For gym owners, it’s easy to fall into the trap of constantly searching for new clients to increase your revenue. But did you know this should actually be a secondary marketing strategy? The best use of your time and energy is selling high-ticket gym services to your current clientele.
The truth is, acquiring new clients requires more money and effort than upselling a long-term member. Focus first on increasing the average revenue per member. Then while that strategy plays out, you can work on bringing in new clients.
Consider this: If your monthly average client value is less than $200, you’re probably leaving money on the table.
We get it. Your first thought might be, ‘There’s no way people will pay that in my market.’ And you’re not alone. Many gym owners have been led to believe that $150 per month is the ceiling.
But what if that’s just a limiting belief? Today, we’re challenging you to keep an open mind by showing you that selling high-ticket gym services is easier than you think.
Five High-Ticket Gym Services To Offer:
Two-Brain Business owner Chris Cooper says $200 per month should be the minimum amount small gym owners are charging. And that might even be more now considering inflation. In fact, many Two-Brain gyms charge upwards of $400 a month. The same is true of both OPEX Fitness and Madlab Group gyms.
Among these groups, here are the five most common high-ticket services:
1. Nutrition And Mindset Coaching.
When clients join your gym, they believe they’re primarily looking for fitness coaching. While this is part of what they need help with, there’s a much bigger opportunity here.
Often times, nutrition is a key component to their success. And even more often than that, it’s all about mindset. After all, the choices they’ve made thus far are probably what led them to needing your help now.
So if you’re not offering nutrition and mindset coaching, you’re leaving money on the table. Spoiler alert: Big bucks are available to you right now.
And the great news is that getting started doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It can be as simple as an introductory nutrition challenge. From there, you can transition members to high-ticket gym services like longer-term nutrition coaching.
2. Hybrid Memberships.
Group classes have historically been the bread and butter for most CrossFit and functional fitness gyms. And while many have built success around this model, there’s another, potentially more lucrative option: Hybrid memberships.
The hybrid model includes both group classes and periodic personal training, lifestyle consults or personalized fitness plans.
Consider this: Let’s say your base membership rate is currently $150 a month for group classes. Perhaps you create a hybrid membership that also includes one monthly personal training session, and charge $225 a month.
Or what about that one client who really wants to get a muscle-up? In addition to group classes, your hybrid membership could include an individualized programming plan focused on upper-body strength.
Gym owners who currently offer hybrids as part of their high-ticket gym services say you don’t have to sell a bunch right off the bat. Start with a handful of members. Then, as other clients see friends getting their first muscle-up or working one-on-one with a trainer, they’ll start inquiring. And that’s when you can share information about your hybrid options.
3. 24/7 Access.
Another easy membership upsell is 24/7 access. There are multiple benefits for both parties: Your members will find added value in being able to train at their convenience. Meanwhile, you’ll have more flexibility in your schedule without having to cater to various “open gym” times. And the biggest benefit: It adds revenue.
Many 24/7 gym owners use HybridAF, designed to unlock doors through a mobile app on your member’s phone. You can set the prices for 24/7 access and restrict hours if needed. So for example, if you don’t feel comfortable with people coming in after midnight, you could set your hours of access to be 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Another bonus: HybridAF is covered by all the main insurance providers, including AGuard and CrossFit RRG.
4. High-Ticket Onboarding Programs.
It’s tempting to discount a client’s first month as an incentive to get them started. But industry experts advise against it, and actually recommend you do the opposite.
Think about it: New clients require more attention, energy and time. So from that perspective, they should be paying more - not less - than veteran members. Further, it stands to reason that you’ll be more thorough in onboarding a new member paying $100/hour versus one paying $100/month. Even if money isn't your biggest motivator, you’ll inevitably correlate your level of service to the price.
When it comes to high-ticket gym services, the sky is the limit for new clients after onboarding. From personal training to nutrition and mindset coaching, and even InBody scans, you have the opportunity to increase value and price point. Check out how Jason Yule generated an additional $100,000 in revenue in 2022.
5. Specialty Programs.
Once again, creativity is your only limitation when it comes to creating specialty programs. Some examples include barbell club, weightlifting program, gymnastics seminar or mobility classes. Any number of auxiliary options offer an opportunity to boost short-term or ongoing revenue.
Another option is to run a limited time challenge, like a six-week check-in challenge or a 90-day nutrition kickstart.
We recommend designing these programs or challenges into things that your members are already excited about. For example, if The CrossFit Open is a big deal at your gym, create a six-week, “Open Prep” program leading up to the start.
Or if you know of an upcoming powerlifting competition in your area, host a weekend powerlifting seminar, followed by a 12-week prep program.
Pro Tip: Use PushPress Grow to spread the word about high-ticket gym services quickly and easily to all of your members at once! Book a demo with our team today to find out more!
In Summary: Make High Ticket A High Priority.
Chances are, your current members are probably willing to pay more than you’re currently charging. Even better, they probably want to pay more if you provide the right services.
Ultimately, if a client thinks something will help solve a problem, eliminate a pain point or help them achieve something, they’ll invest in it. Provide the solution they’re looking for with the high-ticket gym services outline above, and watch revenue soar.
