If you want more sales, it’s as simple as taking action. As gym owners we get caught up in the creative of marketing, or the programming and delivering training. Selling is about action! Here are 25 ways to sell more memberships to your gym right now.
I know you hate selling…Here’s some numbers for you.
Closure rates of small businesses in America:
50% make it to 5 years.
33% make it to 10 years.
As a business you need to sell. Selling is helping!
25 Ways to Drive Sales
- Pick up the phone!
Print the list ‘who has spent money in the last 24 months that is not currently training now’. People leave for various reasons, make sure they feel the love and welcomed to return. Nothing like offering them a free week or month on the house.
- Bring a Friend. We will be providing a FREE training session the last Saturday of every month for the next year. Let someone on your team head this process up and take ownership of the success. The offer for all friends is one free week upon completion of the free session.
- Referral Contest. Taking a page out of the Shred Shops book here…Run a FREE week of training with some additional classes to handle the influx of members. If the friend signs up they get 50% off the first month and the member gets 50% off their next month. For every person they get signed up determines the number of months they pay ½ off their dues! For the record, Sawyer and the Shred shop has 70 people signed up for the upcoming event…
- Run a Charity Workout. There isn’t an event that drives more traffic in person, on social media, or in the local papers than our annual Strongman Charity Event. This year it was held virtually (5k ruck). People do business with brands they know, like, and trust. Be a community hero and attach your business to a great local charity.
- Google Reviews. When was the last time you spent money with a service-based business and didn’t first read the reviews? Same, it doesn’t happen. So, ask your best clients for reviews. Once per year we actually pay $50 for great reviews from clients. The $50 is deducted from their next month’s dues.
- Survey the Mob. People love to be heard. Ask members what they want to see from your business via google forms. Personal training, new class times, nutrition services, a massage therapist etc. We use a loaded question link: Do you feel like you need more help with your nutrition? Those who say yes get an offer to work with our nutrition staff.
- Professional Photos & Video. Everyone has the means to hire an aspiring photographer to come take some great photos and video reels of your team training clients. Use these for all your marketing material. Great media make marketing WAY easier.
- Document the Wins. Nothing sells like a great before and after picture of a client or them achieving a long-time goal. Celebrate their victories on social platforms and emails to your community. Who doesn’t love some positive reinforcement and recognition? Post a client success story every day for a month along with an offer. You will get members from this.
- The Gift of Fitness. Send your members a card thanking them for a great year of training. Tell them you’re looking for more people like them that are committed to making improvements into the new year. Include a free month of training via a gift card that they can pass along to a family member or a friend. (We send ours Wednesday before Thanksgiving and redemption must happen prior to Feb 1st).
- Send a Letter. We send letters to 20 clients per month. “Hey Dan, thanks so much for being a part of #teamVH. You’ve been training hard for the past 5 years and we wanted to let you know how much we appreciate all the consistency. Here’s a little something to charge up your next training session.” Included is a $5 Starbucks gift card. Remember we are in the referral business you don’t think your clients will talk about this, in total this campaign costs $1,500 to run it to 240 people annually!
- Host a Seminar. Nothing builds authority and local credibility like speaking on a given topic. Invite other business professionals and build your joint venture relationships.
- 6-Week Transformation. Since 2011 nothing we’ve ever done has made us more money than the 6-Week Transformation. Clients love definitive start and end times. Over deliver with a ton of value and use it as a referral program for existing members. WIN WIN!
- Athlete Parent Appreciation. Offer all the athletes of your gym’s parents a free month of training at your gym. Action this at the start of each sport season or training block.
- Parent Appreciation. Offer all the members that are parents a free month for their child.
- Improve Signage. Speak to your landlord about a street sign, light up sign, or temporary banner for a special event. You would be surprised how many people drive past you each day and have no idea you are there.
- Write an E-Book. How to lose weight after you turn 40, The 3 Phases of Speed Development, Free 6-week training guide. Leverage social media to help build your email list and send it to your email list encouraging them to share with friends. Another authority builder in your community.
- Send Actionable 1 Sentence Emails.
“Do you need help with training for the upcoming _____.”
“We’re taking 5 people to beta test a new training template, who wants in?
“We’re starting a strength class for people committed to hitting personal bests. Would you be interested in the details? These direct call to action emails work like magic. Just don’t use it too much.
- Client Appreciation. Cater a breakfast or lunch for members out of the blue. Coffee, healthy wraps, and protein shakes for members after a workout goes a long way!
- Off-Site Training Session. Organize a group hike, ruck, 5k or workout at another facility. Nothing builds community better than doing fitness related events outside of the gym.
- Email your List. Stop emailing your list only to sell, start providing content on a weekly basis! Don’t reinvent the wheel, straight text and a simple picture works great. If you have writer’s block, think about the most commonly asked questions every week on the floor, answer those questions!
- Improve Your Call to Action. Many social pages or Websites lack a CTA all together, what are you directing me to when I land on your site? Currently our social page reads like this, “Ultimate Fitness Makeover 2.0 is Live. Win 8 weeks of personal training and nutrition for you and a friend 100% Free. Apply Now.”
- Ask for Referrals. We do this with Coaches and our top clients. “Hey Tony, if you know any other coaches that you think would be interested in our team training please let me know. I’d be happy to speak to them about our training options.” The key is the follow up.
- Gifts to New Clients. For years new clients of VH received an edible arrangement and two $100 gift cards to give to friends or family members. Can be a t-shirt, shaker bottle, magnet etc.
- Joint Venture with other Successful Businesses. Align with other businesses with a similar target market and create a working relationship. Chiropractor, PT, Food establishments, Orthopedist, Massage Therapists, Golf Country clubs. Lend a helping hand and watch the referrals start to pile up.
- Speed Clinics for Teams. Run a free speed clinic for a local junior team and make an offer for them to come train. While you are at it, offer the parents too.
- (BONUS) GIVEAWAY THE GOODS. The sweepstakes method works across all businesses, give it a shot. We added 350 emails last year and added 22 members. Run and add where you are raffling off a free year personal training membership…Leads Galore!
If you need to sell more memberships now just work your way down this list. Start with the clients you already have and then work outwards.
There is no such thing as “Not enough memberships” simply not enough action!
Stay Strong,
Joe Riggio
Joe Riggio is a strength coach, business consultant, and entrepreneur. To connect with him you can email him directly at [email protected] or follow him on Instagram @CoachJoeStrong
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