How to Close a Gym Sale Successfully

The 2019 IHRSA Global Report found that the global fitness industry totaled $94 billion. Health clubs are on track to hit 230 million members by 2030. The fitness industry continues to see growth with a slight shift in the landscape. Millennials now account for 33% of all health club members. The demand for multi-club memberships is growing and can influence buying decisions. 

It’s common for members to come and go; therefore, it’s essential to stay on top of prospecting and the sales process. Learning how to close sales effectively is crucial to your gym’s success. Like all membership-based businesses, members are the life and soul of the place. The way consumers make purchasing decisions is changing. There’s a need to personalize the sales cycle, evaluate your sales strategy, and regularly train your sales team. With a solid plan in place, you can close a gym sale successfully every time. In this article, we discuss different sales closing techniques and the steps you can take to close a gym sale. 

Skip ahead to:

• 3 Sales Closing Techniques for Fitness Professionals
• Habits of Highly Successful Gym Sales Professionals
• 9 Steps to Successfully Closing a Gym Sale

3 Sales Closing Techniques for Fitness Professionals 

There are many sales closing techniques, but choosing the right one for you and your business can help you close more sales. Even some of the best sales techniques fit certain selling situations better than others. That’s why it’s so important to equip your sales team with different methods so that they can apply the best one to the right situation. Here are three types of closing techniques. 

The Now or Never Close

This is a traditional closing technique in which you offer the prospect extra benefits if they act now. With this additional benefit, you create a sense of urgency. When your prospect is interested but not quite saying yes, it’s an excellent technique to give them that extra little nudge to sign up for a membership. 

The Assumptive Close

When your solution is ticking all the boxes in the eyes of the prospect, you assume they are going to say yes. For example, your fitness studio is in the right location, offers all the classes your prospect enjoys, and they love your facilities. You then take the assumption that they are ready to commit. You might finish the conversation with something like: “How about Saturday for your tour and introduction?” 

The Soft Close

The soft closing technique is a way of gauging if a prospect is interested without pushing a hard sell. You show the benefit of your solution then ask a low-impact question to find out whether they would be interested in learning more. You clearly state the benefits of your business without any demand or request from them. This gives you more time to learn about their needs and figure out if your brand is the solution to their problems. 

We break down a sure-fire sales technique known as the CLOSER formula to sell more gym memberships in this article. This technique talks you through the sales process to find out why they are at your gym, what problem they need solving, and how to overcome pain points to close the sale.   

Habits of Highly Successful Gym Sales Professionals 

To achieve long-term success in gym sales, it’s about more than just getting the right technique. Highly successful gym sales experts often share similar habits and traits that make them more productive. Here are three habits of highly successful gym sales professionals. 

Ask Great Questions 

Most of the time, people will tell you what you want to know if you can ask the right question. This is something that you can develop and practice. Asking great questions is an integral part of the sales journey. How will you find a solution to your prospects’ problems, if you don’t ask great questions? Remember to ask probing, thought-provoking questions that make potential customers think.  

Attitude is Everything 

A positive attitude and a desire to win are essential to closing a sale. If your approach is wrong, it can put off a prospect almost immediately. Your attitude dictates the sale and can determine everything. Avoid negativity and show your passion. Making a good first impression is integral in selling gym memberships and closing a sale effectively.  

Follow Up 

Many a customer relationship has been lost due to a lack of follow up. It can take around eight touchpoints to turn a prospect into a customer and close a sale. With the type of technology we have at our fingertips, and the ability to track and monitor sales leads and prospects, follow up is a no-brainer. 

9 Steps to Successfully Closing a Gym Sale 

When you sell a gym membership, you’re looking to transform your prospects’ life with your services. Your passion, positive attitude, and organizational skills give you the tools you need to succeed in membership sales. Here are nine steps to take to help you successfully close a gym sale.  

1. Do Your Research and Analyze Your Leads 

It takes time to close a particular amount of sales every month. To make the most out of the time you have available, it’s beneficial to figure out which leads are more likely to close now and which ones need more time. 

To provide the best solution for your prospects, you need to find out why they are interested in your brand and what they need help with. Find out as much information as you can about each prospect so that you can analyze leads more efficiently. Member management software can help you keep track of your leads and allow you to find out how you can better fulfill their needs.     

2. Understand Pain Points 

Understanding your prospects’ pain points is essential in the sales journey. Researching the pain points and needs of your typical members will help give you an understanding of the type of goals people are trying to achieve with your gym. This helps you to be aware and show an understanding of any pain points they may have with your business. Common pain points can include the price or no current service or product to solve their problem. 

Think about questions like:

• Is it easy to pay for gym memberships? 
• Can members find and book classes quickly and simply? 
• Can you pay using different methods? 
• Do you have different membership options? 

By auditing current members’ experience, you can find out any pain points they have with your business. This gives you the chance to fix any issues, so there are no problems when onboarding new members. The more you know about your current and potential members, the better. 

3. Create a Sense of Urgency 

Creating a sense of urgency is a sales tactic used across multiple industries. By making a prospect feel like they have to act now, it can put that little bit of pressure on them to say yes. Sometimes you think that a candidate is ready to commit to a fitness package or membership, but, in reality, they’re not making a purchase. 

By creating a need to act now, you can make them understand that if they don’t sign up with you, they lose out on a ton of benefits. Great sales reps give prospects plenty of reasons to sign up with your health club. Offer your prospect something time-sensitive. For example, if they sign up for a gym membership by the end of the day, it includes a personalized six-week fitness and nutrition program. 

4. Don’t Just Sell, Use a Personal Touch 

No one enjoys a conversation with a hard sell with a person that feels overly pushy. When trying to close sales, treat every individual differently. The wants and needs of prospects can change, so it’s essential to personalize the sales process appropriately. Ask great questions, uncover pain points, and listen to each prospect. 

Be real, genuine, and build a relationship with prospects. In sales, relationships matter. Selling gym memberships is about more than reading off a script, it’s about building rapport with leads. Your facility might not be as high-spec as others, or you might not have as many classes as a competitor, but prospects will still hear you out if you have a good relationship.  

5. Sell a Solution, Not a Product 

You’re selling a solution, not a product or service. Instead of selling a membership, you’re selling the feeling your prospects’ will feel when they hit their weight-loss goal or when they finally beat their personal best. By connecting on an emotional level and selling a solution, it can help create a desire. 

By carrying out thorough research and asking great open-ended questions, you can find out the information you need to provide a solution to their problem. Of course, the solution will involve your business. 

6. Practice Storytelling 

One way to show how your solution can help your prospects’ is through telling stories. Instead of the usual sales pitch, share examples of how you have transformed the lives of other members. Explain how they felt before they joined your gym and what their problem was. Think about the challenges they faced and how they align with your prospect. Talk about the results your members’ have seen since being with you and the goals they have achieved. 

A great resource on gym membership sales is the Club Solutions Magazine Podcast. In episode 2, Alan Leach, the CEO, and director of marketing and sales at West Wood Clubs, discusses the secrets to selling fitness and offers insight into membership sales. 

7. Overcome Obstacles 

The likelihood is that you will face some objections during the selling process. Preparing your team for these obstacles is essential in helping them to overcome them. There will always be a chance that something may catch you off guard. However, the majority of the time, objections on joining the gym tend to be similar. 

Common objections include cost, being too busy, never experienced results before, and don’t know if they will stick to a new exercise plan. If you can, sit down with your sales team and discuss any objections you might anticipate. Come up with the solution to each objection and how you would overcome it during a conversation with a future prospect. 

8. Ask for the Sale

At some point along the sales journey, you will need to ask for the sale. There are a ton of different sales techniques to close a sale. What works for one business may not work for another. After you’ve built up a rapport with your prospect, understood their pain points, and overcome any obstacle, you know everything you need to. You’ve provided the best solution to their problem and can help change their lives and achieve their goals. 

Directly close the sale, but don’t be too pushy. Make your membership solution feel like it’s been personally crafted to suit the individual needs of your prospect. Create a sense of urgency, ask for the sale, and seal the deal.  

9. Agree on the Next Steps 

After you’ve gone through the whole sales process from start to finish, try to end your conversation by agreeing on the next steps. Whether that’s arranging the day, they begin their onboarding process or a tour of the facility. Arrange the next steps for your new member and continue providing exceptional customer service. Just because the sales process is complete, the after-sales experience should continue to make sure your new members feel appreciated and valued. 

In Summary 

Occasionally, you will get a prospect that walks through the door and knows precisely what they want. But, the majority of the time, you need to put in the work to craft a solution that will solve their problems. By analyzing your leads and asking good questions, you can put yourself in the best position possible to close a sale. Create a sense of urgency and personalize the selling experience, before overcoming objections and finally, asking for the sale. With regular sales training and practice, you can nail down your sales strategy and close successfully every time.