I have been inside more than 500 fitness centers in my life. It may even be more than 1,000, but I stopped counting long ago. I live in Minneapolis, so many of these clubs have been in the Upper Midwest. But you name the state, and chances are I have a client there whom I have either visited onsite, or worked with via telephone coaching.
Everybody thinks their region, state, city and neighborhood is unique and different. And you know what? They all probably are — but each is not different when it comes to selling.
“I tried using a telephone script but people around here just want prices.”
So does every other person who isn’t from around there. But they really aren’t looking for only price. They call and ask for the prices because they don’t know what other question to ask. Even if they are somewhat focused on the dues, and you provide that information to them, it doesn’t mean that you can’t still book an appointment to tour.
I have used the same telephone inquiry script for years in gyms all across the country. Are people on the East Coast a little more impatient than the Mid West? Perhaps some of them are, but so what? A telephone script will work if used properly. Contact me at jason@jasonlinse.com with “telephone script” in the subject line and I will hook you up with the one that I teach.
“People in this town are cheap. They won’t pay an enrollment fee.”
Yes they will. You may not be able to get away with charging $99 for a joiner’s fee, but you don’t have to give it away. Nobody wants to pay an enrollment fee. If you Google, “tips for joining a gym,” one of the top things listed is an article discussing how to negotiate your dues and enrollment fee. My point is that many prospects know that a lot of gyms have the flexibility to negotiate fees and dues. Don’t be one of these gyms. Find a fair market value price and stick with it. You want about 20 percent of your prospects to turn you down because you are priced too highly for them.
“It’s hard to sell personal training here.”
It is hard to sell personal training everywhere, but reason that gyms struggle with getting more than a small percentage of members to pay for fitness coaching has almost nothing to do with your region, state, city or neighborhood. It is because they often don’t follow proper systems that lead to more training clients.
- All new members are set up with an appointment with a trainer. This appointment includes a strength workout. I have a specific one that I recommend. Email me at jason@jasonlinse.com with “strength workout” in the subject line and I will get it to you.
- Only one trainer does the job above. Trainers are not natural salespeople, but you can always find one who has some sales skills. Funnel all appointments through this person. I have been in the industry almost 20 years, so trust me, this is the only way to be successful at selling training.
- Have more than one option. One-on-one personal training is only affordable for a small percentage of people. As a result, small group training is necessary and doesn’t require much space. Team training in groups of 10 to 15 people requires a separate room with music piped in. If you can offer these three training memberships with options for limited sessions and unlimited sessions, you will set yourself up great by allowing members to choose based on their budgets and needs.
Just remember that your gym in South Louisiana is not different than a gym in Los Angeles County. Solid business systems are necessary wherever you are. Take it from a guy who has been around.
Keep changing lives.
Jason Linse is president and founder of The Business of Fitness, a consulting company. He also owns a personality assessment company called People Plus+ Fitness. He can be reached at jason@jasonlinse.com or at 612-310-1319. Visit www.jasonlinse.com.
