You have the best service imaginable. It literally saves lives.
So why aren’t you signing people up?
Your success in the fitness industry doesn’t depend on how much you know about teaching the deadlift. Your success depends on how well you can convince people to start—and then start again every day.
You have to be comfortable asking people, “Do you want to do this?”
And as an owner, you have to be comfortable fixing your mistakes. Because we’re in the people business, most of our mistakes center around people. And the only way to fix them is through conversations done well.
Chris Voss has solutions for you.
Here’s why he’ll speak to you at the Two-Brain Summit in September.
Everything Is a Negotiation
Chris Voss is an ex-FBI hostage negotiator. His book “Never Split the Difference” was an exciting read. But, more importantly, it was directive: I took away several specific scripts to use in hard conversations.
Here’s one:
When you’re having a tough conversation (for example, you’re about to raise prices on your monthly membership), you have to remove emotion from the discussion first.
So sit down with the person affected by the rate increase. Imagine his or her emotions are a big balloon between the two of you. Neither can see the other clearly through the balloon. You need to empty the balloon. So you pop it with a pointed question: “So, you’re upset about the rate increase?”
Then you have to let the air out. Let the person vent. Let him or her talk for 10 minutes straight.
And then you have to do it again. You have to make sure the emotion is gone. So you ask another pointed question: “You’re worried that your family won’t be able to afford the extra $20 per month?”
And you let the person vent again.
If necessary, poke the balloon a third time. Only when all of the emotion has been let out can you approach the problem logically.
The next step is to lay out the problem you’re trying to solve.
“Well, here’s where we are. I don’t think I have a choice. Do you?”
You’ll have to consider the next step in the conversation because many clients have opinions about business without any context or true knowledge. Like, “If you cut your rate in half, you’ll get twice as many people in here!” But they only have the consumer’s perspective. You don’t want to get into an argument.
So you should tell them: “Here’s the problem I’m facing. This is the only solution that will work. Can I count on your support?”
“Do Exactly This”
Voss wasn’t the only author to release a negotiation book in the last couple of years. He wasn’t even the only former hostage negotiator to release one! But Voss’s book is infinitely valuable because it’s directive. And that’s why I love it.
On Saturday at the Summit, he’ll deliver a keynote address to the audience. After that, he and I will do a live Q+A.
Then we’ll set everyone to work: at over 30 Regional locations worldwide, gym owners will go through some exercises to help them leverage Chris’s lessons and grow their businesses on the spot
Click here to join us at the Two-Brain Summit.
