It’s safe to say no one was expecting the events of 2020. Many people and businesses have all been affected by COVID-19. The fitness landscape is always changing and adapting to consumer demand. But the pandemic has pressed fast forward on digital transformation in the fitness industry. To stay afloat during the lockdown, many fitness brands have turned to digital services to not only survive but thrive.
If your business has evolved, your sales script needs to as well. Moving forward, you will be selling more gym memberships as businesses throw open their doors. If you’re running a hybrid business, you need a hybrid approach to your sales script. A sales script is a powerful tool that can help your sales team navigate the complex process of closing a sale. The right sales script allows your sales team to adapt quickly. In this article, we discuss the key parts you need to include in your sales script for your hybrid fitness business.
Skip ahead to:
- What is a Hybrid Business Model?
- The Best of Both Worlds: On-Site and Virtual Training
- 9 Elements of the Perfect Sales Script for a Hybrid Business
What is a Hybrid Business Model?
A hybrid fitness business model combines both in-person and online services. It’s a multifaceted approach to fitness that uses different methods to provide an all-round exceptional fitness experience. For example, if you run a fitness studio with four walls alongside an on-demand and live streaming video platform, that’s a hybrid business.
During the peak of the coronavirus, the majority of people were staying home, and businesses closed their doors. So, fitness brands had to figure out how to generate income without members stepping into the gym or studio. By combining digital fitness services with in-person classes and training, many businesses are now using this hybrid approach.
Although gyms and studios are re-opening, they are operating at a reduced capacity and under strict health and safety guidelines. There is still a demand for online classes and a need for digital fitness services.
The Alloy Personal Training Business Podcast talks about adapting to a new normal after opening its fitness facilities. Founder of the Alloy Personal Training Franchise, Rick Mayo, takes you through how running a hybrid system will be good for your business.
The Best of Both Worlds: On-Site and Virtual Training
There is a level of expectation of flexible fitness among consumers. They want a fitness plan that works with them. Things like convenience and flexibility and not only valued nowadays but expected. To stay on top of consumer demand, convenience and flexibility are key. By selling a combination of memberships, you can cater to different target audiences and needs. With digital and physical memberships or a mixture of the two, members can have the best of both worlds.
Expanding your offering and entering a hybrid business model gives you the ability to expand your target audience. The way you sell memberships as a hybrid business model needs to be effective. By creating the right sales script for your business, it gives your sales team confidence, sets the tone, and makes the selling process as smooth as possible. You don’t need to stick to a sales script like a robot, it’s there to help you navigate through the sales journey. It’s the responsibility of the sales professional to personalize the sales process for each individual.
When it comes to selling gym memberships, often you get faced with similar sticking points like cost, location, or time. If cost is an issue, why not try your digital offering. If your prospect struggles to workout at home, then an in-person membership with classes and even personal training sessions are ideal, and hybrid fitness challenges are a great way to engage members with these objections. You now have the power to create a solution to your members’ problems like never before. You can move past common obstacles that previously would have been deal-breakers.
9 Elements of the Perfect Sales Script for a Hybrid Business
A good sales script gives your sales the team the information and tools they need to have a conversation, build rapport, and connect with a prospect. It’s a guideline for the sales process. Although you do not want to sound like you’re scripted, a sales script can be useful in staying on track or when you can’t think of the right words to say.
1. Define Your Different Member Personas
In a hybrid fitness business, you have different options for your members. As you expand your business, you will likely develop new member personas. Ideally, you should create a sales script for each persona. Parts of the script will overlap and remain the same. However, member personas may have different goals, fears, needs, and expectations.
Instead of only having in-person member personas like the social butterfly, fitness class fanatic, or weights-only members, your target audience has expanded. You now have the home workout crowd, the members who work from home, look after the family and have about 20 minutes to get an effective workout in each day. Define your different member personas, evaluate their needs and wants, and create a sales script that shows them how you can solve their problems.
2. Gather as Much Information as Possible
In order to take your prospect along the sales journey, you need to find out as much information about your prospect as possible. In your sales script, this part will form a lot of questions. You want to find your prospects’ “why”. Why do they want to join the gym? Why do they want to lose weight? And why are they making a change now?
All the information you find out at the beginning stage will help you tailor your response for each individual. If your main focus is to sell online memberships to future-proof your business in case of a second peak, the information you gather will help you close the sale down the line. The Fitness Founders Podcast explores this topic further in a recent episode. Gym sales expert Erik Charles Russell talks about strategies for selling online memberships.
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Depending on your business, your services will look different. For example, you may have a digital streaming platform, virtual one on one training, a fitness studio, and in-person group classes. By gathering information and finding out as much as you can about each prospect, you can authentically suggest your services based on their specific needs.
If your prospect is worried about money, doesn’t have a ton of time to commit to fitness, but wants to get in better shape, then a digital membership would be perfect. Online fitness services tend to be cheaper than physical gym memberships. They can work out around their diary and still achieve their goals of getting in better shape and feeling good. Through asking the right questions and really listening to the response, you can make authentic suggestions that will land with your prospect.
4. Identify Any Hurdles
When your sales rep is speaking to a prospect, you don’t want them to be caught off guard. Identify what is stopping your prospect from committing and how you will jump over that hurdle. Make a list of all the common excuses you hear from potential members. Think about any reason that would stop the sale and write it down such as no time, too tired, not enough money, or no motivation.
Major deal breakers tend to be cost, location, and time. After writing down your list of hurdles, think about your response and solution. If your studio location is too far, then a digital option solves that problem. If your prospect is lacking in motivation, you have virtual one to one training and in-person personal training sessions. By including these hurdles in your sales script, your sales team can refer to it if they need to.
5. Build Rapport
A good sales script should help you build rapport with a prospect and form a genuine connection. If you can find something in common and show empathy, you can build rapport much more easily. Try to show off your personality or sense of humor without stealing the show. The conversation should still be about your prospect. Ask questions and don’t forget to listen to the answer. No matter what, avoid being a pushy salesperson. The aim is to build a connection, not push a hard sale.
The Clubs Solution Magazine Podcast touches on the topic of selling fitness. The host is joined by Alan Leach, the CEO, and director of marketing and sales at West Wood Clubs to share his secrets to selling fitness.
6. Show Your Expertise
There’s a reason that a lot of people join a gym or use a streaming platform for fitness. You are an expert in fitness. You can help your members hit their fitness goals and navigate their well-being journey. An important element of your sales script is that it should establish your authority in the area that you’re selling.
If you’re a yoga studio, show your expertise, and establish authority. Maybe you have a state-of-the-art studio space or have world-class yoga instructors from around the globe. Prospects should leave the conversation thinking about how much of an expert you are and how you are the right business to help them.
7. Provide Options and Flexibility
As a hybrid fitness business, you will be able to offer a new level of flexibility. Think about different membership types such as in-person, digital, or a combination of both. Many people love to supplement their in-person membership with digital content when they can’t make it to the gym. By providing several options, and experimenting with alternative marketing strategies, you can focus on convenience and flexibility and attract the right person for your business.
It’s important to match the membership to the individual and their needs. You need to provide the best solution to their problem. By creating an irresistible offer tailored to your prospect, you can move smoothly through the sales journey.
8. Ask for the Sale
The time will eventually come to ask for the sale. You have gathered all the information you need, built rapport, and delivered your sales pitch from a position of authority. The sales process has been personalized and you’re ready to ask for the sale.
If they like to work out from home but could use a little help to get them going, then the best option is a digital package combined with some personal training sessions. You understand that they don’t have the time to visit the gym but still need professional help to hit their goals.
9. Follow Up and Close
Often, when you ask for the sale, you might not get the answer you want straight away. It’s important to follow up with your prospect and close the sale. There are various techniques for closing a gym sale successfully and it’s down to your sales team as to how they like to operate.
The success of your sale is dependent on several elements. If you can create a sense of urgency, personalize the experience, and really understand any pain points prospects have, they are much more likely to sign up for a new membership.
In Summary
A good sales script will guide your sales journey and provide your team with a starting point. As a hybrid fitness business, you blend digital and physical elements to create a new type of experience. It’s important that your sales script reflects your business and the services you provide effectively. While there’s no need to stick solidly to your sales script, it’s a powerful tool that can be personalized to each prospect and increase sales.
