When you’re in front of a prospect, and you’re selling, does it feel like your strategy is just to talk them into buying?
Well you’re in luck, because we’ve got THE Magic Pill for you!!
Jk. I hope you know by now that is NOT us.
But I’ll tell you the two biggest problems we see with the vast majority of fitness business owners (or their staff) trying to sell gym memberships:
- They don’t know how to do what they’re trying to do
- Limiting beliefs
We’re going to tackle #1 here, because it plays a large part in causing #2.
Do You Have a Repeatable Sales Process?
Just like with other systems and processes in your gym, there needs to be a process for selling. (You might also use the word ‘method’. In this post I’m going to use process.)
That’s why we asked the question above. If someone says they feel like their ‘selling’ is just trying to talk prospects into buying, it tells me that they don’t actually have a sales process. They don’t actually know what they’re doing and they don’t know how to get better at it.
I mean, how does one improve at selling when they don’t have a framework or a process to guide the conversation – simply ‘try’ harder??
No one wants to do something that they don’t know how to do. You don’t want to look silly or incompetent. And it’s even worse if you haven’t been given a ‘way’ it should be done so you can work on it and improve. (What we’re NOT talking about here is using a sales script.)
So yeah, that’s why most of the people who hate sales, hate sales. And I don’t blame them.
Most gym owners (and staff members) come from a training background, with experience and passion to help people reach fitness goals. Somewhere along the way they find they have to also learn how to sell, and it can be a challenge.
We created our 5-Step Sales Process with this in mind. The process is based in behavior change science and designed around the same principles that are used in coaching fitness clients:
- Understand the client and their situation
- Understand where the client is trying to go
- Help them discover their options and motivations
- Empower them to make the decision to change the situation
And there is a process, a method, a ‘how’ to do that.
So you’re not left with just having to try to talk someone into buying.
Here’s a 30,000 ft. view of how it works:
The Fitness Revolution 5-Step Sales Process
Step 1: Welcome and Building Rapport
When you meet your potential client, focus on doing just two things:
- Set the tone by building a genuine connection.
- Set expectations about the meeting and your relationship.
Show that you care about the person and what has brought him or her to you. (Authentically care. If you don’t truly care, you probably need to begin looking for a new field.) Ask open-ended questions. Listen. Share a bit about yourself, without shifting focus.
It’s a real conversation, not a sales monologue. You want to draw from your prospects what they want to change – and the emotional component is key. Show that you’re here to help whether they sign or not.
Step 2: Explore Aspirations
Encourage your prospect to look to the future and dream a bit. Go beyond something typical and short-term (“I want to lose 15 pounds”) and let him or her describe what life could look like in a year.
If this takes a little pressing, you’ll find it’s worth it. Share a bit about yourself, if that’s necessary.
This will open them up emotionally and reveal important aspects of their values.
Step 3: Uncover Afflictions
This flows beautifully from Step 2, so do it at the same time. Explore the tension between what they want and what they do. This identifies the pain points or afflictions that stand in their way.
We all have beliefs about ourselves, but sometimes there’s a gap between our self-image and our behavior. That can motivate us to change our actions to match our self-belief.
When prospects see this gap, you’ve already helped them immeasurably.
Step 4: Collaborative Evaluation
Together, the two of you will evaluate the pros and cons of the prospect taking action – and of not taking action.
- What’s good and bad about getting in shape?
- What’s good and bad about continuing everything as it is?
It’s the biggest choice at stake — to change or not. And it has the biggest impact on closing the sale.
Step 5: Recommendations and Commitment
Repackage what your prospect has told you and maybe add a recommendation about, say, small group training twice a week.
Then, share a story about a client who had a similar challenge – and how that person succeeded.
And finally, pose the commitment question, emphasizing the prospect’s freedom to choose: “Based on what we’ve talked about, what do you see as the next step?” This reinforces the themes we’ve followed all along:
- You’re genuinely concerned about helping them.
- They truly can make the necessary changes.
- It’s their decision to make – no pressure. (And it’s usually a pretty obvious choice.)
You’re understanding where they are and where they want to be.
You know the success path to get them there.
You’ve helped them discover why this matters to them.
And empowered them to make a choice to change.
Doesn’t that feel a hell of a lot better than trying to talk someone into something?
If you’d like a deeper dive into the science, limiting beliefs, and each of the steps of the sales process, you need to check out Killing the Beliefs That Are Killing Your Business.
If you’d like to talk to one of our coaches about your sales process, or to learn more about ours, schedule a Strategy Session with me. It’s free, and we’d love to hear what you’ve got going on in your business and see how we can help. This is our jam. 
Not sure if your sales process is where you should be focused right now? I suggest taking our free Rapid Assessment. You’ll immediately get a report on what stage your business is in, pinpointing where your priorities should be and guidance on solving the challenges you’re facing.
Want more information on how to improve your sales process? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Sales System for Your Gym Business.
