Have you ever experienced the frustration of spending a significant amount of money on gym marketing without yielding any return at all? While the goal of your marketing is to get new leads, if you’re not closing sales, you’re missing the mark.
Oftentimes, gym owners are so focused on lead generation that they neglect to hone their sales process. It’s not uncommon for marketing to take center stage, when your sales process should actually be the priority.
The good news is that this is the perfect time to dial in your systems for closing sales. As we head into the fall rush season, prospective members are primed and ready to establish routines and commit to their fitness.
How to Dial in Systems for Closing Sales at Your Gym.
From someone’s initial inquiry to the moment they’ve become a member, here are six tips to help you and your team with closing sales.
1. Immediate Response is a Must.
When a new lead comes in, how quickly do they receive a response?
PushPress data shows that immediate response is critical for conversion. Primarily because, in that moment, they’re most motivated to take action. And secondarily, the more time that passes, the more opportunity you give competitors to earn their business.
Chances are, you’re not standing by holding your phone at all hours of the day. Which is why a gym CRM like PushPress Grow is such a game-changer. No matter what time of day someone inquires, Grow responds immediately with messaging designed to get them to book their first visit.
If by chance they don’t book immediately, Grow will nurture your leads for as long as it takes for closing sales and welcoming them into your gym community.
Pro Tip: Want to learn how PushPress Grow can help you generate and convert even more leads? Book a demo with our team today!
2. Create A Safe Environment for Closing Sales.
When it comes to sales, Rudy Trevino’s track record speaks for itself. Trevino, a member of the PushPress CX team, has been the owner of The Fit Stop in San Antonio, TX for almost a decade. He converts 90 percent of the leads he brings in, which means 15-25 new clients a month.
Trevino says closing sales starts with an appointment-based, one-on-one session. It’s important to remember that even though your gym is familiar and welcoming for current clients, it’s different for new people. They’re often intimidated or apprehensive, so it’s important to create a comfortable, safe environment.
He suggests creating a conversational space, like a round table or comfy couches, as opposed to a desk, which can feel formal or cold. Ultimately, you want people to feel comfortable enough to open up about personal info like goals and struggles.
“It’s really all about creating connection,” Trevino said.
One other suggestion he added was to make sure your body language is warm and welcoming. Avoid crossing your arms, and “make good eye contact and lean into the person.”
3. Focus On The Why.
Almost every person that comes through your doors is looking for some form of help. And Trevino says that while most gym owners ask questions, the key to closing sales is digging deeper than just surface level.
For example, someone might tell you their goal is to lose 20 pounds. According to Trevino, “Losing twenty pounds isn’t a good enough answer.” Instead, keep digging to find out why they want to lose that weight and why it’s important to them.
“If you can do that, people will trust you and start to believe you have the solution to their problem,” he said. At that point, you’re taking a help-first approach to prescribing a plan for helping them.
4. Reverse the Selling Process.
Once you’ve dug deep enough to uncover the real pain points and provided a plan to overcome them, Trevino suggests a reversal of the sales process. That’s the point where he asks a variety of questions to get the prospective member to repeat what they just heard.
What stands out to you about our program? How do you think this program will help you? What do you like most about what you have heard?
“They’re now selling it right back to you,” Trevino said.
Ultimately, this line of questioning helps them to see the big picture. They’re confirming that they understand how you’re going to help them get the results they came for, increasing your odds of closing sales more often.
5. The Only Answer is Yes.
Trevino believes that when you truly know you can help someone, the focus shouldn’t be on if they should get started, but when. Oftentimes, gym owners will test the waters with questions like, “Well, what do you think? Are you ready to get started?”
Trevino says to take more of an assumptive approach, like asking, “Which option do you think works best for you?” He noted that his experience has been that 90 percent of people will answer with one of the options you’ve provided.
He added that one tough thing for gym owners in closing sales is to “shut up and let them choose.” It’s easy to want to fill the silence, but Trevino said “it comes down to confidence.” To help people and increase gym revenue, you have to have confidence in what you’re selling.
6. Track Your Metrics.
The best part about tracking important gym metrics is that the results will show you exactly where you can improve. For example, let’s say you’re getting tons of new leads each month and a majority of them are booking appointments. That’s great! But what if they’re all showing up for a no-sweat intro and no one is actually signing up? Your data will point out that closing sales is the weakest link in your sales funnel.
Or what if you’re signing up a bunch of new members each month but they’re not sticking around? Poor retention metrics would then indicate that as a critical point of focus. Wherever you have deficiencies, you also have an opportunity to implement systems to fix them.
In Summary: To Maximize Marketing Efforts, Closing Sales is Crucial.
Before you spend valuable time and money on your gym marketing efforts, it’s important to start with dialing in your process for closing sales.
The first step is to ensure immediate response time for every inquiry. Once someone has booked an intro session, provide a comfortable, safe space to discuss their goals and struggles. Focus on their “why” to help prescribe a plan to get them to their goals. Reverse the sales process by asking questions that get them to sell back to you. Take an assumptive approach; not if they’re going to get started but when. And finally, be sure to track your sales metrics to find the areas for improvement.
In addition to closing more sales, these steps can help with building better member connections and boosting your gym’s overall performance for the long run.
