A comprehensive guide to closing a sale for your fitness business

Getting prospective members to sign-up for your gym or health center seems like the ultimate accomplishment as a gym owner. Closing a sale is impressive for you as a sales professional and it’s profitable for your brand. 

But the best sales made are the result of so much more than what’s obvious in the sales cycle. There are a lot of moving parts to a sales process and they are all homogeneously essential. 

In this article, we’ll run through the most effective sales techniques for the fitness industry and some common mistakes to avoid. We’ll also go over how you can use them to accelerate the growth of your gym.

Skip ahead to: 

• What does closing a sale mean?
• Common mistakes gym owners make when closing a sale
• Closing a sale: creating a good offer
• Tips for closing membership sales for a fitness business
• 7 different ways to close a sale

What does closing a sale mean?

Closing a sale means getting a yes from your potential customer. 

It’s the end result of an effective sales process and what defines success for a salesperson. 

It’s usually a well-versed combination of an effective sales presentation, responding to the customer’s pain points, and customizing the pitch. Success might mean better brand awareness, more referrals, or a future client.

As a salesperson, it’s your job to fine-tune the sales process and sales presentation. Be it a sales call, cold-calling, or an in-person tour of your facilities. 

Keeping yourself up-to-date with the latest sales techniques and pitch methods will prove to be a worthy long-term investment towards closing more sales.

Perhaps the most important part of closing a sale isn’t sounding like a sales professional. Showing genuine interest in your prospective client should be your top sales technique. 

Keep in mind that you are not hawking memberships. You are selling a program, a prospective lifestyle change, and a path towards better fitness.

Common mistakes gym owners make when closing a sale

The fitness industry is unique, and so are the sales techniques and sales training required for a salesperson in this field. 

Here are some common mistakes sales professionals make: 

Not being persistent

Giving up too early is a pricey sales mistake in the gym industry. 92% of salesmen give up after the 4th attempt even though 80% of prospects say no at least 4 times before they say yes on the fifth try. 

Be steadfast in your pursuit of a potential client, without being tenacious.

Sounding too sales-y

If your sales pitch sounds more like an advertisement than genuine concern for your client, chances of you closing the deal will drop. Try and ask questions and determine why a potential customer is looking for a gym. That’ll enable you to appeal to your prospect’s needs.

Not personalizing your pitch

People look for gyms for a variety of different reasons and this diversity should be reflected in your sales pitch. 

Your sales process needs to evolve with each unique customer. Instead of delivering the same generic presentation, try to find out what your potential client is looking for in a gym membership. Then customize your sales pitch to entertain the prospect’s objections. 

No follow-up after closing the deal

Your work as a salesperson doesn’t end when the client signs on the dotted line. End of the sales follow-up is crucial for retaining your client base. 

Keep in touch with new members and try to address any concerns they may have.

Closing a sale: creating a good offer

The way you present your offer will lead you to close more deals at the end of the day. Many things can impact this positively. Such as being more receptive to your client’s needs, individualizing the pitch, and strategically presenting the cost of membership.

Take the time to pose questions that reveal what the client really wants in a membership. 

Learn about the prospect’s objectives. That’ll prepare you for a sounder, custom-made pitch delivery. 

Thus allowing you to focus more on the features of your gym that will appeal most to your prospective client instead of wasting time on showing off services that may be impressive but are irrelevant to them.

Remember, you have the attention of a prospect only for a limited time. So strategically plan your approach and tackle any pain points they might have had with their previous gym. 

Presenting a win-win deal will increase your chances of success. Create a good offer that’s hard to decline, then sell it to your prospect in a well-tailored presentation. Customize the facilities tour and show client testimonials and great reviews to get them to sign up for the membership.

Tips for closing membership sales for a fitness business

Here are some ways that can improve your sales game: 

Assemble your sales pitch

Your sales pitch starts from the moment you greet a prospective client. Be organized and systematic in your sales pitch approach. Remember, you get only one chance to give a positive first impression of your brand in the client’s eye.

Make customers’ needs a priority

The secret to effective sales isn’t having the best amenities or offering the most economically comparable deals. Rather it’s making your customer feel heard and prioritizing their needs. Ask open-ended questions to better comprehend the expectations of your clients.

Focus on the benefits of your product

Remember that your end goal isn’t just selling a membership. You’re selling a lifestyle change. It’s important to know this and believe in your brand. Believing in your product wholeheartedly will be noticeable to your clients as well.

Target the decision-makers

There are two main reasons a sale doesn’t happen. Either your client isn’t convinced by your product or they aren’t the decision-makers regarding the purchase. Make sure to focus on eventual clients holding the buying power and the decision-making authority.

This could be with a group of friends that walk into your gym or a business that wants to offer your gym’s memberships to their employees. 

Don’t forget to follow-up

Even if a potential client chooses not to join immediately, let prospects know about any future steps. Create a clear course of action and connect with the possible members with keenness. Make sure to then follow up with them periodically and eventually make them members.

Create a sense of urgency

A good sales expert knows that creating a sense of urgency is an effective sales tactic. Make your customers believe that the deal is for a limited time only and they get extra perks for signing up immediately. That’s a great way of onboarding new gym members.

Leverage automation and templates

Enlist the assistance of the latest advancements in technology especially when recruiting through online sales funnels. Use automation and pre-designed sales templates that are proven to deliver results. 

That’ll allow you to focus your energy on converting potential clients that are actually interested instead of cold-calling and nonspecific marketing.

Offer add-on feature

Sweeten the deal for your client if they’re having trouble making the final decision. A lot of time, extra add-on features like an extra family pass or access to certain exclusive features is all the initiative potential customers need to sign-up. 

Use a personal touch

No one likes a generic sales pitch half-heartedly thrown their way. Ask relevant closing questions and engage the prospects in conversation.

Gyms can feel very daunting to visitors especially if they’re self-conscious about their bodies. Make an effort to emotionally connect with your clients and try to put them at ease.

Practice storytelling

People are more likely to retain stories rather than facts. Instead of feature dumping about your gym, try the more relatable approach of connecting via story-telling. You’ll have a better chance of your brand being remembered this way even if the prospective client doesn’t immediately sign-up.

7 different ways to close a sale

Here are some sales closing methods proven to work. Apply them to your sales strategy to turn prospective clients into long-term members:

1. Assumptive close

The assumptive or presumptive close works by supposing that the client has already decided in favor of the sale. This technique is used to close a deal via the use of specific phrases and closing questions at the end of the pitch.

Example: “Once you are done with the paperwork, make sure to sign up for our cycling class”

2. Summary close

This closing method entails repeating the features and benefits of your facility before asking a client to sign-up. This technique helps move clients to yes when having a hard time making the decision.

Example: “Not only do we offer a full sauna, the latest machinery, option of interactive online classes but also 20% off on supplements and gym apparel upon signing up”

3. Take away close

That’s when you give your probable client a restricted time window to make a buying decision, creating a sense of urgency.

Example: “We are offering an additional 15% discount and three guest passes for all members who sign up this week”.

4. Hard close

This is a more direct method of closing, used to promote an instantaneous response. You can use this practice for maintaining control while closing a relatively difficult sale.

Example: “Are you ready to sign-up with our gym today?”

5. Now or never close

This way implements time or resource limitations to the prospective consumer. It’s useful when a client seems to be convinced but asks for more time to think it over.

Example” I am only authorized to offer this deal to three prospective members, and we do have other gym tours lined up today”.

6. Sharp angle close

This process allows you to ask for a swap in response to the client’s request. It’s most helpful when the customer is nitpicking over the details of the offer.

Example: “If I include the three-month discount on all yoga classes are you willing to become a member today?”

7. Question close

In this method, you ask closed-ended questions that can lead to specific yes or no answers. That’s a great way to gain insight into the client’s thought process.

Example: “Do you feel ready to start your fitness journey with us from today?”

In summary

Closing a sale is an art, and the best way to excel at it is by practicing and learning constantly. 

Your state-of-the-art facilities and the best deals mean nothing if your sales reps fail to make a connection with prospective clients. The greatest asset of any health club is its sales team and personnel. Check out Glofox to see how our CRM can help you automate sales and close many more deals.