Fitness Tour vs. Sales Tour
We all know that guests don’t enjoy being aggressively sold, and most consumers want to feel in control of their visit. Social and traditional media platforms are educating consumers more than ever about health and fitness. As we attempt to adapt, some of us have over-corrected, while others haven’t evolved enough.
Ask yourself these questions:
1. Have you stopped paying your sales team on commission, in an attempt to change poor sales behaviors and not see a return?
2. In fear of over-selling your club and simplifying your tour, does your sales team avoid tying in your guests’ fitness goals to your concept and training department?
3. Have you forgone “sales training” and instead, taught your team members to tour guests around the club, highlighting the amenities, using scripts and/or posters as explanations?
4. Is your marketing campaign aligned with your tour?
If, in an attempt to make the guest feel in control, or that they are not being aggressively sold, you’ve implemented any of the above changes, you’re still giving a sales tour and might consider changing your approach.
Tour Guide vs. Sales Guide
If you are looking for new ways to increase your guest conversions and member retention, consider adding the entertainment factor to your tours.
1. In addition to amenities, educate your guests on what makes your club unique and different from the competition.
2. Explain how your fitness team will train your guests to reach their goals.
3. Share your members’ success stories. If done right, your company Facebook page is a great place to share them.
4. Encourage your sales team to “be members” and train in your club. This will allow them to share their own stories.
5. Teach your sales team how to make the tour fun and interesting, while they create relationships and gain trust. Feel free to make it fun. We tend to laugh when we feel comfortable.
Think about the last time you’ve taken a museum tour. I know what you’re thinking… you don’t buy anything on a museum tour.
Let’s examine that… You heard one way or another about this museum, which you planned to visit, and you probably invited someone to attend with you… or let’s be honest, it’s probably the other way around. Either way, you visited the attraction, and enjoyed the stories and new information the guide presented during your tour. You probably even looked for opportunities to share your new knowledge with friends and coworkers when the opportunity presented itself. If the tour guide was exceptional, then you may have returned with a friend to share your experience.
Now, I’m not suggesting to take a field trip with your sales team to the nearest museum, or to change your entire tour. In addition to the basics (Feature, Benefit, Advantage or Question, Statement, Tie Down…etc.), storytelling illuminates your concept, and inspires people. Inspired, motivated people take action!
Implementing a few of these changes will make it that much easier to get the guest excited about joining, and easier to present membership options and enrollment information. Not only will guest conversions improve, but, POS referrals and guest volume will as well.
Observe your next guest tour and ask yourself… are the tours at my club entertaining and engaging?
This is always an interesting subject for me, and I can go into detail and elaborate on future blogs if there is an interest. By being high-level, I’m sure this will create a healthy debate, so feel free to comment or send me a note.
Ryan Junk is the director of sales for UFC Gym. He can be reached at ryan@ufcgym.com.
What do you think? I like it!