If you’re in the early stages of the fitness business owner’s journey then your focus should be on gym marketing. Right now, in your business, you see that getting more clients is the only way you’re going to make more money. In these beginning stages getting clients is always a struggle. You don’t have a system yet. You don’t even know exactly how it works. Start by putting what you’re learning into practice, so you get better at it. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that marketing is easy. Marketing can be complex. It takes time to understand and put to use the things you are learning. So stay focused on one part of your marketing at a time until you become comfortable with it.

These 5 simple methods for getting more clients come from our Fitness Business Alignment System™. These are methods that are actually being used and producing results for our clients. A lot of gym owners think they need to focus on their digital marketing. But digital marketing can take time to yield results. If you need clients quickly it’s about focusing on who you need to talk to and who can put you in front of the right people. Talk to your clients, former clients, or local business owners. This will get you clients faster because these people are connected to your business and community.

Start by choosing one of the following methods. Then focus on getting results with that method. It’s best to start with something that you feel the most comfortable with. If requesting referrals feels like the easiest then start there. This is about getting results fast. You can try one of the more challenging methods later. Let’s get you some more clients!

1. Request Referrals

Do not leave referrals up to chance. It’s always a great feeling when a client sends you a referral without you asking. It’s a nice surprise. But you can’t rely on your clients to do your marketing for you. You do so much for your clients. You help them to reach their goals. And requesting a referral gives them the opportunity to give back to you. They can help you help more people!

A lot of new fitness business owners get tripped up when marketing their business. They get stuck thinking about the money, and that people will view them as greedy or pushy. If you feel this way, then you need to change your thinking. Marketing your business is your duty to the market beyond financial gain. You’re competent at solving a problem that people want to solve. So you need to let people know you exist so you can solve their problems.

There are many ways you can request referrals. You can request them when clients have reached a goal or give you a positive review. You can create a full-blown referral system. If you have a team, you can train them to request referrals at different stages in the customer journey. There are a lot of different ways that you can use referrals to get more clients fast. If this sounds like the best method for you then read this article on requesting referrals.

2. Get Strategic Partners

You have a solid referral system in place but you still want to get more clients. A great way to get more clients is through a strategic partnership with another business. Think about other wellness practices that align with your core values and core offer.

Here are a few businesses you could partner with:

• Chiropractic

• Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine

• Nutritionist

• Massage Therapist

What local businesses can you partner with? Make it easy on yourself by creating a list of people that you know who are already in health and wellness. If you don’t know anyone in the industry then create a list of local businesses. You can reach out to them one by one with an offer for partnership. There are many ways that you can structure your partnership. You can offer a special introductory rate to sign up for your membership or program. A strategic partnership is a great way to get more clients but also to become known in the community. You may not immediately see results from your partnership. But you are creating brand awareness with your ideal clients (people that want to get healthy).

3. Reactivation Campaign

A reactivation campaign is about getting in touch with previous customers or prospects. Maybe it’s a client that was a member a year ago. Or maybe you have an old list of prospects that went cold. Don’t be afraid to get in touch with these people. If they left your gym or didn’t want services six months ago; it doesn’t mean they don’t need your services now. You can do a reactivation campaign through email. If your prospects, previous clients, and current clients are on your email list then this reactivation campaign is simple. First, tag those three groups in your email software provider (aweber, activecampaign, mailchimp etc). Then send a simple email to your past clients. Check-in with them and ask if they’re interested in getting any specific results. Make this email short and personal.

You can send another short email to your current prospects like this:

Hey [First Name]

Are you still interested in signing up for [Program name]?

-[Your Name]

This short email feels oddly personal. They will feel like you just sent this message to them. People are more likely to reply. You’d be surprised at the results you can get. The key with any reactivation campaign is knowing that people change and so do their problems. Maybe a prospect wasn’t interested in getting fit last year. But this year, they started dating again and want to look better. It’s your duty as a business owner and service provider to help people solve their problems. A reactivation campaign is a great way to market your business to people who already know your brand.

4. Create a Consistent Follow-up Process

Sometimes gym owners don’t have a consistent follow-up process. They are generating leads but because they don’t follow up they never get to the sales conversation. A lot of gym owners think that following up is pestering someone. But the truth is, following up is a courtesy. Phone calls, text messages, and emails get unread, unanswered, and lost. Especially now, people are so distracted by all the notifications on their phones. So follow-up and get connected. If they respond to your follow-up and do not want your services then stop. But if you don’t get a response, you can follow up until you do. Keeping track of who and when you followed up can be confusing. Following up is not a process to “wing” in your fitness business. You need to systemize this process to have consistent follow-ups. 

Watch this video to Systemize Your Follow-Up Process!