I’ve been told that I give away too much free stuff. I’ve also been told that it isn’t the amount of free stuff I give away, but that I give away too much really good stuff. The free stuff these folks are referring to are things like sales training videos and e-books.
I disagree. In the many years I have been offering up free resources, I have been able to help many gyms and gym owners who were never going to hire me as their fitness business coach. And the free stuff I give away is one of the top ways I meet new potential clients. That is how I look at it: Give them really good free content and some of them will want more.
Your fitness business should follow the same logic. On your website, have a free e-book or video about fitness, wellness and/or nutrition.
And when your membership salespeople tour somebody, the prospect should receive a couple of handouts, even (and especially) if they do not join. Email me at jason@jasonlinse.com with “handouts” in the subject line and I will get you two that work really well. One is about exercises people can do at home or work, and the other has healthy eating tips.
Not every prospect joins. Regardless of the reason, send them home with something besides your business card. Put together a packet — a folder with your gym name, logo and phone number on the front. Inside include the two handouts I will get you, and maybe a class/session schedule, gym hours, etc.
When a prospect shops two or three clubs, which is pretty common nowadays, who are they most likely to get back to? The gym who sends them home after a tour with a business card, or the one who sends them home with a nice packet full of free content?
Oh, and don’t let them leave without a follow up to call or come back.
“Mary, before you go home and talk with your husband, let me get you one of our packets. Inside, there is information on exercises you can do at home or work, a bunch of healthy eating tips, our session and class schedule, and our hours of operation. And my business card. Oh, and one more thing — let’s set a time for you to come back and join Awesome Blossom Fitness. I have an opening tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. or 5:15 p.m. Which one works better for you?”
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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. Contact him at jason@jasonlinse.com or 612-310-1319 for resources on scheduling more tours and personality assessments, or visit www.jasonlinse.com.
