There are a multitude of challenges that gym owners face on a day-to-day basis. ClubRight’s founder is no stranger to this, having run a successful gym with over 1000 members in London before venturing into the gym software space.
We’re talking to gym owners every day, and it’s evident that the biggest barriers that gym owners face are: generating enough leads, converting leads into customers, retaining those customers and working on the business instead of in the business. It can be hard to find a solution to these problems – especially when you’re juggling so many plates.
We wanted to share our tips on how you can overcome these challenges so that you can focus on making your gym a success.
Generating enough leads.
If you’re starting from zero, generating leads can feel like an impossible task – especially if you don’t have a background in sales. Start with the basics: create a website with a means of capturing lead details (such as a contact form) and create a social media page (Facebook and Instagram are popular choices) to start publishing content. Blog posts with workout plans, videos of your equipment and facilities – things that can give potential customers a taste of what it’s like to work out at your gym. Do this as frequently as you can, but also make sure you’re doing it consistently.
Then when you’ve got a batch of paying customers, set up a referral programme to keep the leads coming. We talk more about running successful loyalty programmes here.
Converting those leads into customers.
Now that you’ve generated some interest, you need to develop an effective system to convert that interest into sales. We recommend having a manual and automated follow-up system in place so that you’re having as many touchpoints with the lead as possible. For example, if the potential customer has filled out a contact form on your website, follow it up with a phone call to organise an induction and add them to an email campaign that keeps your name in the frame.
Consider offering leads the chance to join online so that they can buy a membership and come down for their first session within the hour. ClubRight’s online joining platform allows your leads to do exactly that, and if they don’t complete the joining process for whatever reason, they’re added to your database as a lead so that you can follow up on them to make sure they become a customer.
Retaining your customers.
Many gym owners often get stuck on retention as a hurdle. While it’s still important, you don’t necessarily need to spend hours and hours worrying about it with the right strategy in place.
First, you need to focus on providing a top-notch level of customer service: greet your members when they come in, make it simple for your members to take control of their fitness experience, and get to know your members so that you can provide a tailored experience for them. Introduce rewards programmes that give your members a pat on the back when they reach important milestones in their fitness experience. It’s the little things that make all the difference and it means that the idea of going to a different gym won’t even cross their minds.
Work on the business, not in the business.
A term originally coined by Michael Gerber, this is the key to creating a business that doesn’t depend on you but consistently drives results without you having to deliver them personally. It means you’ll be doing a lot of delegation and big picture thinking, but it will ultimately be the one thing that makes your business a success.
To do that, you need to have the right CRM system in place that will become the beating heart of your gym. It’s what your staff will use to organise classes and sell new memberships, and it’s what you’ll use to access valuable data that will determine your next move. Once that’s in place, you can step away from the time-consuming tasks and focus on growth.
ClubRight takes care of everything from sales lead management and bookings to payments and access control. We’ve created the system to help gym owners like you step back and focus on what’s important.
We hope you’ve now got a solution to some of the biggest barriers that you might be facing in your career as a gym owner. Remember, making a plan are the first step in overcoming a barrier and getting back on track with your business goals. Start by focusing on generating, converting and retaining. Then, concentrate on big picture thinking and how you can strive for growth.
We thrive on seeing businesses in the fitness industry succeed, and so we created ClubRight to help them do exactly that. To learn more about what we do and how we can help you, speak to us on 0203 884 9777 or book a free online demo to see the software in action.
