Fitness consultant Steve Grant shares key tips on closing gym membership sales

In the highly competitive gym market, leading fitness industry sales consultant Steve Grant is sharing his experience of effective sales strategies and also hosting a new series of his Titans of the Fitness Industry workshop events in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney in the coming months.

Committed to helping fitness clubs increase their membership sales, Grant (pictured below) explains “as a gym owner you are also a salesperson, constantly selling people on your service. You even sell your staff on how awesome your company is so they would want to work with you.”

In converting leads into members, he advises “(leads) are people who are not paying members at your gym (so) apply these tips and you can quickly change that to pack your studio.”

1. Real Talk
Most people who show interest in your gym are probably hesitant the first time they walk in and you attempt to strike up a conversation with them. Normally, they would expect a sales pitch from someone who probably just wants their money. 

A lot of gym owners find it difficult to be effective salespeople because of that notion. The key to making a breakthrough with these leads is to offer them the help they need. Make it all about them, and less about you. You already know how awesome your services are, now it’s time to relay that to them.

Have an honest conversation about how your classes will help them specifically in achieving their goals.

Be transparent. The road to fitness is not going to be easy so let them know exactly what they can expect from the program and from you, but base your examples on their personal goals.

That’s where the magic happens. Before you know it, you’re selling people on your memberships.

2. Ask the Right Questions
Your goal as a gym owner is to help your customers meet their fitness goals. So it’s important to establish a rapport with your potential members during your first conversation -- this might be a phone call, a text, or even an email.

Start the sales process by asking where they’ve worked out before. Explain and teach the very basics for newbies, and be more technical for experienced people who know how a spin class or phone app works.

Before getting them started on their workout, ask if they have an injury that you should be aware of. Knowing their specific injuries or other physical needs all goes toward selling them on the awesome customer service at your studio.

Lastly, ask new leads about their fitness goals and how confident they are in their ability to meet them. Understanding someone's fears, concerns and frustrations with gyms and their attempts in the past will help you to tailor your tour and focus to their needs and position your studio and staff as the logical solution. 

3. Make the Best First Impression
There’s a lot of elements that go into an outstanding first experience at a studio or gym. It can be intimidating for most people experiencing it for the first, so make your studio as welcoming as possible:

• Greet them as they check in
• Give them a tour of the facility and introduce them to your staff
• Get them set up with all of their gear like towels and free weights, and show them how to use the trickier stuff 

After their workout, check in to see what they thought, high-five them, and get them excited for doing well. Be quick! Don’t let them sneak out the door without talking with them first. Especially after their first workout, talk about their goals, ask them what they think will help them, find out if they trust you to help them achieve their goals, and always try to end things on a personalised note. 

Give your new members the ultimate first experience because you want them to be excited to come back and make them feel like they made the correct decision in choosing your gym to give them the attention and care that they need.

4. Follow Up
Unless a person signs up with a membership, the sales process doesn’t stop when they leave your gym. Selling to a person while they’re actually in your studio is super important, but it’s just as important to keep in contact with them afterward.

You should incorporate every method of contact available to you within your follow up process (phone calls, emails, texts - even messenger and linked-in are fair game). Give them a call the day after their visit to check in and see if they’ve decided to buy in yet. The following day you might send an email to invite them back for a special workout, and the next day, you might text them.

A tip is to always ask a question at the end of the message.

Keep this process up until the person purchases a membership package (or asks you to stop contacting them).

When you follow up with someone after their visit to your studio, remember to keep your energy high. Show them how excited you are to help them live a healthy lifestyle, your disposition can also get them excited to join your fitness studio.

Again, people appreciate when you are honest and direct with them. Asking for the sale will probably catch them off guard, but they’ll appreciate that you’re upfront about wanting to help them. They’ll be more likely to say yes.

So even though you might not consider yourself a salesperson, it’s important to recognise that it’s part of the job. Nail these strategies and you’ll be able to help tonnes more people get started and enjoy your service. 

Former Cronulla Sharks NRL player Steve Grant has 20 years experience in the fitness industry including university lecturer and running one of Sydney most profitable fitness studios. He started Gym Hub in 2015 to provide business mentoring to brands like Virgin Active, F45, Flow Athletic and Vision PT.

Titans of the Fitness Industry
Grant's 2018 series of Titans of the Fitness Industry workshop events are being held in the following locations through March and May: 

• Melbourne - Tuesday 20th March
• Brisbane - Thursday 17th May 
• Sydney - Thursday 24th May 

Click here for more information on the Titans of the Fitness Industry workshop events.

Click here to contact Steve Grant and Gym Hub via their entry in the Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory. 

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