5 Steps to Creating a Rock-Solid Sales Process for Your Fitness Studio

As any experienced business owner will tell you, generating leads is only half the battle—you also need to make sure that those leads convert into paying customers. And when it comes to conversion rates, nothing is more important than having a rock-solid sales process in place.

In this blog post, I’ll walk through the steps of creating a sales process that will help you turn your fitness studio's leads into lifelong fans and paying customers.

Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Define your ideal client

The first step in creating a rock-solid sales process is to define your ideal client. Who are they? What are their demographics? What are their pain points? When you know who your ideal client is, it becomes much easier to market directly to them—which, in turn, increases the likelihood that they'll convert into paying customers.

Get specific so you can target your ideal audience in your marketing and sales approach:

• Who your ideal client is (ex. “65+ year old men and women”)
• Where they’re hanging out online (ex. “Facebook”)
• What their challenges are (ex. “finding group exercise classes that are safe and inclusive for all ages and experience levels”)

Step 2: Streamline your marketing efforts

Once you know who your ideal client is, it's time to streamline your marketing efforts. That means creating marketing materials (an email list, social media ads, etc.) that are specifically designed to appeal to your target audience. The more relevant and targeted your marketing efforts are, the better your chances of converting leads into loyal clients.

Here are a few Mindbody tools that will help you supercharge your marketing efforts:

• Mindbody Marketing Suite helps you attract and retain clients with timely, personalized email and text campaigns. It also helps you collect reviews and referrals from existing clients—and we all know that those Google reviews are important social proof to potential clients!
• Messenger^[ai] streamlines the booking process by enabling clients to reserve appointments via text message, with or without any assistance from your staff members. And because it works even when your business is closed, you can rest easy knowing Messenger^[ai] is always on the job.

Step 3: Create a compelling offer

Now that you've defined your ideal client and streamlined your marketing efforts, it's time to create a compelling offer. What can you give your potential clients that will entice them to sign up for your services? It could be a discount on their first month of membership or a free consultation for a personal training session. Whatever it is, make sure it's something that will really get them excited about working with you.

Here are a few Mindbody tools that will help you get your clients excited about their first visit:

• Use Mindbody resources to help price your Intro Offer.
• Utilize the promoted intro offer feature to help your business attract new clients in the “Intro Deals” section of the Mindbody app. It’s easy to set up and has no upfront fee—you just pay a small percentage of the sale.
• Make sure to utilize Mindbody Marketing Suite to follow up with clients after their first visit!

Step 4: Close the deal

This is where you put your money where your mouth is and actually sell someone on signing up for your fitness studio. The best way to close the deal is by being genuine, authentic, and personal—after all, people do business with people they like and trust. If you can build rapport with potential clients and show them that you're invested in helping them reach their fitness goals, they're much more likely to sign up for your services.

• The new Lead Management feature helps your staff stay on top of all aspects of the sales process and gives you insights into how well your sales process is working.
• Branded web tools make it easy for your clients to sign up for memberships from your website.
• Mindbody Marketing Suite campaigns help you create New Client Nurture campaigns that guide your client from feeling prepared for their first visit to feeling excited about their new membership.

Step 5: Use feedback to find their perfect recurring pricing option

Once the intro offer deal is closed, it's important to follow up with the new customer and ensure they're happy with their purchase. This follow-up step is often overlooked but it's crucial for keeping new customers engaged and ensuring they remain loyal to your brand long term.

• Mindbody Marketing Suite campaigns help you create regular client check-in emails and texts that help you gather feedback and build connections.
• Contracts can be set up in a variety of ways to make every type of client happy, from limited monthly memberships (think 8 classes per month) to unlimited monthly memberships. Of course, contracts are ideal because you’ve engaged your client in a recurring sales cycle.

A well-defined sales process is essential for any business that wants to increase its lead conversion rates—and that includes fitness studios! By taking the time to define your ideal clientele, streamline your marketing efforts, create a compelling offer, and close the deal effectively, you'll be well on your way to turning more leads into loyal customers. Stop “winging it” and create your process today!