As a gym owner, new leads are likely a high priority for your fitness business. Each client who walks into your studio has the potential to bring thousands of dollars in new revenue, but they have to convert from their trial into a membership.

Studio owners often focus on marketing campaigns to bring in new leads, but how do you make the most of your budget and get new gym members to sign on? Lead tracking, follow-ups, and a solid client flow LINK TO PREVIOUS BLOG will increase your conversion rate and increase your revenue. 

Start With Marketing

First, let’s perform a quick marketing audit. If you market your gym to clients who aren’t your target audience, it won’t matter how robust your lead processing systems are. Especially f you’re paying for digital ads or spending hours on social media marketing, start each new client conversation with a simple, “how did you hear about us?” and then record the answer in your lead sheet. 

Tracking your marketing effectiveness will save you both time and money, but only if you use the data to look for trends. If you ask each new client how they found your fitness center and no one mentions your ad, it’s time to refresh your marketing strategy. 

Create Your Client Flow

Boutique studio acquisition should be just as polished as the larger competitors. As studio coaches, we often meet studio owners who re-write their pitch and process each time. We do, of course, want to customize the experience to each individual client, but you don’t want to reinvent your strategy each time someone visits your gym.

First, build a systemized client flow that each new client will experience every time. A client flow tool is your proactive opportunity to plan your ideal new client experience, including the points of contact, sales pitch, and staff responsibilities. Taking the time to plan and train your staff in your best practice operations ensures that each new client experiences precisely what your gym has to offer.

Track Everything

Do you know who has inquired this month? Could you identify all individuals who didn’t complete their intro offer three months ago? What is your current conversion rate from free class to membership last quarter? If the answer to these questions isn’t easy to find or already stored in your memory, you need a lead sheet. 

A lead sheet will tell you where each client is in their trajectory to a gym membership, and it will keep you organized. It also ensures that you contact each client on time and helps ensure that no one falls through the cracks. If you are not yet using a lead sheet, contact our preferred coaches to have one created for you. 

Remember to Check In

Only three percent of sales are closed with the first two contact attempts. If you’re only reaching out after a client has completed her intro offer, you’re probably missing your chance to make your sale. Automations are helpful, but boutique studio sales are made with personal, customized contact points. As you track your leads through the sales funnel, create opportunities for you or your staff to reach out.

A pre-class welcome call, a handwritten note, and a halfway congratulations text all tell your new client the same thing, “I care that you’re here.” Whether you’re a personal trainer, a barre studio, or a cross-fit gym, implementing a follow-up process will help promote your gym and show your intro clients that you’re taking an active role in their experience. I

Ideally, aim for five or more individual contacts during a new client’s introductory package to build trust and establish a working relationship. A personalized consultation with the gym owner or manager also sets your fitness center apart from your competitors and allows the client to ask questions and learn about long-term memberships before they buy. 

Analyze and Improve

Your new client experienced your perfectly choreographed new-member journey, received his five customized contacts, and was asked to purchase in a practiced sales pitch, but they didn’t stay. Your lead sheet is still valuable. At the end of each quarter, analyze both your successes and your non-converts to look for trends like the following:

• Which marketing tool resulted in the most successful sales? 
• Did each non-converted client complete their introductory classes?
• Was there a shared experience like a teacher or class time that exceeded expectations?

Analyzing your client data allows you to improve your client flow and customer experience so that your boutique studio acquisition process continues to improve. Twice a year, take time to adjust your strategies and re-train your staff if applicable so that your systems continue to convert. 

Invite Clients Back

Each quarter, look at the previous quarter’s clients who didn’t purchase and create a campaign to invite them back to the studio to try again. You can build a separate landing page just for second chance introductory clients and offer a slightly different package. Here are a few marketing ideas that we love:

• The second try is a charm
• New Year’s introductory reset and refresh (January)
• Groundhog Day (quarter one) intro re-do 
• Our gift to you- another new client special (Holidays)

Whichever message you send to your target audience, the idea is the same, “come try us again.” It’s never too late to make a better impression. Especially if you hadn’t yet implemented your new client flow and lead tracking process, these are warm leads who would benefit from another try. 

Clients who come back for their second new client package are also more likely to purchase a gym membership, especially if you have practiced your sales pitch, recently trained your staff, or perfected your contact points since they visited the first time. Don’t be afraid to ask clients to try again and give yourself a second chance to optimize your lead tracking.