Before he discovered PushPress, Greg Buck needed more hours in the day. He was overwhelmed by trying to manage everything from lead acquisition to client retention. And his Wodify gym management software just wasn’t helping.
Buck is the owner of CrossFit Arioch in Elgin, IL. Two and a half years ago, life was throwing a lot at him. He and his wife had a baby on the way, and he was coaching more than 25 classes per week. He needed to buy back some time or free himself up to grow the gym.
That’s when he started shopping around. He found PushPress gym management software and it was a game-changer.
Now, Buck coaches just three hours per week and his business is flourishing. In fact, he’s happy to report that after a decade of affiliate ownership, the time since switching to PushPress has been the best he’s ever had.
The Statistics from Switching to PushPress.
When asked about his success since switching from Wodify to PushPress, Buck simply said, “The numbers don’t lie.”
First, the membership base at CrossFit Arioch has increased from just under 150 members to more than 200. Second, the average LEG (length of engagement) in his community has risen from 15 months to 21. And finally, Buck’s overall business revenue has jumped by 20 percent each year that he’s been with PushPress.
Five Ways PushPress Grow is Changing the Game.
One of Buck’s biggest goals was freeing up time that could be spent in other areas. He credits the power of automation in PushPress Grow for helping him do just that. Grow is a gym CRM (customer relationship management) tool. And it helps gym owners with everything from lead generation and nurture to creating the ultimate gym member experience.
Here are five ways Buck has used Grow to save time and expand his fitness business.
1. Effective Lead Nurture in Your Gym’s Brand Voice.
Buck was quick to recognize that many gym owners are hesitant to automate communication with gym management software. When leads reach out for help, it’s important for them to know there’s a real human there to help. And because of this, Buck is adamant that Grow doesn’t take away the human touch.
“Grow just lets you be more efficient with your communication,” he explained. “It does the leg work for me, and then I can pick up the conversation once the lead replies. You can still make it personal, but you don’t have to do that initial outreach.”
PushPress Grow workflows are created for gym owners based on best practices. Nothing sounds robotic and everything is customizable. That means emails and texts can reflect your gym’s brand voice and communication style.
2. Immediate Response.
As gym owners, we know that an immediate response is crucial when a lead first reaches out for information. First, because they’re in a mindset to take action at that point. Second, it prevents them from continuing to search for options and finding your competition.
Therefore, PushPress Grow ensures each lead receives a response as soon as they inquire about the gym, no matter the time of day or night. This makes all the difference when it comes to converting leads into clients.
3. Increased Free Trials.
Since switching from Wodify to PushPress, Buck noted the increase in free trials at his gym. Now, when a lead reaches out for information, the automated workflow guides them to sign up for a free trial.
“I don’t have to do any kind of back-and-forth beforehand,” Buck said.
Then once the lead shows up for their visit, he and his coaches take it from there to convert them into a gym member. As a result, Buck recalls previously getting roughly five new members per month. Since switching to PushPress, he’s averaging closer to 10.
“I think a lot of that has to do with quick response time,” he said. “As well as some long lead follow-up and nurture that was something we just didn’t have time to do in the past. So having a system to do it for us has been huge.”
4. Improved Member Retention with PushPress.
Buck also credits Grow’s workflows with helping him increase his client retention in the last two years. The 90-day lead nurture workflow has made a big difference. He said it helps new clients become acclimated during the gym onboarding process in those crucial first three months.
“If you can retain someone for those first three months, you're usually going to retain them for a year,” he said. “So getting people over the three-month hump has been huge for us.”
5. “At Risk” Member Management.
Another key to increasing gym retention rates at CrossFit Arioch is reaching out to at-risk members. In the past, Buck said he may not have even realized a member hadn’t been checking in. So their risk of canceling would increase with each passing day. But now, PushPress Grow takes care of that.
“As you grow and scale, it's not tenable to remember every person who hasn’t been checking in,” said Buck. “You need to have those checks and balances in place to pick up that stuff. (Now), when someone hasn’t come to gym in ten days, Grow will shoot them a text just to check in.”
And he loves the ability to step in when he receives an at-risk notification. If he chooses, he can curate a text himself to personally connect with the at-risk member.
Pro Tip: Ready to find out how PushPress Grow can save you time and help your gym thrive? Book a demo with our team today to learn more!
In Summary: Buck’s Fitness Business is Flourishing
CrossFit Arioch is in a much better place after switching from Wodify to PushPress. Not only has it helped Greg Buck’s business, but it has also saved him time. Now, he can focus on the areas that help his gym grow and be there more for his family.
In short, Buck describes the help he gets from PushPress as allowing him to see the bird’s eye view of his fitness business. It helps him manage everything from billing and scheduling to lead nurture and retention. He can also track the key gym metrics that allow his business to flourish.
“It all would have been impossible with Wodify,” he said. “I wouldn’t have been able to make that switch (to a flourishing business) without PushPress.”
