Note: This blog post was originally published Nov. 18, 2019.
Rudy Trevino has owned The Fit Stop in San Antonio, Texas, since 2014. As a successful gym owner of several years, he’s perfected the art of the in-person consultation.
Rudy has a 90% success rate in converting leads after his presentation.
What’s more, his results aren’t exclusive to him or The Fit Stop. His high conversion rate can easily be achieved by any gym. We’ll show you how!
Acquiring Leads
Most of The Fit Stop’s leads come from Facebook or Instagram ads. Rudy said he’s learned that social media ads are a trial and error process that requires constant testing.
“What’s working for me might not work for you,” he said, “and you have to test the crap out of this stuff to see what’s going to resonate. Once you figure that out, you can scale up.”
At this point, Rudy knows how much he needs to spend if he wants to bring in about 20 leads in the next 30 days. That's only the first step, of course. Once a lead comes in, it's up to Rudy and his team to close the sale.
The Lead
When someone clicks on one of Rudy's ads, it takes them to a sales funnel that automatically feeds into UpLaunch.
“I’ll get a notification that a new lead is put into the Active Lead journey, and I’ll immediately reach out. This is important, because at that point, it’s top of mind for them.”
Rudy also likes to call rather than email. “And if they don’t answer, SMS. But get them talking,” he said.
Once they’re on the phone, it’s important to ask questions throughout the conversation, always finishing with this question:
"Are you looking to lose weight, or are you looking to gain muscle?"
“Get them to converse,” Rudy said, “because you want them to commit to an in-person consultation.”
The Meeting
Once the lead is booked and in the calendar, UpLaunch sends an automatic reminder the day before the appointment. Rudy also sends an additional reminder the day of the meeting that says, “I’m excited to meet you! Any questions before coming in at 5 p.m.?”
“That’s a time people can also [ask] any last-minute questions like, ‘Do I have to wear workout clothes?’” Rudy said.
When the lead shows up, it’s important to build rapport and do some fact-finding.
“You need to get them to dig deep," Rudy said. "It’s not about you, your gym, or CrossFit. It’s about them and what they are trying to accomplish.”
"If they tell you, 'I want to lose 20 pounds,' it’s up to you to ask, 'How will you feel when you can fit into your old pants?’” Rudy said.
"Find out the true reason they are sitting in front of you.”
Value Stacking
After finding out the person’s goals and motivations, Rudy plays a slideshow highlighting everything included in the membership.
The Fit Stop membership includes:
- Five personal training sessions
- A body composition assessment
- Nutrition advice
- A new member ambassador
- A MyZone heart rate monitor
Rudy also uses the Level Method, which has 15 fitness assessments, telling each member what they’re good at and what they need to improve. This helps the member close any gaps in their fitness and customizes their experience.
Along with demonstrating the value of his membership fee, Rudy also uses the slideshow to share member success stories, demonstrating the gym is accessible and open to every fitness level. If he can, Rudy ties these slides into the goal the person shared at the beginning of the conversation.
If they told him they want to be able to do a pullup, he’ll point to a slide with a photo of a member and say, “This is Michelle, and she just got her first pullup.” By the end of the slideshow, Rudy has described the impressive list of benefits included in the membership.
When he's done, he turns to the lead and asks, “What do you like the best?”
When the person answers the question, they’ve switched to selling Rudy on the membership — an important shift that brings them closer to becoming a member.
Closing the Sale
It’s at this point Rudy asks if they have questions.
The first question is usually, “How much does this cost?”
Rudy then breaks down the pricing for the first six weeks. Everything — including the personal training sessions, nutrition consultation, group classes, and heart rate monitor — is $1,000 for six weeks. After that, membership goes to a monthly rate.
While they are thinking, Rudy shows a slide of social proof. For example, he may show a woman who successfully lost 95 pounds and regained her health after her doctor recommended that she exercise.
At this point, some people are ready to sign up, and Rudy stops the slideshow there. If they are hesitating at the price, he goes to the next slide.
“I tell them if they sign up today, they can have the first six weeks for $700, a 30% discount, then a monthly recurring rate of $195 a month for unlimited classes, no contracts. Then I ask, ‘When do you want to start?’”
Most people commit after this offer, but sometimes Rudy has to go further. “I’m going to make a sale,” Rudy said. If he thinks it will make a difference, he tells them if they commit to a year at the gym, he’ll cover the personal training cost, which has a value of almost $400.
Using this method — of listening to their story, describing everything that’s included in the membership, and offering a discount if necessary — Rudy said 10 of his last 10 meetings resulted in a new member.
Rudy's exact process won’t work for every gym owner, but his philosophy will. Find out the person’s “why” — the reason behind their goal — and focus on how your gym membership will help them reach it.
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