There are several things you can be doing right now to help make sure the entire
first quarter of 2012 is your best ever.
1. Contact all of your existing members
Too many gym owners are focusing on the influx of new members. However, never
forget that this is the time of year when your current members are looking to
spend more and get better results. I’d rather sell one current member a large
personal training package or bootcamp upgrade, than to sell three new members
on a basic monthly membership. Your current members are your meal ticket next
month!
Call them and offer them something special. Maybe offer to pay for them to have a
personal training session in February. Allowing them to experience a workout
with a trainer is the best way to get them to buy more.
2. Contact all of your missed guests
I’m sure your guest registers have lots of people on it that will once again be
thinking about making the decision to join a gym and get in shape. Don’t let
them go somewhere else! Grab all of your past guest registers over the last 12
months — anyone who never joined deserves a text, a call or a letter … or all
three!
3. Call all of your JV partners and affiliates
JV’s and affiliates aren’t just for Internet marketers. You too have plenty of
these. Call on any business who has let you place a lead box in their business,
or market to their employees, or allowed you to participate in an auction, or
let you conduct a lunch and learn, or was featured as a business of the month.
Any local business that has worked with you in some way this past year, call
and thank them, and brainstorm with them new ways to work together this year.
4. Contact anyone who has referred someone
Look back through your records and identify anyone who referred someone this past
year. Call to thank them and let them know of any special referral incentives
you have planned for the New Year. Ask them if they want you to do all the work
for them. Ask for the contact info of anyone they think might join in January
and you’ll make sure they get credit for any sales that are made. This group
probably deserves a mailed letter stuffed with day passes or gift cards for
their friends
5. Get your upsell process ready
Remember that when someone buys a membership or basic package, their hot buttons have
already been pushed. Asking them to invest in something else becomes much
easier. If you sell a gym membership for $39/month, be sure to ask if they
would like to upgrade to the bootcamp plus membership for only $99/month. If
they say no to your first upsell attempt, you should also have a downsell offer
ready. Maybe the new member says no to your three day/week bootcamp, but would
be happy to try a bootcamp once per week for only $59/month.
You lose 100% of the sales you don’t ask for. Don’t be afraid to ask for more.
They’ve already committed to join, they want to reach their goals faster and
I’m certain they have more expendable income they can part with.
Curtis Mock is the host of www.FitnessBusinessTelevision.com the TV show for fitness entrepreneurs. He is also the executive director of gymsuccess.com. Curtis can be reached at curtis@clubsolutionsmagazine.com.
Great tips Curtis. We have been reaching out to all of our clients that we haven’t talked with in the last few months and making sure they have everything they need form us to have success in their business. It is a bit different because we service fitness professionals but the concept of reaching out to existing clients is super critical!
Customer Service is King!