One of the common problems we notice is that gyms and other businesses in the fitness industry don’t have a method of tracking their prospects and making sure they’re followed up on.
So how do you solve that problem while trying to undertake the many other responsibilities you have when running a gym?
Simple. Build a sales funnel.
A sales funnel is a method of tracking prospects and turning them into paying customers at your club. The idea is that you move people through each of the four stages until the final stage, at which point they decide to make a purchase and the cycle begins again.
We’re going one step further than most and sharing exactly how you can build an effective sales funnel for your gym that converts prospects into customers every time.
Decide how you’re going to record it.
A typical mistake in sales is that gym owners don’t physically log who’s in their funnel and which stage they’re at. Without that visualisation, it’s hard to see where you’re at in the sales process and whether you’re generating enough leads in the first place.
It’s highly recommended that you invest in a reliable CRM that allows you to record details of the people in your funnel; either directly or when they fill out your enquiry form so that you don’t have to manually prospect your lead information. CRM systems also allow you to automate follow-ups and remind you to complete specific manual tasks, meaning there’s less reliance on you simply remembering to circle back on prospects in the different stages of the funnel.
Choose your first touchpoint.
Next, it’s time to decide on your first touchpoint. This is the first time a prospect encounters your club. You should have more than one touchpoint in your marketing strategy, but for this campaign, start by selecting one or two initial touchpoints – the most effective being a landing page.
Your landing page should clearly describe your club and the services you offer. It might be the only chance you get to impress your prospects, so the copy needs to be creative and compelling. You’ll also want to include an enquiry form so that visitors can enter their email addresses in exchange for something valuable, such as a meal plan template or some other form of downloadable content. Once they’ve entered their email address and selected their marketing permissions, they’ve officially entered your sales funnel.
Nurture the prospects.
Once prospects have entered your funnel, it’s time to nurture them. Hard selling is an outdated tactic; people respond better to customer-focused, value-driven marketing because it allows them to build trust with your club before they part with their money. Think about your first time at the weight rack – you wouldn’t go straight in and lift the heaviest weight you could find, would you? Start small and gently build up to your goal, which in this case is turning the prospect into a paying customer.
Use automated emails to continuously provide value in the form of education and inspiration. Share a feel-good story from one of your members, answer FAQs and address any reservations they might have about joining your club – a lack of confidence or thinking they don’t have enough time, for example.
Give them your best offer.
Once you’ve nurtured your prospects through the first three stages of the funnel, it’s time for them to make a decision – so hit them with your best offer. Think about offering a one-time-only free trial pass, no joining fee or even a no-nonsense discount to prompt them to come down to the club so that you can impress them in person. Your final offer needs to be hard for them to refuse, so go big or go home!
Keep the funnel going by delighting them with your service. Happy customers lead to improved retention and transform loyal customers into advocates of your club, which is especially handy when running referral campaigns or upselling additional services.
If your prospects reach the end of the funnel and aren’t ready to make a purchase yet, continue to provide them with value and keep building their trust. Consider moving them to another nurturing campaign that’s focused more on the Decision stage of the customer journey.
Remember, the effectiveness of the sales funnel heavily relies on the content you’re providing them during the nurturing process. Valuable, high-quality content builds trust, which effectively removes the barrier to sale when it comes to converting prospects into customers. Optimise your funnel by reviewing how well the content is performing and tailor it to what the data is telling you. Build an effective sales funnel and you’ll regularly have prospects churning without you having to lift a finger.
Not sure where to start with building your sales funnel? ClubRight has a built-in funnel tailored specifically to businesses in the fitness industry so that you can focus on running your club without worrying about manually following up on your prospects. See it in action by booking a free online demo or speak to one of our experts by giving us a call on +44 (0)203 884 9777.
