How Compass Fitness Uses Intro Offers to Support Business Growth and Revenue

Compass Fitness isn’t your run-of-the-mill gym. When co-founders Jillian Keaveny and Heather Lorince Harrington decided to open their own place — with 10 years of experience behind them — they knew they wanted to change up the game of fitness. 

It became about offering a wider variety of classes to a wider variety of people. Wherever you are in your fitness journey and regardless of your age, there’s a spot for you at Compass. When you walk through their doors, plan to work hard — but know that you’ll also have a ton of fun doing it. You’re going to get one heck of a workout, but doing it in a group setting with inspirational leaders at the helm makes the experience enjoyable. And, importantly, it keeps you coming back for more. 

These days, they have two brick-and-mortar locations, as well as Compass Online. Compass Wellness, just down the street from Compass Fitness, offers wellness services including an infrared sauna and various practitioners. Jillian and Heather are on a mission to improve people’s lives by offering a holistic and all-encompassing experience. 

Now, how has Mindbody played a role in all of this? 

A Long History With Mindbody

While Compass Fitness has been with Mindbody since its inception in 2018, Jillian and Heather had become familiar with our software over the last 10 years of teaching at other studios. They went to the Mindbody BOLD conference in 2019 and were huge fans of the local events we held. “It was really cool to see that Mindbody pushed in that way to really be connected to the studios and see what the needs were and do events and stuff like that.”

They quickly realised that we don’t treat our customers as just a number, and we don’t want to be just another vendor. When you work with us, we become partners.

User-Friendliness That Improves Over Time

While other platforms out there might come with a learning curve that’s too much to handle, Compass was drawn not only to the ease of using our platform but how we actively work to improve it further over time. Jillian and Heather noted that it’s an indication of how much the team behind Mindbody cares, and how it’s our priority to make our customers' lives as easy as possible. 

It’s especially beneficial for Compass because they don’t invest a lot of money into their marketing. “We’re such a word-of-mouth gym, and we don’t spend a lot of money there,” they say. In working alongside them, Mindbody has been operating in the background, doing a lot of the heavy lifting while the trainers at Compass can focus on their clients. 

Using Marketing Suite, they send newsletters out roughly every three weeks to stay in touch with their clientele and keep them updated on important news and announcements. This form of email marketing is important for nurturing these relationships and helping people feel like part of the community.

How Intro Offers Support Compass’s Growing Business by Generating Revenue  

Mindbody’s Intro Offers have also been instrumental in growing their business and generating revenue. But merely offering the first class free is old news. In fact, many gyms have eliminated this option. Compass knew there was a better way. 

Instead, they offer an introduction three-pack and five-pack. “I think that it gets people thinking a little bit more of a long-term commitment, like, ‘Oh, I actually want to see what a week looks like if I were to work out at this place. How does their schedule feel, and the class formats, and stuff like that?’ So I think that's really awesome. And again, it's just very user-friendly.” By asking people to commit to at least three classes upfront, Compass is accomplishing two things: They’re giving the trainers more time to show new customers why this gym is so special, and they’re giving customers more time to get the full experience.

Compass Fitness x Mindbody: Looking Ahead

Jillian and Heather know better than anyone that running a gym is really hard. They opened a second location right before the pandemic. In this industry, profit margins are tight and overhead costs can be astronomical. Understanding how to allocate resources can be incredibly challenging. 

However, Compass is writing its own journey and carving its own path. After seeing such success with an online format during the shutdown, virtual classes are something that they’ll continue to offer. While they were initially planning on opening more locations, they’ve now got their eyes set on something more like franchising. 

Through the ups and downs, and as Compass continues to navigate a highly competitive industry, Mindbody is there to take some of the weight off their shoulders.