“How the $@%*! do I get the right message delivered to the right prospect or member at the right time and using the most optimal method?”
Does just reading that make you sweat? (And not in the good way, like during a workout.) Information is constantly swirling around about the best marketing and sales techniques for gyms and fitness businesses. From send times to subject lines, how is a gym owner or sales manager expected to sift through the noise and understand what’s best for them? It’s not always an easy task.
How can you improve your communication strategies? For one, stop feeling overwhelmed and start doing. Don’t focus all of your energy in one place (until you know what works best), don’t be afraid to try (and fail), and, most importantly, don’t give up. There is a winning communication formula for all fitness businesses, you just have to find the right solutions that work best for you.
Layer Communication Methods
The single most important thing any sales team can do is layer communication methods. If a salesperson is only using email, they could be missing prospects that don’t check email, but love texts. Texting has emerged as a great layering method because it is less invasive than a phone call, but more upfront than email. When all three are combined in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the recipient, sales and retention numbers start to increase. Every prospect and member is different, so it’s important to know what communication methods work best for their particular personality. Email? Texting? Phone call? Direct mail? You can’t find this out until you try.
Try and Test Everything
No one knows your prospects or members as well as you. However, without trying and testing new ideas you may never truly know the best methods of getting them to engage.
Example: When emailing a special offer, test out two different send times and see which performs better. But don’t stop there, test different subject lines, content, designs and more. When a marketing and sales team keep track of the results, they can refine what is working and what is not. Don’t be afraid to try! Some tests will work, some won’t, but no matter what happens you’ll learn how to improve.
Consistency is Key
As fitness professionals know all too well, fitness results don’t happen overnight. The same is true for marketing and sales efforts. One follow-up phone call just isn’t going to cut it. When you continually communicate with prospects and members, you see higher sales numbers and retention rates. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by only sending one text or calling one prospect and expecting massive changes.
Having a communication strategy, and sticking to it, is the best way to ensure no potential follow-ups are missed, and that the sales and marketing team is on the same page — even if your “team” is just you and a laptop or a 1,000-plus employee franchise.
Calley Belcher is the Marketing Coordinator for Club OS. For more information email hello@club-os.com or call (888) 812-2158.
