When I visited Westside Barbell a few years ago, I was surprised (and a bit disappointed) to find all the lifters doing sets of 50.
After waiting around in the parking lot for over an hour, I wanted to see bleeding noses and bulging eyeballs and 900 lb. on a bar. But Louie had everyone doing high-rep work that day. He told me he wanted to help his elite lifters “hardwire” the movements. I was familiar with the concept in kids, but this was new: Even pros have to get a lot of basic reps in to progress.
I thought of Louie last week when a friend shared this with me: “Sales is a perishable skill.”
Joe Marcoux was my first sales coach. He’s been in the fitness industry a long time, and he’s sold millions of dollars in products and services. He prompted this series of articles: help gym owners practice their business skills. In this and several other posts, I’m going to give you scripts, templates and scenarios. You’re going to put in practice reps.
First: sales.
Sell to Your Dog First
We’ve been tracking data on lead generation, appointments and conversions for over a year.
Your ability to get people to join your gym really comes down to one thing: your ability to get the interested people to sign up.
This is really the narrowest point in the funnel. Lead generation, lead nurture and ads—that’s actually the easier stuff. The hard part is learning to say, “Would you like to join us?”
After tracking this data with hundreds of gyms, we know that teaching you the “how” isn’t the big difference maker. We teach you exactly what to say, and to whom, in RampUp.
But reps really make the difference.
Don’t get your reps on a live audience. It’s too expensive. Instead, practice on your coaches. Or your spouse. Or your dog. Or the mirror. But you must practice.
The Two-Brain Scenario Deck is the most popular item in the Two-Brain shop because it makes sales fun. We ship a deck to every gym owner who signs up for the Growth Stage.
Today, I want you to practice the scenarios below five times each. If you’re really shy, practice in front of a mirror—top salespeople do it all the time.
Practice Reps: Sales
1. A new client wants to lose 30 lb. in the next six months. Present your plan, including nutrition coaching and exercise. Tell the client the price and ask if he or she is ready to buy.
2. A new client says, “I know what I need to do. I just need you to hold me accountable for doing it.”
3. A new client says he or she wants to sign up but has to check with a spouse. Help the client take action now.
4. A new client says he or she has to “think it over.” What do you say?
5. A client says, “That’s a lot more money than I thought I’d pay for a gym membership.” What do you say?
It doesn’t matter if these practice sessions go well. It doesn’t matter if you feel like an idiot while you’re practicing.
What matters is that you start learning how to help people get the results they want.
And if you can’t convince them to join your caring circle of fitness, they’ll waste their money somewhere else. It’s really your duty to be good at this. Someday, you might hire staff to do this for you. But for now, it’s up to you:
Save them.
Other Articles in This Series
Rep Week: Goal Reviews
Rep Week: Affinity Marketing
Rep Week: Coach Evaluations
Rep Week: Hard Conversations
