So, where do you start with lead generation?
Firstly, it’s important to build a database list of people who are local to your club and have an interest in health and fitness.
That interest might not yet be of an intensity and motivation that moves them to buy immediately (we call them “Skimmers”) but are certainly warm enough to be interested in what you have to say.
In the list though will be people who are ready to buy. These we term “divers” as they are ready react to your offers.
What’s needed now is to “seduce” your interested prospect into giving up email and other personal details by exchanging something that they feel is valuable to them; identifies them to you and by gaining key contact information allows you, the club to develop the relationship further until such times that the browsing prospect (the “skimmer”) becomes a “diver” and receptive to your joining deals.
Yes it’s harder work than just hoping that your aggressive heavily discounted offers make a return but it’s well worth it providing you have constructed a 7 – 14 step follow up system using email, text, telephone and maybe even direct mail!
Once you have got the contact details, then it’s time to test the list to see who the potential buyers are and who are no wins on the list.
Again we don’t recommend solely pitching your membership offer as that may well be ruling out a large proportion of your list who is just not ready. More successful, is to promote an interim product which is going to reduce dramatically the barriers to entry and uncover the buyers in your list.
We call these “trip wire” offers.
They can take the form of offers such as Exercise Class bundles,7 day trials, 21 day memberships, Weekend memberships, and the challenge for the club is to upsell these buyers to your main membership offers.
To summarise then the list is the key. You need to build a sizable list of “skimmers” that you can promote to and profitably market your memberships.
So the challenge is to invent something that is FREE and available as downloadable information that attracts the type of people who will in the future be more likely to join you and who right now will give up their contact details to get that resource.
It’s called in marketing terms the “lead magnet” because its sole purpose is to attract prospects and obtain sufficient information to further the relationship.
Here are our favourite “Freemium” or “lead magnet” ideas:
- FAQ’s
- Personal Consultation sessions
- Online Personal Fitness Analysis Surveys
- The Womens /Mens /seniors (delete as appropriate) Guide to the 20 Most Asked Questions by People looking to join.
- A Who’s Who Book
- How 12 People Lost 1 stone in their First 6 weeks with us and gained a Massive Smile!
- A blueprint diagram of how you change members physicality.
- Our New Year / Summer /Easter / Autumn New You Blueprint – How we take your current deconditioned body and turn it into the athlete you always wanted to be in just 12 weeks!
- EBooks around training regimes for specific groups
- 7 Ways to burn Belly Fat
- The Smart Woman’s Guide to Weight Training
- Why Men and Weights are an Essential combo
- Anti-Aging Training Regimes for Over 40s
- Fitness Gift Certificates
- A Free £25 Club Fitness Certificate for YOU this Month!
- Create a short Video series – 4 part “ What happens when you join Our Club “
- The Step by Step Guide to making You Younger Next Year!
- Use the ideas in point 3 above but in video form
- The Ultimate Fitness Club Checklist
- The Essential Checklist to carry when thinking about Joining a Gym
- The Webinar
- The Truth about how Strength Training Removes FAT!
- Any of the written copy can be used in a live regular webinar
- Run an online free to enter contest
Enter and WIN £200 of Fitness Vouchers and a host of Runner up Prizes
- Event Tickets
- Run an event in partnership with a local restaurant, cooking demo, class, preview night, opening, and any business really where you can collaboratively invent an occasion that people would like to go to.
As with everything that we profess on these pages, measurement is everything. Downloads, click through rates, presentations and most of all sign-ups are the key to telling you which and by how much are your FREEMIUMS are working profitably for you.
PS Don’t rule out the option of a double hybrid where you make the Skimmer offer immediately after the opt in for the FREEMIUM! Try it and see for yourself.
