Gym sales conversion: how to turn enquiries and trials into members

Selling starts with your marketing

Many owners think they need to get better at selling. Often, what they need is clearer marketing.

When you're clear about who your gym or studio is for, you can write the message that speaks to them. It grabs their attention, draws them in and prompts them to get in touch.

Those people arrive already interested, and already fairly sure you're right for them. The conversation that follows is much easier, for both of you.

If enquiries are coming from people who aren't a good fit, look at your marketing before your sales. Gym marketing strategies that work covers where to start.

From enquiry to member

Every new member goes through the same three steps. It helps to know your numbers at each one:

1. They book. The typical gym books about a third of its enquiries into a first session or consultation.
2. They turn up. Aim for at least eight in ten of the people who book.
3. They join. The typical gym signs up about six in ten of the people it meets.

The booking and joining figures come from Two-Brain Business's State of the Industry research (opens in a new tab), with data from thousands of coaching gyms. They're medians, so half of gyms do better.

A small change at the weakest step usually adds more members than a lot of effort at the strongest.

Reply fast and book a time

The fastest gyms reply within the hour. The longer someone waits, the more likely they are to cool off, or book somewhere else.

• Reply the way they got in touch, whether that's a call, a text, an email or a message.
• Offer a specific session, at a location and time that suits them, rather than "come along any time".
• Send the details straight away: where to go, what to wear, what to bring and who'll meet them.
• Send a reminder the day before, so they're more likely to turn up.
• If they don't turn up, call or text the same day, kindly, and offer another time. Life gets in the way, and many people will rebook.

A free session or a consultation?

For group training, the simplest first step is usually a free session. People get to try before they buy, meet the coach and the members, and feel what it's like.

Longer trials rarely help. Most people decide after their first session, so a week-long trial mostly delays their decision.

For one-to-one training, which costs more, a consultation usually works better: a conversation about their goals, history and what's getting in the way, followed by a recommendation.

Some gyms do both: a short chat, then a session. Choose what suits your training, and keep it simple to book.

If you run an intro offer of several sessions or a couple of weeks, put a time in the diary to talk about joining before it ends. Don't leave it to chance. Most people decide early, while the experience is fresh.

Make the first session count

Someone's first session decides whether they come back. Most of it comes down to how welcome they feel.

• Be set up early, so you're free to greet them by name when they arrive.
• Introduce them to a member or two before the session starts, so they have someone to chat to.
• Welcome them in front of the group during the warm-up: "We've got Jo joining us today. Please make her feel welcome."
• Place them next to an experienced member, who can show them the ropes.
• Check in on them throughout, with encouragement and easier or harder options as they need them.

The conversation afterwards

When the session ends, go straight over to them. Congratulate them, and tell them what they did well.

Then ask, and listen:

• How did you find it?
• What did you think?
• Would you like to carry on?

If they say yes, show them the options and recommend the one that suits them. For most people that means committing for long enough to see a real change, such as three months, rather than a month at a time.

Keep the choice simple. Two or three options are plenty: for example, one session a week for people who also train elsewhere, or unlimited sessions for people who want to come two to four times a week.

Talk about price with confidence

The most common mistake I see is owners who are nervous about asking for money. They talk confidently about training, then hesitate when it comes to price. People notice.

Think of yourself as a GP. Your prospect describes their symptoms, and you prescribe the right treatment. A good GP doesn't apologise for the prescription.

• Know your prices, and say them clearly, without rushing or discounting before anyone asks.
• Don't drop your price because someone hesitates. It's unfair on members already paying full price. If you want to make an offer, add value instead, and give your existing members the same.
• Believe in what you offer. If you're confident it's the right solution for them, that confidence comes across.
• Ask yourself: would this person lose out if they didn't join? If the answer is yes, recommending it is helping them, not pushing them.

If your prices themselves are the worry, check they leave a healthy margin with the margin calculator. It's easier to sell a price you know is right.

When someone hesitates

Many sales courses teach objection handling: a script for every "no". I've never liked it. It can push people into a decision that isn't right for them.

If your marketing is clear about who you're for, what you offer and what it costs, there's very little hesitation to handle. People arrive having already decided. The session or consultation just confirms it.

When someone does hesitate, it's usually a sign that something wasn't clear earlier. Answer it honestly:

• "I need to think about it." That's fair. Ask if there's anything they're unsure about. Often it's price, time or nerves, and a straight answer helps.
• "It's more than I expected." If there's a smaller option that would genuinely suit them, such as one session a week, mention it. Don't discount.
• "I don't have time." Look at the timetable together. If nothing fits their week, say so.
• "I need to check with my partner." Of course. Invite their partner along to a session, or agree when you'll speak again.
• "I'm not fit enough yet." Reassure them that every session can be made easier or harder, and that everyone in the room started somewhere.

Sometimes the honest answer is that you're not the right fit for them. Say so, and point them somewhere better. They'll remember it, and so will the people they tell.

Note what people hesitate over in your tracking sheet (more on that below). If the same worry keeps coming up, fix it where it starts: in your marketing, your prices, your timetable or your website.

When they don't join on the day

Some people need time to think, check their diary or talk to a partner. That's fine. What matters is what happens next.

• Agree a time to talk again before they leave, such as a call tomorrow evening.
• Send a short thank-you the same day, with the options you discussed.
• Follow up two or three times over the next week or two, helpfully, not pushily. See the follow-up mistakes to avoid.

If someone starts joining online but doesn't finish, a quick, friendly call usually brings them back. See how to win back people who nearly joined.

When someone else does the selling

As you grow, coaches or front-desk staff will run first sessions and talk to new people. Your conversion rate then depends on how well your way of doing it is passed on.

• Write your process down, from the first reply to the conversation after the session, including how to talk about price.
• Role-play it together until it sounds natural, not scripted.
• Track each person's numbers, and use them to coach, not to blame.

For more on training your team, see how to hire your first team member.

The numbers to track

Keep it simple. You don't need a dashboard, just one sheet a month, with a row for every person who gets in touch. The one I used had these columns:

• Name and date they got in touch.
• Where they heard about you: a referral, Google, your website, a flyer.
• What they're interested in: group, semi-private or one-to-one.
• Booked, turned up, joined: yes or no for each.
• If they didn't join, why not.
• What they joined on, and what it's worth.

At the end of the month, add up your enquiries, first sessions or consultations, and new members. Then work out your joining rate and your average sale.

The "why not" column is the most useful. It shows you what to fix. Your gym software or CRM may do all this for you, but a simple sheet works just as well.

Then check what each new member is worth, and what you can afford to spend to win one, with the cost to win a member calculator.

Questions owners ask