, Loud Rumor.
I called businesses across the country and nobody wanted to work with me.
They had no idea who I was. Instead of blaming bad leads, I started
creating a helpful resources. And the list I'm about to share is what I personally did.
But you don't have to do these exact strategies to accomplish the same goal.
I created a podcast called The GSD Show where I interview successful gym owners and
industry leaders and share what I've seen works best in the industry.
I read blogs packed with free business advice for fitness videos.
I wrote two books to help gym owners, master sales and marketing, and I gave
them away absolutely free.
And if you're wondering, I put links to both of these free booklets in the description
below. I also spoke at conferences, did interviews, posted regularly
on social media. And guess what?
After all that work, when I started calling fitness studios again, they now knew who
I was. These are examples of what you can do for your gym or fitness studio.
The idea is to get them to know you before you know them.
You can also accomplish this by posting helpful videos, client case studies,
testimonials, or even just helpful social media posts on a regular basis to help
you with this. I created a free social media marketing cheat sheet and the link is in
the description below. Next, you'll want to generate and track your leads the right
way. Which brings me to step number two.
Mastering lead management. Just because a lead fills out your form, does it mean
they're ready to buy? It just means that they're interested.
Your number one goal in this step is to get leads into a workout.
If you're selling virtual fitness memberships, your goal is to get him on a call.
By the way, a well organized salesperson will most often outsell a skilled salesperson
who's super unorganized.
Let's say you have two salespeople, Bob and Angie.
Bob is very talented but lacks discipline.
He wings it. He relies on his talent to close deals.
Angie, on the other hand, isn't as skilled of a salesperson, but she's organized and
she follows the process daily and doesn't enter a day until every call, text and email
is done. Angie will outsell Bob all day long, being organized and
following a daily sales process. Bill's habits that beat talent.
Now here are three keys to lead management.
Number one is to track your leads with a customer relationship management software, or
CRM. We recommend companies like Fifth Degree or Mind Body.
Both are partners with Loud Rumor and we'll give you a great deal when you use the
links in the description below.
A lot of CRMs have data and info about leads that you don't need.
So I'm going to show you how to keep it simple.
All you need to track is the leads. Name their contact info, lead source, what stage
of the right in your sales process and notes along the way to know where you left off
after your interactions with them.
The number two key to managing leads is to have a daily action plan.
You and your sales team need to look at your daily call lists and link it to your
income. Stay focused. Make your calls and avoid just going through the motions.
Remember, these people need the type of help you offer.
That's why they're in your pipeline in the first place.
When a lead fills out a form on your landing page, aim to call them within the first
five minutes. According to a joint study by Northwestern University and M.I.T.,
your chance of talking to them goes down 900 percent if you wait longer than five
minutes to reach them. This could be via a phone call or text.
Fortunately, there are great automation tools that will text and email your leads for
you as soon as they opt in. We have a few trainees on that in our YouTube channel on
several GSD show episodes.
If they don't answer book an appointment, create an action date to keep following up
action dates or the day and time that you've decided you'd contact them again.
Always leave yourself a note about why they didn't book or could talk.
When you leave a voicemail or send a text, let them know the date or time you'll reach
out to them next and then enter that action date into your CRM.
After leaving a voicemail, enter the action day into your CRM and move on to your next
call and create action dates after every call.
The last key to effective lead management is following an activity chart after
you make your action date calls. It's time to move on to your activity chart.
This is where you'll contact your nurturing leads.
These are people who have responded after 21 plus touches and a touch could be a call,
text or email. Emails are much less effective, so focused mostly on calls or
texts for outreach. Follow up with these leads in the nurture phase.
Once a week, I'll tell you why it's not a lost sale, later!
After that contact, about five of your top members to check in the other doing and find
an opportunity to help them. More selling doesn't stop after leads become
members. Current members need to know you still care.
See where members are at in their journey, how they're feeling, and if there's an
opportunity to up sell, cross-sell, or get a review or a referral from them.
Next, you need to make sure to contact a few Paw's members each day when talking
to them, it's important to focus on service.
See how they're doing. Let them know that you miss him and see if you can offer help in
any way. On the call, they may have palls with you for a service they actually liked
less. Staying in touch is a good way to earn wingbacks.
Now on to step three in this 11 step sales strategy.
Follow up. This is where most gyms lose out on sales when it comes
to sales. I get this question a lot from gym owners.
How often should I follow up with leads until you book an appointment or they demand
you stop contacting them? I would keep following up.
More than 80 percent of sales are made between the fifth and 12th touch, with ninety
two percent of sales professionals admitting they give up after the fourth touch.
Daniel Nyree is the owner for You Fitness and last year at our annual conference for
Fitness Studios and Gym Owners GSDcon..
Daniel spoke at our stage. I mentioned that I called twenty 26 times.
He said No. Twenty five.
When Daniel finally said yes, we worked together on one location because I continue
to contact him because I followed up twenty six times.
He finally said yes and now he has eight locations with us.
Sales is always a Win-Win deal because I believe to my core that we could help
his business grow. I kept calling on top of that, Daniel referred about 20 other
fitness studio owners to work with me.
Now I know what you're thinking. Twenty six calls is a lot, and you might be worried.
People will think that you're a pest. Here's a deal.
You should be worried about helping them get to their goals rather than whether or not
they'll think you're a pest. Let's say on the 18th touch, a lead agrees to come into
your fitness studio and you sell them 10 months later.
They're in the best shape of their life.
Here's what they'll say. Thank you for calling me a thousand times to get me to do
this. Commit to helping people, commit to following up.
And I promise you'll see your sales begin to increase.
Remember, they're already interested.
They filled out your form. In fact, just in the month of June, Loud Rumor
generated seventeen thousand two hundred seventy eight leads for our fitness studios.
And that proves that the people you're calling and following up with want what you're
offering. Just because it takes a little longer to get them in doesn't mean they're not
interested anymore. Here's a tip.
Scripts are a great way to help you and your team increase contact rates.
Book trials show trials and ultimately close more sales.
Scripts help you with what to say, what to put in the email or what the text each time
you follow up with the lead. Moving right along, step number four is create urgency.
How do you get Lisa? Join your fitness studio now?
Not. I'll have to think about it now. I'll have to talk to my spouse.
But now you have to create urgency.
Think about it like running a live class in your fitness studio.
If someone is slacking off in class and not giving it their all.
Call them out. You need to be that same helpful motivating coach from the beginning
of your sales process. Here are two tips for creating urgency.
Tip number one is to figure out your leads.
DBM, that stands for dominant buying motive to figure
this out. Use, acknowledge and transition.
Here's how it typically goes.
I would say, MacKenna. Why are you on this call today?
McKetta would say. I want to get in shape.
To which I would say, tell me what you mean by that.
She'd say, I've gained about 20 pounds and I want to go back to where I was last
summer. Now I say, got the kid.
Why is that important to you?
And she'd say, My wedding's coming up and I really want to fit into my dream dress.
Boom. We have McKenna's dominant buying motive.
Thanks, MacKenna.
When you get to the heart of why they filled out that form, you'll close more sales.
Tip number two is just be you, your coach.
That's what you do. You don't let people slack off or put things off until the next
class in sales is no different.
In a recent sales training, I gave this example.
Check it out.
I want to get you into class soon as possible.
We've got classes early as like three or four.
I could even possibly make a one or two happen if you really like to.
I just know this is important. So when did you want to come?
Did you want me to see if I can get you to want. It can't be promises.
No, no, no. It's fine. I can come in tomorrow.
Tomorrow. Yeah. I can do three or four.
I know you're committed. You want to come in today. I know it's tight, but I'm game of
your game. Do you think your game.
OK. Just you know that thing you just gave me.
My goal for you, Eric, is to never have you do that.
Step one, create great habits.
That's step one. And what I mean by that is make it an everyday habit.
What do you think the best time to start is for anything tomorrow or now?
Yeah.
Now, can I be your coach starting this very second?
I want to see you here today. Which time works best for you, man.
I know, but that's my job.
Deal. Deal. Three or four.
Four.
You got to get you net four when you take on the role of coach from the beginning.
Leads will believe in your ability to help get them where they want to go.
OK. What happens when you book appointments?
Step number five of your. Jim's sales strategy is presentation the
moment a book deployment walks into your fitness.
You go for the first time. You need to deliver a wow experience.
Treat them like a VIP.
Have a white board that welcomes them by name.
Welcome John Smith to Loud Rumor Fitness.
Have everyone on your team stop what they're doing to meet and greet.
Hey, John, it's awesome to have you here.
I'm like, introduce them to your most passionate members and the ones
who achieve the best results here.
Every prospect should feel like your studio is exactly where they belong.
You don't get a second chance at a first impression, so make it count.
Your gym's presentation needs to be dialed in.
Rehearsed and part of your sales strategy during your presentation.
Tell the lead exactly what's going to happen and then deliver it.
Each time you fulfill a milestone, even if it's giving them a towel and a water bottle
like you said you would. The lead will start to believe that you always do what you say
you're going to do. So when it comes time for the clothes, which I'll get you later and
you tell the lead, you'll help them hit their goals.
They'll be much more likely to believe you.
Here's your presentation checklist.
Be personable. Be different.
Deliver a wow experience.
Add humor. Make them feel comfortable.
Tell them what to expect and fulfill what you told them to expect.
All right.
It's time for the big one. You guys ready in step number six.
I'm going to cover the clothes. Here we go.
There's only two reasons a prospect will buy.
Either they're not the decision maker or they lack certainty.
Now, typically, if they filled out your form and agreed to an appointment, they are the
decision maker. So if they're not signing up, it's because they lack certainty.
Another way to say it is they're afraid.
They're afraid it's not going to work. They're afraid they won't use it.
They're afraid it doesn't solve their problem.
They're afraid. It's not as good as you say it is because, you know,
your gym will help them. It's your job to make them feel certain.
The best way to do this is with scripts you and your team need.
Sales scripts and rebuttal scripts.
By the way, LRVT members get access to all of these scripts.
It's definitely worth checking out using the link in the description below.
You and your team need to practice your scripts daily.
And at my company, we do sales training every morning at seven thirty a.m..
This daily routine ignites the habit loop, which is a cue routine and
reward. And here's how it works.
Objection acts as a trigger or a cue.
I don't know if I want to do a contract. That's the cue.
Your routine, after practicing every day, allows your brain to find the rebuttal script
for this objection. And after you deliver the rebuttal script, you're rewarded with a
yes from the lead. You have to build great sales habits.
Here's why your leads are conditioned through habit as well.
Their habit might be to say no.
So memorize your scripts, role-Play practice and deliver.
Now, sales doesn't stop once you close the deal.
Step number seven is just as important as the clothes, and that's the upswell first,
never upswell unethically.
Your goal is to help members take advantage of the best product to reach their goals
fast and efficiently. The best way to upscale is based on your member's goals.
If you have John, who is already in decent shape and just wants to get his butt kicked
a couple of times a week and pair with other activities enjoys doing, it may not make
sense. Upselling to an unlimited plan. It's not what he's looking for.
On the other hand, if you have MacKenna, who needs to get fit into our wedding dress by
November, she may need a limited training in order to hit that goal.
OK. Now onto step number eight, the cross-sell.
What else do people buy from you outside of your membership?
Clothing. Heart rate monitors.
Supplements. If you believe it helps them hit their goals faster and cross-sell
them both up. Selling and cross-selling boost your retention rate.
I was at an ideal world conference where they talked about a three year study on
retention. They found that gym members who purchased three or more products over the
course of six months experience an 80 percent greater retention rate.
I was talking with one of our members the other day and asked him why he wasn't selling
supplements at his gym. He said it didn't feel right about it, even though he takes
supplements as part of his own routine.
In fact, members ask him what supplements he even takes.
So we're talking about this. And I asked him if you believe it's good enough for you.
Why don't you believe it's good enough for your members?
The light bulb went off. He got it.
Here's how this breaks down.
The average person spends one hundred dollars per month on supplements.
If your members only do one third of that.
That's 33 dollars per member per month.
That's about three hundred is sixty dollars per year per member.
And if two hundred and fifty of your members buy thirty three dollars per month in
supplements, you just made an extra ninety thousand that year.
That's why cross-selling matters. Remember, sales is a mutual win win transaction.
Always the next step in your sales strategy is step number nine referrals.
When it comes to getting referrals, as a rule, you have to remember, always assume
you'll never get one unless you ask.
That's it. You have to ask.
Earlier I mentioned a link to sample scripts in the description below.
I also put a full how to ask for a referral script in there as well.
On top of referrals, your sales strategy needs to.
Include asking for reviews, which brings us to step number 10.
Reviews like referrals likely won't happen unless you ask.
The best time to ask a member for a review is right after their first milestone.
If Sally's first milestone was to be consistent for two weeks and she does it, ask
her for a review. The best thing to do when asking for review is to use a platform like
signposts. With it, you can have positive reviews.
Go out to Boulter Review platforms while negative reviews go to you.
This way you can help dissatisfied members directly like referrals.
I have a full script for you and the description below.
Scripts on asking for referrals and reviews are just as important as pitch and
objections scripts. You just can't wing it.
Remember, all of this is a process to increase your sales and grow your fitness studio.
Here's my final tip. You can create Facebook and Instagram ads out of positive reviews
to put them in front of your retargeting audience and generate even more leads.
This is called social proof, and it helps you alleviate a ledes lack of certainty
upfront. OK, how many of you are tired of this objection?
It's too expensive. The final step in your sales strategy will help.
Step number eleven is painful.
You should consider offering a painful option at the point of sale.
One, you're offering an option that would actually save the member money, too.
It'll make your most popular pricing option a lot more doable.
Here's how it works. You explained to lead that your monthly membership ends up being
about thirty six hundred per year.
But if they choose to do paid in full, you'll bring it down to thirty three hundred
dollars, helping them save three hundred dollars for a year.
So we'll see that as a better option and take it.
But most will say it's too expensive.
That's when you offer a second option.
OK, what if I make it two payments of 16, 50, 60, 50 now and
60 50 in six months? Would that work?
Is that a little easier for you, Jane? Again, most people will still say it's too
expensive. That's when you say I get it.
Let's just make it easy and do two ninety nine per month.
We get you started with hitting your goals. Sound get to ninety nine.
Sounds way more doable than thirty three hundred or two payments of 60 50.
This method is called anchoring.
And of course there's a full script of this in the description below.
Well that's it for your eleven step sales strategy.
And now I want to hear from you. What's the number one strategy you're going to
implement? First, leave management, your presentation scripts.
Let me know in the comments below or email me.
Mike RC at Loud Rumor dot com.
Thanks. And I'll see you in the next video.