When someone walks into your club you need to ensure that you don’t try to “sell” to them in the traditional sense. If you do, you will find that they will put up barriers, because people don’t like being sold to in general.
Instead, they would prefer to take a look around and then go away and think it over. If they feel like they are being pushed, then they will back off and the likelihood of the sale starts to diminish. If on the other hand you make them feel relaxed and not pressured, they will be open and responsive.
Sales can be made if a person feels comfortable and confident that the person showing them around is honest and helpful and has their best interest at heart. This means that the salesperson relates to the prospect on a personal level and is not purely motivated by commission. A person will buy from someone who they believe and can trust.
But, it’s not always easy to build trust, especially in the short time it takes to show a prospect around the gym. That is why it’s extremely important to find out the customer’s wants and needs, so that you can more easily make a connection.
Once a relationship has been developed with a person it is much easier to get the sale. Poor salespeople will jump straight into the close, while better counterparts will be building strong bonds before moving the customer to the solution to their problem. It is better to take it slow and get the sale rather than jump in and get nothing. Try to make a customer a customer, not just a sale.
This relationship between the salesperson and the prospect is something that will help keep them as a customer. Make sure you are empathetic to them and listen to what they have to say rather than just talking about the facilities. Look professional, be polite and remember — sometimes taking it slow leads to a more substantive payoff.
