This article is geared more towards owners, managers, and personal trainers at gyms or fitness centers; however, many of the same tactics I talk about apply across numerous business models – so, if you’re an owner or manager at any business, you can certainly learn some new concepts from reading this post.

Essentially, every businesses needs an automated sales system – and gyms and fitness centers are no different.

Think about how much competition a gym has … I mean, take a look at the 10 mile radius around my apartment –

There are so many to choose from!

So, what’s to convince someone to join one gym over another?

And, once that person joins a gym, what’s to keep that person coming back again and again for things like classes and personal training sessions, or even to make snack bar purchases and buy supplements … not to mention keeping their membership active…?

A relationship.

And what helps form and maintain relationships? (hint: it’s an automated sales system)

• Related article: What is an automated sales system?

To Collect Lead Contact Information

The first reason your fitness center needs an automated sales system is to collect contact information from potential leads.

Once you have that contact information, you’ll be able to start a conversation with that individual – building trust and, ultimately, having that person join your gym.

Let’s start from the beginning – why in the world is someone on your gym’s website?

There are two main reasons:

1. They want to join a gym, but aren’t sure which one fits their personality
2. They want to join a gym, but aren’t sure if it offers what they need

Notice what’s similar between the two?

The person wants to join a gym!

That’s pretty much the only reason someone will be on your gym’s website – unless they’re already a member and checking hours or the class schedule, or maybe you have a killer blog they’re reading (we’ll save those folks for another article).

OK, so the main reason someone’s on your site is that they want to join a gym – the keyword here is “a” gym – not necessarily your gym.

It’s time to do some convincing.

Segmentation 101

One group of people is checking to see if your gym fits their personality. Of course, not all gyms are the same. Some are more for athletes, others for bodybuilders, others for elderly, and others that are more kid friendly.

The other group of people is seeing what your gym offers. Their looking at everything from equipment, to classes, to activities, to personal training, to the snack bar, and even if your locker room has free towels.

How To Segment The Visitors

Let’s go ahead and segment these folks so they can get the information they desire.

This segmentation can be easily accomplished by … get this … asking them!

Divide your landing page in half – one half is for people who want to see if your gym fits their personality while the other half shows everything your gym has to offer.

• Related article: What is a landing page?

With this segmentation, you’ll know why the individual is on your site and you’ll be able to give them tailored content in order to get them to give you their contact information.

Lead Magnet

Here’s the deal, no matter which segment the individual is in, they’re both going to be offered the same lead magnet.

Hands down, the best lead magnet for a gym is a free trial.

This gets the person in the door and they’ll be able to see for themselves if your gym is a fit.

If you do not offer a free trial, I guarantee you are missing out on members. I personally only join a gym after participating in a trial membership – I always try before I buy – and several of my friends are the same way.

Tying The Lead Magnet To The Segment

As previously discussed, we have our two segments of people (personality, features) and our lead magnet (free trial) – now, how do we connect the two?

Leave Them Wanting More

Based on whatever segment they select, it’s your job to give them some of the answers they’re looking for; however, leave them wanting more.

For example; if someone is trying to see what features your gym offers – tell them about your features, but add in some mystery and excitement!

The best way to do this is by following the tried-and-true “clickbait” format – vague ambiguous hyperbole.

For example; “You won’t believe what color we painted our locker room!” – huh? What?! I want to see!

Or, “On your 10^th visit you won’t believe what you’re rewarded with!” – Oo! I like rewards, and only 10 visits?! I need to check this out!

Or, “Our snack bar offers this one shake that’s so protein packed, most people can’t handle it!” – pff, I bet I can handle it!

Hopefully, that makes some sense.

The point is this – you want the visitor to have the burning desire to give you their contact information so they can get the free trial and see what’s really going on with your gym.

Rapport Building

Since you've done such a great job with segmenting and hyping up the lead magnet – the person has given you their contact information. It’s now time to build up the relationship in order to get them to use their free trial and, eventually, convert into a paying member.

Of course, the best way to start the relationship is to deliver what you said you would – the free trial.

• First email: Lead magnet (free trial)
• Time frame: Immediately after signup

Now, based on the particular segment (personality, features) – you’ll want to send tailored content.

Personality

Send information about your demographics, videos of people exercising in your gym, their stories, why they joined your gym, what they love about your gym, etc.

Features

Send information about what your gym has to offer. Give a video tour, talk about your classes, share videos of classes, talk about how your equipment is top notch or how you have unique equipment for their needs, etc.

Other

Besides sending tailored content displaying either the personality or features of your gym, you can include things like a free consultation with a certified personal trainer, a free shake at the snack bar, and other events your gym hosts.

You need to give the individual everything they need in order to feel comfortable in their decision to join your gym.

Paying Members (Sales Pipelines)

If you've followed the previous sections – you should have more paid members than you know what to do with!

So, now it’s time to start maximizing their lifetime value through the use of sales pipelines.

• Related article: What is a sales pipeline?

Once the individual is a paying member, you can ask them what their goals are and have them enter a sales pipeline based on those goals.

While in that particular pipeline – they’ll receive emails helping them achieve their goals, all while keeping the relationship alive and well.

For example; if the individual wants to lose weight, you can send emails about …

• How to eat properly
• Your in-house nutritionist and how they can help the person achieve their weight loss goals
• Classes that target fat loss
• Personal trainers who have helped other clients lose weight and reach their goals
  • Share testimonials
• Supplements that help burn fat

Or, for example; if the individual wants to run a marathon, you can send emails about …

• How to create a training plan
  • In particular – how your in-house personal trainers know exactly how to create awesome marathon plans
• Which running shoes to wear
• Nutrition and supplements for long races
• The running club your gym has

There are a large number of sales pipelines that you can setup to send tailored content to your members – keeping the relationship alive all while maximizing revenue.

Conclusion

Gyms and fitness centers are prime candidates for automated sales systems.

They help convert visitors into paying customers and then maximize the lifetime value of those customers – automatically.

It’s really a no-brainer, and if your gym is lacking – contact us!

Every so often we take a few minutes to check out a business that is actually using an automated sales system.

We enter the sales funnel just like any other person who comes across their site; however, we examine everything and share our thoughts on how to make it even better!

This examination features D1 Sports Training of Huntsville, AL.

If you have no idea what an automated sales system is – click here.

First and Foremost

I must commend D1 Sports Training for actually having an automated sales system.

I examined 17 other gyms, fitness centers, and sports training centers in the Huntsville, AL area and D1 was in the minority. Only about 25% of these businesses had implemented some kind of automated sales system.

In all of my examination and research thus far, the gym industry does a much better job at implementing automated sales system than any other industry. For example; in the car dealership industry – out of 19 dealerships I looked at, only 1 had an automated sales system.

• Read: Automated Sales System in Real Life: Bill Penney Toyota

Their Site

While I’m more concerned about the actual automated sales system, I must address the website because it’s part of the whole experience.

When I first came upon their website – I was impressed.

It is a nice, professional, website; albeit, it is not mobile responsive, which is something I highly recommend changing.

It looks tough and rugged too, just like they train you to be.

While the D1 brand has multiple locations (27) across the country, and therefore, I’d imagine, a pretty decent revenue in order to invest a lot of money into a beautiful website – it really doesn’t have to cost too much.

We at Crazy Eye Marketing will get you up and running with a beautiful website at a price that you choose.

So, if your business website is old, outdated, not mobile friendly, sloppy, and/or ugly – contact us!

… sorry, we’re a business, I had to throw in a pitch somewhere 😉

Back to the examination!

The best part about their site is they have “Free Trial – Sign Up Now” button, and the entry point to a sales funnel, smack dab in the middle of their homepage!

This is outstanding!

The only thing I might change (or at least test) in regards to that button; are the colors of it. It almost blends in too well with the rest of their site. Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly visually appealing – but, does it draw my attention?

I would test a bright green or a baby blue button in there to see what happens. Sure, it might not look as “cool”; however, the thing that matters is its ability to capture leads.

After clicking that button, we’re presented with the …

The Opt-in

A nice little popup appears asking us for our “Athlete Profile”.

Problems with Popups

There are a few problems with this popup method.

It does require JavaScript – so, if a visitor does not have Javascript enabled – the box will not appear. Fortunately, this is not too big of a deal these days as the web runs on JavaScript and the likelihood that someone has it turned off is slim to none.

The other issue that may arise in regards to having a popup box is how it displays on a mobile device. This one happens to display fine on my Samsung Galaxy S5; however, there may be phones out there where this opt-in doesn't display properly. This is something to be aware of and to keep an eye on.

Instead of having the popup, they could have another page dedicated to collecting the contact information.

Too Much Information

With an opt-in form, you want to request the least amount of acceptable information as possible.

The more information that is requested, the more of a “hassle” it is to fill out the form and it creates a barrier to entry.

For example; if I’m on my phone, typing in all of that requested information will take me a minute or two. I might not feel like spending my time on that.

Instead, request what’s needed in order to start the conversation.

In this instance, I believe D1 should ask for the first name, email, possibly the phone number, and possibly the age (this will allow them to send tailored content specific to that individual – but, only collect this if it’s being used to send tailored content. NEVER ask for extra information just to have extra information. Only ask for what you absolutely need in order to start the conversation.)

I doubt D1 needs to know the athlete’s last name, parent’s name, and zip code in order to get them in the door.

To summarize – I would scrap at least half of those data fields and only go with what is absolutely necessary to start the conversation. The rest of the information can be gathered when the athlete walks through the door.

Submit Button

Ewww.

Never, ever, have a submit button that says, “Submit”. That’s one of the biggest no-no’s in the industry!

The submit button should reaffirm exactly what the person is signing up for.

For example, “Get Free Trial!” or “Send Me My Trial!”

I would change this ASAP.

Lead Magnet

Let’s take a minute to dissect their Lead Magnet – “Sign Up For Your Free Trial”.

I love it.

I don’t believe there can be a better lead magnet than a free trial membership to a gym.

By my own personal experience, I've done a number of free trials to gyms, and they've converted me into a paying customer on multiple occasions.

In fact, I've only ever signed up for a gym if they've had a free trial. So, in my opinion, all gyms need to offer a free trial.

Nothing to change in regards to the lead magnet.

Upon Submission

After inputting all of my information and hitting the horrible “Submit” button – I was greeted with the “Thank You” page:

It’s not bad, but it should reiterate the reason I bothered to enter my contact information in the first place – the free trial.

At the very minimum, I would change the last sentence to say: “A D1 team member will be contacting you shortly in regards to your Free Trial!”

Also, on the thank you page, I would add some links to more information or the social media pages. Say something along the lines of “While you wait for your free trial to arrive in your inbox, why don’t you check out these articles or like us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.”

I’m Concerned

The message has not been consistent across the entire opt-in process.

By keeping the message of the “free trial” consistent, you build trust; however, with the exception of the initial free trail button on the homepage, I haven’t seen anything else talking about my free trial – whether on the opt-in form, nor the thank you page, and I’m becoming a little concerned that I'll actually be getting a free trial.

You need to keep the message consistent, because, right now, I can’t really remember what I signed up for.

Rapport Building

3 hours and 41 minutes after submitting my information in order to get a free trial, I received an email.

Yes, after submitting my very personal information like my full name, age, my parent’s name, my email, my phone number, and my zip code – information I hold dear – I heard nothing for 3 hours and 41 minutes.

This is unsatisfactory on multiple levels.

At the very least, I need an instant email confirmation saying that you received my personal information and that you’ll be in touch shortly.

I need to know that all of my contact information is both valued and being handled properly.

3 hours and 41 minutes of silence does not convey that you really care about my information.

Issue number 2, after 3 hours and 41 minutes, I may have even forgotten about you guys. More than likely I’m searching for several gyms that offer free trial memberships, and if you don’t respond, I’ll just go on to the next one, and you will miss out on me becoming a paying member.

3 hours and 41 minutes later …

 

All in all, I think it’s a pretty good first email.

First, it’s attractive and looks professional.

Second, it tells me what’s about to happen – that someone will contact me in regards to my free trial.

Third, it tells me what to do in the meantime – watch this awesome video.

Fourth, it tells me what to do if I have any questions – hit reply or call.

All in all, pretty good.

The biggest issue I have is that I had to wait 3 hours and 41 minutes to see it. Why wasn't it sent instantly?

I would also add a signature block to the email. You say to call, but who am I to ask for?

2 hours and 34 minutes later …

 

Nice!

A follow up email!

Short, sweet, to the point!

I like it, I love it, I want some more of it!

17 days later

 

I don’t understand why this email followed 17 days later.

By this time, if I've not already signed up for your gym – I've forgotten you exist and am already happy elsewhere.

When in the rapport building phase of the sales funnel, time is of the essence. You need to be proactive and responsive, working to build that relationship as quickly as possible in order to get that individual through the door and converted into a paying customer.

However, with the exception of the 17 day delay, it’s a great second (or third, depending how you look at it) email. It shares a story of someone who’s had success within your gym – and people love success stories.

I can’t tell from this exact email, but hopefully you’re using the age information I inserted in order to share a story with someone in my age group.

For example; if I selected that I was in middle school, I should receive a story about a middle schooler who found success with your gym.

When I registered, I selected that I was an adult – and this story is about an adult, but, I don’t know if this is just a coincidence or if I was specifically targeted.

Remember, if you’re not using the information you requested upon initial sign-up – don’t collect it.

Also, I would be sure to add a signature block to the email so the individual receiving the email knows exactly who to ask for when they call.

Summary of What They Need To Do:

• Their site is “pretty” – however, it is not mobile responsive. It still looks fine and functions on mobile devices; however, it’s not “meant” for mobile devices. I would change this.
• They should test their “Free Trial” button that is on the homepage. Try different colors that standout more and see how well they convert.
• They need to re-evaluate exactly what fields they’re using in their opt-in. If they are not using the information they’re asking for, or if that information can be gathered later – don’t’ ask for it right up front. It needs to be as simple as possible to fill out.
• The popup opt-in is “cool” however, some mobile devices may not support it. I’d recommend setting up a separate page specifically to collect leads.
• They need to change their “Submit” button ASAP – to anything other than “Submit”.
• They need to re-iterate on their thank you page that the individual will be receiving a free trial membership shortly. The message needs to be kept the same across all steps of the opt-in process.
• They need to send a confirmation email IMMEDIATELY after someone sends in their personal contact information. No one likes the thought of their information floating around out there in cyberspace.
• They’re emails were actually good for the most part. The biggest issue was their timing. The first one should be instant, the second one was appropriate, and the third one was 17 days later – which is way too long.
• They should also add a signature block to their emails.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, D1 Sports Training is doing a pretty decent job.

The biggest issue they need to fix is the timing of their email delivery – which can be accomplished with a few clicks.

The rest of the issues are fairly small and easy as well; however, when compounded will have a huge impact on conversion rates.

What Do You Think?

I need to know if you've found this post helpful in any way.

Even if you don't own a gym or a fitness center, does it help you understand how to approach an automated sales system?

What would make this post better?

Leave a comment below!

This article is geared more towards owners and managers of car dealerships; however, many of the same tactics I talk about apply across numerous business models – so, if you’re an owner or manager at any business, you can certainly learn some new concepts from reading this post.

Essentially, every business needs an automated sales system and car dealerships are no different.

Think about how much competition a car dealership has. Unless you’re way out in the middle of nowhere, there are probably a dozen dealerships within a 10 mile radius. So, what’s to convince someone to go to one dealership over another?

Then, what’s to convince that individual to come back again and again for things like services, maintenance, and even, another car?

A relationship.

And what helps form and maintain relationships? (hint: it’s an automated sales system)

• Related article: What is an automated sales system?

To Collect Lead Contact Information

The first reason your car dealership needs an automated sales system is to collect contact information from potential leads.

Of course, you’ll then use that contact information to build a relationship and ultimately sell a vehicle.

Let’s be honest for a minute. There are really only two reasons why a person would ever arrive on your dealership’s website:

1. They’re seeing what’s in stock (they’re ready to buy)
2. They’re checking on how you do business (research)
   [loans, offers, incentives, policies, reviews, etc]

They’re not going to be researching particular vehicles on your website – that’s what the manufacture’s website and the plethora of vehicle review sites are for.

They’re only there for the aforementioned reasons, and instead of inundating them with random information, you should target them based off of those reasons.

Segmentation 101

Based on the visitor’s intent, you’ll be able to cater to them on a deeper level – but first, let’s talk about segmenting them.

There are a number of ways to segment visitors automatically based on keywords and the links they clicked; however, let’s keep it simple.

All you need to do is – ask them.

The very first page someone lands on can ask the simple question – “Why are you here?”

Then, give the options:

1. I’m looking to make a purchase soon
2. I’m just browsing

Boom!

Too easy!

Now you know exactly why an individual is on your site and you can provide the necessary information to that person in order to collect their contact information and start building that relationship.

Lead Magnet Ideas

• Related article: What is a lead magnet?

For the individuals that are looking to make a purchase soon, you can offer a special deal like …

• $1,000 cash back
• 0% financing
• 6 free oil changes

For the individuals who are just browsing, a special deal won’t go as far because they’re not quite ready to commit to a purchase, so you’ll want to offer something else – for example:

• Digital pamphlet – 7 tips for buying a car from an independent dealer / used car dealership / car dealership / etc
• Fact sheet – 7 questions you need to ask before purchasing a vehicle
• Fact sheet – 5 things most dealerships don’t tell you, but you need to know

Of course, in each of these digital products you’ll refer back to your business and how your business answers the questions and solves the problems – placing you in the spotlight.

Rapport Building

How many people purchase a car without talking to a salesperson at some point?

Exactly – everyone will talk to a salesperson at some point.

So, after collecting the individual’s contact information, it’s time to start a conversation that builds a relationship.

The best way to start a conversation is by delivering exactly what you say you will – the lead magnet.

• First email: Lead magnet
• Time frame: Immediately after signup

This action instantly establishes a bit of trust. You said you would instantly deliver the lead magnet, and you did. You’re a man/woman/business of your word.

The goal of the second email should be to start the conversation – and a great way to do that is by asking a question. (Note: based off of your segmentation, your question should change – CYA [consider your audience])

• Second email: Ask them a question
  • How can I help you?
• Time frame: Within 24 hours of delivery of the lead magnet

Note: It may be best to ask a simple yes or no question as people are more likely to respond with a yes or no. For example: Have you ever shopped with us before?

Remember, it’s all about getting the individual to start talking with you – once the conversation has started, you’ll be able to drive.

Ideally the conversation will be started with the second email; however, this doesn’t always happen. Maybe the person needs a little more information about your dealership – which is the point of the third and fourth emails.

• Third email: Tell them about your inventory
• Time frame: 2-3 days after second email

• Fourth email: Tell them about how you conduct business
  • Incentives, credit checks, warranties, etc
• Time frame: 1 day after third email

Now, the individual should know everything they need to know about your dealership – from your inventory to how you conduct business. It’s time again to ask a question.

• Fifth email: Ask them a “fun” question
  • What car do you picture yourself in?
• Time frame: 2 days after fourth email

Now, these are just the first five emails that I recommend sending. Of course, things change – what works for one dealership may not work for another. What works for one segment may not work for another.

The point is, you’ll have something to work with, and from there you’ll be able to see what’s working and what isn’t.

Just remember, it’s all about getting the conversation started!

After The Sale

After spending hours working with an individual – trying to sell them a vehicle. And after that individual opens their wallet to give you money to purchase a vehicle … do you want that person to drive away from your dealership … never to be heard from again?

My guess is no.

You’re going to want to keep that relationship alive – and this can be easily accomplished with an automated sales system – via the sales pipelines.

• Related article: What are sales pipelines?

Segmenting Your Sales Pipelines

There are many reasons people purchase the type of vehicle they purchase.

For example; if they purchase a sports car – they certainly care about what they drive, they’ll be proud of their purchase, proud of their accomplishments, want people to see it, etc.

If the person purchases a minivan – they probably do so because they need some extra room – have kids, etc.

If the person purchases an off road vehicle like a Jeep or a truck – they’re probably going off road, camping, exploring, etc.

So, you can specifically target individuals based off of what their interests are and send them related products and services.

Also, no matter what type of vehicle they purchase, they’re still going to need to perform the regular maintenance like oil changes, filter changes, tires, etc, etc, etc.

Whether your dealership actually performs the maintenance or not – it’s going to need to be done – and by sending reminders, coupons, and recommendations at a regular interval, you’ll be able to keep in touch with your customers in a very helpful manner.

I mean, who doesn't like oil change coupons?!

Conclusion

If your car dealership does not have an automated sales system in place … you’re missing out on so much! Everything from starting the initial conversation to keeping a relationship alive.

Alas, it’s never too late to implement an automated sales system for your business, simply contact us!