You don’t compete on knowledge. Not anymore.
Knowledge is cheap. Knowledge is everywhere. If I want to find a workout or diet plan, I can. It’s so easy that it’s boring.
Luckily, no exercise routines or diets work without action.
That’s where you come in, coach. You sell action.
The Key: Keeping Clients
One of our mentors at Two-Brain, Kaleda Connell, once told me that “for every minute you spend setting up your marketing, you should spend 10 minutes on your sales process.” I think that’s about right. In a previous series, I wrote about your sales process, and how most gym owners just aren’t good enough at signing people up.
But I’ll add this: For every 10 minutes you spend selling to people, you should spend 20 minutes keeping people.
We actually teach retention before sales in the Two-Brain Incubator because keeping people is what separates good gyms from great gyms.
Here’s our full Retention Guide. It’s free. Go ahead, take it.
Many gyms now have a designated salesperson (usually it’s the owner, at least for a while). But they should have a designated retention person first. We call that person the Client Success Manager (CSM). Mine calls herself “the Joy Girl.” You can listen to a podcast on the topic here.
You can also download the full CSM job description here:
Done-For-You Hiring Plan and Detailed Job Descriptions for Gym Owners
A Focus on Retention
Many gym owners have adopted the No-Sweat Intro (NSI) process. New clients book a 1:1 conversation before jumping into a class setting.
But owners should also be scheduling Goal Review sessions with all their clients every quarter. We tell you exactly how to do it here:
Never Lose a Member Again: The Two-Brain Business Guide to Retention
Many gym owners now call people after their NSI has been booked. They’re willing to do that one hard thing—an extra step—because they know it could save the client’s life. Often, they’ll call a prospect two or three times just to get the person in the door.
But they should also be calling clients who don’t show up for appointments or classes.
It’s a lot easier to keep a client than it is to get a client.
And the more clients you lose, the harder it is to get new ones. Ad costs go up, and reputation spreads. Trust me: There are dozens of people in Sault Ste. Marie who say, “Oh yeah, I did CrossFit” even if they just tried it for a couple of weeks back in 2008, when I really didn’t know what I was doing.
If you spend one minute building a marketing funnel or setting up an ad, spend 10 minutes working on your sales process. Then spend 20 minutes keeping your current clients. Because 150 clients are enough—if you can keep them.
Other Articles in This Series
Are You Already too Big?
The Cure for Commoditization
Ascending Your Clients
Don’t Skip “LEG” Day
