Microgym Myths: The Market Chases Excellence

Athlete tying up shoes - the market chases excellence: Microgym Myths

The market does not chase excellence. The market chases value.

This myth comes from CrossFit’s founder, Greg Glassman. Watch his video here:


That’s a great video. What makes it a myth?

Excellent delivery of coaching is necessary, but insufficient, to have a good business. To have a great business, you have to provide an excellent service. That’s true. But it’s not enough. Because if no one finds your excellent service, you’re dead.

The myth’s biggest flaw is the assumption that “if you have a great operation, the audience will take care of itself.” In other words, if you get people results, they’ll tell their friends, and their friends will sign up and everyone will stick around long term and you’ll live happier ever after. But those things aren’t true. That’s why this myth is so deadly: Your clients aren’t salespeople. They won’t actively seek out people to refer to your service.

The market appreciates excellence. The market rewards value.

I used to think that taking more training courses would make me more successful. I almost enrolled in a master’s degree program because I had no idea how to make more money in fitness. That was the wrong path, too.

What’s the real answer?

Your business really has two sides: your operations and your audience. You should deliver your operations with excellence. You should also build an audience that pays you. The bridge between your excellent operations and your large audience? The thing that makes people experience your operations and get results? It’s value.

I wrote about this in depth in my new book, “Gym Owners Handbook.”

Value is in the eye of the beholder. If you have the best workouts and a potential client says, “That’s not for me,” then you won’t survive.

If you have the best coaching but your clients think they can get the same value elsewhere, then you won’t survive.

If your clients pay too little for the value you provide, you won’t survive.

Excellent services aren’t enough. Even results aren’t enough. You must build an audience of people willing to pay what you’re worth.


What Should You Do?


Increase your value. Learn how to do it in “Gym Owners Handbook.” Or sign up for mentorship and work through it with someone who’s done it before.

Ask your clients for referrals. It’s pretty easy: Read how to do it or sign up for mentorship and be guided through the process.

Build affinity in your audience. Publish a lot. Read how to do it or sign up for mentorship and be held accountable for doing it.

Grow your audience. Advertise. Read how to do it or sign up for mentorship and build a funnel with help.

Finally, sell the thing people want to the people who want it. That sounds simple, but most fitness marketing is targeted to “people like us.” As fitness pros, we are not average. But we still post WODs on our Instagram accounts, show stories of crazy workouts and blog about improving our deadlift instead of telling people how to walk a mile without running out of breath.

If they don’t find you, you can’t help them. It doesn’t matter how much you know.


Other Media in This Series


“Microgym Myths”
“Microgym Myths: If You Build It…”
“Microgym Myths: More Clients = Better Business”

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One more thing!

Did you know gym owners can earn $100,000 a year with no more than 150 clients? We wrote a guide showing you exactly how.