According to fitness marketing specialists Wellness Creatives, one gym member is worth on average $571 to a gym every year. But one member won’t keep the lights on for very long! You need to bring in a good volume leads regularly and more importantly convert those leads with a solid gym membership sales pitch.
This is the one area a lot of fitness owners trip up on, either due to lack of expertise, poorly written sales scripts or a simple lack of training. It causes tonnes of lost business and can easily be avoidable through a combination of research, testing and lots of practice!
An Individualized Approach to Membership Sales
If you’re looking to find a one-size-fits-all membership pitch that closes every time, then you might be left waiting. Too many businesses across the board fall into an approach where everyone is treated the same. When it comes to selling gym memberships, there is a need for solutions-based selling. Focus on tailoring unique experiences instead of giving the same sales pitch to every potential customer
Health clubs or gym might occasionally get a new client walk through the door that knows exactly what they want but, with the majority of potential clients, selling a membership is a process. This means introducing them to your business, showing how it could benefit them and sealing the deal. With your membership sales pitch, you can use a similar structure but apply it to individuals to help potential members meet their goals. Your gym membership is the solution to their problem so approaching it from a personalized angle can help you pinpoint what it is your new client needs.
10 Steps to a Successful Sales Pitch
As a gym owner, member happiness is a priority. By taking the right steps, you can appeal to new clients, build relationships and grow your membership sales. Like every process, each step along the way plays an important part in the overall success of your gym membership sales pitch.
1. Meet and Greet at the Front Desk
Whether a new client has called the front desk or has come in personally, they should feel like they have your full attention. Take the time to ask them questions about their goals, fitness levels, contact information and make well-informed recommendations on the information they have provided you.
Make sure that all your team are fully trained and can provide any information needed as well as create meaningful interactions with potential new members. The first interaction between your gym and a potential new member is very important as it sets the scene for what their experience will be like. Learn how to have great conversations with new clients and teach your staff to do the same.
Stop selling and start listening to your new members. If their goal is to lose weight, instead of just starting your sale pitch, ask them why they want to lose weight and what’s stopped them in the past. Find out how you could move past these hurdles and truly help your new client meet their goals.
2. Build Rapport with Potential Members
It may sound like an obvious one but building a rapport with potential members from the initial phone call or first interaction is crucial. If you’ve already asked a bunch of questions then go ahead and ask some more. People enjoy talking about themselves and what’s more enjoy talking about their kids. Show that you care.
What inspired you to get in touch? How old is your son? Does he play any sports?
If you’re selling personal training services, people buy into trainers, not the training itself. They’re looking for a connection. Be empathetic and show emotion, you are human after all. Find some common ground, whether that’s a shared interest or you support the same sports team, common ground is a great way to spark conversation and build a relationship with new clients.
When building rapport, it’s important to ask a lot of questions as it’s the quickest way to find out their goals and interests. This allows you to make a connection faster, making the relationship more personal and increases the likelihood of success with the client. Help your potential client, don’t just sell to them. Read our guide to find out 5 things every fitness founder needs to know about gym membership sales.
3. Understand the Needs of Your Potential Member
Through the initial phone call and as you ask more questions, you should start to build a picture of the needs your potential new client. Although the stages for each gym membership pitch are similar, the needs of your members are not. By understanding the needs and goals of new members, you can personalize the experience and create an individualized approach to your sales technique.
You’ve had your first phone call and the client has come in to check the place out. Have a sit down with each individual client to get to know them better. Every potential client should get the personal attention they deserve, after all, you’d want the same. Focus on a conversation that reveals goals first before moving onto past experiences. All of this information will not only help you in the sales process but also make sure you provide a solution specific to your new client.
Here are a few resources to check out to help you build relationships faster and support your sales process:
The Top 10 Barriers
Slowing Your Fitness
Business Growth
Discover more - What Every Body Is Saying by Joe Navarro – being able to read body language is a valuable skill for any business person and can make you a better salesperson. Understanding body language can help you pick up if someone is lying about their diet or when you’re dealing with someone difficult.
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie – this book has a strong focus on how to associate with people and influence without manipulating.
4. Talk About Value, Not Price
People don’t buy products they buy the results of the products. Individuals are usually willing to pay more for a product or service they believe has significant value. Price questions may require you to follow a specific sales script which can make or break the sale. Many prospects ask about prices but they might not know exactly what they want.
Instead, show the value of your services by discovering a potential new client’s fitness goals and past experiences. Talking about value rather than price requires confidence and a good personal connection. Of course, the price will need to be discussed at one stage in the sales process but by making sure potential clients see the value in your gym first and how it could benefit them, it starts building brand awareness and value early on in the sales pitch.
5. The Tour
Now that you know more about your lead, what drives them and what they want to achieve, it’s time to give them the grand tour. Just like the rest of your sales pitch, the tour should be specific to your prospect’s individuals needs and goals. A guided tour with absolutely no attention paid to the lead’s goals is a sure way to make them feel like every other person that walks through the door.
Since you’ve done thorough research and asked lots of questions, you should know what your potential client wants. This means you can personalize the experience by focusing on exactly what they need. Identify facilities that will be of use to them and position yourself as the expert.
6. The Price Presentation
At this point in the sales pitch, it’s time to discuss price. Use the information you know about your potential new client to give them options that are well suited to them based on their goals and interests. Give them two or three different options so they can choose what will suit them best. If you have properly listened, demonstrated value and developed a personal connection, then the price shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.
7. Close the Sale
Once you’ve offered membership options that are fully suited to your new prospect, provide value and are well-priced, you need to directly close the sale. This is sometimes easier said than done as simple questions can come up that might want to make your new client think about it and come back at a later time. Create a sense of urgency without being too pushy such as providing guest passes for a limited time only.
8. Overcome Objections
It’s natural for objections to arise during the sales process. By taking the lead and knowing how to respond to common objections, you can ensure that your prospects won’t flake at a later time. Address common problems early on in the conversations with your lead so that they don’t arise later down the line and cause a serious roadblock to your gym membership sales pitch.
Double-check that your potential client is in the area or can easily reach your gym so that location isn’t an issue. Help your new client imagine what it would be like to achieve their goals, with your assistance of course. Make sure to ask questions about any objections and present solutions only your facility can offer.
9. Offer a Trial Membership
Trial memberships are a powerful sales tool. From free one-day gym passes to a whole month’s membership, offering free trials gives potential members a taste of what it will be like to be a fully-fledged member. If your lead is on the fence about whether to join your health club or gym, a trial membership may be enough to push them over the edge and sign up to a contract.
When you’re promoting and marketing your free trials, re-think your wording. When something is free it might be seen as having less or no value but this isn’t the case at all. Try phrasing your free trial membership as a “7-day membership worth $60”, this shows the monetary value of the trial, subconsciously reframing how potential clients might see them.
For some marketing inspiration and to help kickstart your free trial membership promotions, check out these fantastic resources:
- This Is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See by Seth Godin – Seth is a marketing expert and inventor of countless business ideas. Godin puts his marketing wisdom into a small timeless package that you can apply to your business, whether you’re a small business owner or manage a big corporation.
- Influence by Dr. Robert Cialdini – this classic book explains the psychology behind why people say “yes” and how to apply these understandings to your business.
10. Start a Gym Referral Program
A gym referral program is a great way to get new members into your gym. Put simply, a referral program is a systematic way of getting clients to refer your business to their friends and family. There’s usually an incentive involved for both the referrer and the referee in the form of free class passes, discounted membership or personalized workout plans.
A study by Harvard Business Review found that referrals on average generate 16% more profit and they’re also likely to be 18% more loyal to your business. It’s never too early to start asking for referrals. Whether a prospect joins or not, asking for referrals in the form of free gym passes is an easy way for them to share with their friends and family, guaranteeing lead generation.
If you’re interested in starting a gym referral program but don’t know where to start then you’re in luck. We’ve done the legwork and created a quick guide to creating an effective gym referral program.
In Summary
Selling memberships is an integral part of a successful gym but it doesn’t need to be through a strict script. By using an individualized approach, creating a solution and providing a unique personalized experience, your gym membership sales pitch can adapt to each new client. Build rapport, make connections and demonstrate value, showing potential prospects that you really care and can help them meet their goals.
