Selling in a Commercial Gym Environment

[George Grigoryan]

I read Jim Labadie's 63 Must-Have Sales Tips (http://ptsalestips.com/). It's a bribe to get you on the mailing list and I found the tips helpful.

I am not sure if all of it applies to selling at a commercial facility, so I want discuss a fw points here.

"9) Understand you are free to decide who you want to schedule sales
appointments with. Your time is by far and away your most valuable"

I am new, I schedule appointments with anyone and everyone just to practice. Should I change that?


"23) Discuss with your prospect exactly what will happen during your sales
appointment. It’s your responsibility to explain what the process will
be.
24) Ask your prospect if it is ok if the two of you come to a definite
decision about whether or not you will work together by the end of your
sales appointment. This will eliminate them telling you they need to
“think it over” and will increase the bond between you because you
asked their permission."

I have been getting a lot of prospects who 'need to think it over' but I am reluctant to follow the above tips.

I am afraid to follow tip #23 because when people join, they are told they have a 'free personal training session,' so I don't want to call them and tell them that it is actually going to be a 'consultation session'

I tried tip #24 and I had a client say she currently does not have the money, and then she asked 'So should I just say no because we agreed that I will give an answer by the end of the session?' I didn't know how to handle that, so I asked her for a definite date to have her decision (Feb 7th, her next paycheck).


Here is my biggest question. How much actual training should you do with a client and how hard should I push it?

I know a lot of trainers use the following 2 strategies:

1. Make them feel it - this means either make the client somewhat sore or make them sweat or both.
2. Use wild/stupid exercises (bosu ball squats etc).

I spend the training time teaching a client to squat and do push-ups. Maybe I should reconsider just to sell more effectively and then I can do the right thing for the client.

Thoughts please.

[umass]

I'm also working on establishing myself, but my opinion is that with #23 it is your responsability to always explain your plan with the prospect/client. That said if it's a free session I think the best thing you can do is give them a demanding workout , but keep it simple so you can make them work and also explain that this is all you can do with one free session and that with a few more sessions you could give them a more complex/indepth routine.
#24 I personally don't use this and any time I get a client sat down, we either decide right then or they do call me.
To address both 9 and 24, I would say if you have a full schedule then these tips would apply, but at first I wouldn't be very agressive about it.

In general I think alot a his sales tips are helpful, and I think part of what 9 and 24 address are client commitment. That is the one deal breaker for me, if a client isn't commited, then you are wasting your time and other gym members will see their lack of results and motivation and these member will think it could be your fault.
My thoughts
Ned

[Jean-Paul]

I have been getting a lot of prospects who 'need to think it over' but I am reluctant to follow the above tips.

In the end you will just have to figure it out for yourself. His advice is very sound. I may use it to train someone else, but having been doing sales for the last 20 years, I have my own technique, and I almost always close the deal. When you have total confidence in yourself and your product, the process will take on a shape of its own. For now, following steps like this will probably be helpful.

I tried tip #24 and I had a client say she currently does not have the money, and then she asked 'So should I just say no because we agreed that I will give an answer by the end of the session?' I didn't know how to handle that, so I asked her for a definite date to have her decision (Feb 7th, her next paycheck).

This is REALLY important. Qualify your prospects before you spend so much time on them. Within the first few minutes of meeting a new prospect, I ask them point blank if they have a bank account (if it's not obvious by their appearance). I don't have time to fool with everyone who wants to waste my time. I guess it could be called "pocketbook profiling". If someone is dressed like a lawyer I probably won't ask. The point though is that I find out early on if there is even potential for a close. If you spend an hour working on someone only to find out they don't have a dime to their name or even an account that you can draft, then you just wasted time you could have been working on a sale that would close.

When people act a little put out that I require them to show me a credit card and a valid local ID for their free trial (if it comes to that), I simply point out to them that I am giving them a free week (or two), but it is based on their ability to be a potential member. They usually can't whip that card out fast enough. People want to be profiled! They want to qualify.

The reason I say "if it comes to that" is that I only offer someone a free trial if they are A) qualified prospects and B) I couldn't close them on the spot. Don't offer it right away unless they come in and ask for it. Go for the early close. However, you don't ever let a qualified, unclosed prospect out of your door without giving them a trial either. That will give you later opportunities to work on them if you can't close them on the spot.

I find that most people will close on the spot though, assuming you have a nice facility with good staff. Don't ask them if they want to join after you've got them interested. Ask them if they want to make a one-year commitment or the open-ended option.

Ask them lots of questions in the beginning, get them talking about themselves, and they will tell you every point you need to focus on to close the deal. People don't care if you've got the XR4000 Thingamajig... A gym is just a box with equipment in it. They have one thing that they really want out of a gym membership. Get them to tell you what that is and you have your blueprint to close the deal right there.

[K Manley]

Originally Posted by gx3

I know a lot of trainers use the following 2 strategies:

1. Make them feel it - this means either make the client somewhat sore or make them sweat or both.
2. Use wild/stupid exercises (bosu ball squats etc).

I spend the training time teaching a client to squat and do push-ups. Maybe I should reconsider just to sell more effectively and then I can do the right thing for the client.

Thoughts please.

Well I'm new here and taking a break from being a trainer but I'd like to comment if thats cool.

I see the dilemma here with what to actually do in the session. You seem to know that just making them sweat/sore or showing them exercises they've never seen can really help close the deal, but really isn't the most conscientious thing to do (when I bought into the bosu ball/stability stuff it helped me close deals, but in the long run the clients never progressed optimally). I think sticking to that integrity will help you lot. I worked in a commercial facility where the demos were booked for me and often the prospects were in no shape to do anything too taxing, and yet were promised a 'free session'. But I think one of the paradigm shifts for me was differentiating between a 'free session' and a 'first session'. Most of these clients have no idea what a session consists of so don’t worry so much about trying to do everything as you would in a normal session.

As JP mentioned the client wants to have the focus on them, in that regard I have found that simple posture analyses goes a long way. Find out which muscles are tight and which are weak (Gray Cook's movement screens are great for trainers in this regard, quick and simple) consult them on how these muscles create an individual training need for them that you can cater to. Do some mobility work for the tight muscles and then exercises for the weak ones. This usually makes them physically feel really good and shows them they've got muscles in places they never even thought of. Afterwards if the situation advises run them through half a tabata with an easy movement, so they get the strain and exhaustion they want from a safe exercise (that they immediately see the need of a trainer to push them through). By the end of these sessions they usually feel aligned, well worked and your insights into their muscle imbalances makes them think that you really understand their individual needs.

Anyhoo, this is really more just my own experience with constructing effective demos that you will hopefully be able to glean at least something helpful from. Commercial gym demos have always seemed to me to be a bit of a different animal than what is described in some PT strategy literature.

[Jean-Paul]

Wow, KM, great introductory post! I agree with what you said 100%! Welcome to the boards. I certainly look forward to more contributions from you.

[K Manley]

Originally Posted by Jean-Paul

Wow, KM, great introductory post! I agree with what you said 100%! Welcome to the boards. I certainly look forward to more contributions from you.

Thanks JP, I've never been a huge poster on other sites (more of a sponge) but I really like the atmosphere here. You've done a great job setting this place up.

[George Grigoryan]

Thanks umass, JP, and KM. I think it's just like everything else - absorb what is useful. So if some tips don't work for me, then I won't use them.

I had a prospect tell me he is very interested (and I got the same impression before he said anything), but needs to consult with his fiance. I am not going to force a like this guy into buying on the spot (assuming I could).

The guy needs to get in shape for his wedding in June, so I hope his fiance will see this as an investment, which it is.

[umass]

Originally Posted by gx3

Thanks umass, JP, and KM. I think it's just like everything else - absorb what is useful. So if some tips don't work for me, then I won't use them.

I had a prospect tell me he is very interested (and I got the same impression before he said anything), but needs to consult with his fiance. I am not going to force a like this guy into buying on the spot (assuming I could).

The guy needs to get in shape for his wedding in June, so I hope his fiance will see this as an investment, which it is.

offer to train the fiance too, I've never met a woman who didn't want to look good for "The Big Day".

[Lisa~]

Originally Posted by Jean-Paul

Ask them lots of questions in the beginning, get them talking about themselves, and they will tell you every point you need to focus on to close the deal. People don't care if you've got the XR4000 Thingamajig... A gym is just a box with equipment in it. They have one thing that they really want out of a gym membership. Get them to tell you what that is and you have your blueprint to close the deal right there.

When I read your excellent post, JP, this last paragraph just jumped out at me. YES. If they start talking about themselves, you're in. Now you know exactly what to address.

Then I read the excellent post by K Manley.

As JP mentioned the client wants to have the focus on them, in that regard I have found that simple posture analyses goes a long way. Find out which muscles are tight and which are weak (Gray Cook's movement screens are great for trainers in this regard, quick and simple) consult them on how these muscles create an individual training need for them that you can cater to. Do some mobility work for the tight muscles and then exercises for the weak ones. This usually makes them physically feel really good and shows them they've got muscles in places they never even thought of. Afterwards if the situation advises run them through half a tabata with an easy movement, so they get the strain and exhaustion they want from a safe exercise (that they immediately see the need of a trainer to push them through). By the end of these sessions they usually feel aligned, well worked and your insights into their muscle imbalances makes them think that you really understand their individual needs.

Perfect. This absolutely works and lets the potential client (or new client) know that you have something that is going to help them. They're sold. I get excited about being able to show someone how they can function better, move more effectively, and reach their goals in a healthier way. They see that excitement and it all works together.