The new year is behind us and gym membership sales are dwindling. As a gym owner, now is the time to make every sales opportunity count by slowing down the process and closely evaluating how effectively your staff handles each prospect. Are they missing sales? Let’s figure out why.
Four steps to a building sales team. Ask yourself:
1. How skilled are your salespeople?
First off, to discover which sales people might be facing obstacles, dive into your software and pull up sales data. If a particular salesperson is selling the same membership and/or personal training package over and over again, they may be stuck in what Norman Vincent Peale called “stinking thinking.” They believe this one membership is the best because it makes the most sense to them – not to the customer. This staffer may not be comfortable selling high-dollar memberships or services – after all, they can’t afford it so how can anyone else?
A skilled salesperson identifies the needs and wants of the customer and sells them the best product based on their goals – not those of the salesperson.
Secondly, identify the sales staffers with the lowest closing rates. This ranking may have nothing to do with their expertise as a trainer or their love for your gym – it might be simpler than that. Often, low closing ratios have more to do with the sales process than with knowledge or passion.
2. Does your sales staff love your club?
This seems like a crazy question, but you can’t sell what you don’t love. Does your sales team believe in what they are selling 100%? In your salesperson’s mind, is your club – personal trainers, atmosphere, equipment, offerings – the best? If not, then it’s time to talk with the employee/trainer and sell them on your club and its membership selection.
3. Evaluate the sales process
The best way to identify a salesperson’s weak spots is to ask them to walk you through a typical sale. How do they approach and handle the average prospect? It’s here you may find they fast-forward through the sales process: shortcutting the tour and going straight to pricing.
Watch for these key sales behaviors – Is the rep:
- Using the prospect’s name in conversation?
- Asking probing questions upfront?
- Touring the gym based on the customer’s interests?
- Using the prospect’s earlier feedback to overcome objections?
- Asking for the sale?
- Suggesting personal training?
- Requesting referrals?
An unskilled or young staffer might not understand the ramifications of a good tour on a prospect’s success. Many people join clubs and don’t use the equipment, classes, or services. Eventually, as you know, they quit. If a salesperson simply sells them any old membership or short-cuts their personal training sessions to a bare minimum, the client may not experience success.
Instead of changing their bodies, the member ends up switching health clubs – again.
By selling a prospect the right membership and personal training package for them, your employee is almost guaranteeing the club a long-term, satisfied gym member.
4. Practice the sales presentation.
In our Gym Owners Blog by Gym Insight, we’ve written about the sales process in multiple issues. For a step-by-step reference, take a look at this five-part series on How to Sell Gym Memberships.
- Slow down: Introduce yourself, ask the prospect’s name and find a quiet spot to talk. Ask questions including “What other clubs have you belonged to?” “Why did you leave?” “What are yours goals or intentions in joining our gym?”
- Take notes. Use their name correctly. Don’t abbreviate or use nicknames unless they’ve asked you to do so.
- Place them on equipment that reflects their goals.
- Introduce them to other members.
- Keep membership choices simple and use a tablet-based system, “Sales Guru” by Gym Insight.
- Sell personal training at every sign-up – even a three-in-ten batting average is major league. Review “Winning Steps to Selling Personal Training at Point of Sale,” for an easy, effective script.
- Offer every new gym client an orientation with a personal trainer.
- Ask for referrals – design a simple system to collect names and phone numbers of other prospects. This can include customizing your sign-up process to include a “recommend a friend” screen.
Don’t waste the spring by missing sales.
Every gym faces attrition – clients leaving for many different reasons. Statistically, by six months into a membership as many as 44% of new members use the gym sparingly or not at all. The more engaged your member is within the first three months, the more likely they are to stay for the long term.
We know that by establishing a winning sales process, your gym memberships increase at a higher rate than they decrease. Sounds simple, right? It is! Take it from us, train your staff correctly, and you’ll rarely experience a slow season.
Gym Insight
Thank you so much for reading our blog! Spring is almost here and we’ve continued to roll out new features and updates for our gym management software! Watch for upcoming “Hidden Feature” segments. Building the best, easiest-to-use gym management software is our passion and we’d love to demo it for you. Call us at 1-855-FOR-GYMS and ask for Anthony or Natalia. As well, check out our Gym Owner’s Podcast and social media feeds for more information on our product and stellar reputation.
