If a client signs up without you putting effort into it, that’s miraculous, which rarely happens. Because in this highly competitive fitness industry, prospects first connect and then convert into members.
This conversion of ideal customer profiles (ICPs) into members does not happen by chance. Instead, a conscious and strategic approach, which we call the gym sales funnel, works. Like a literal funnel, a sales funnel functions the same way: filtering out potential clients from a broader level to a narrowed-down level. However, the purpose behind each funnel could vary, but here it’s gym members sales funnel. So, the strategy to turn prospects into gym members is different.
And since a sales funnel is the prerequisite of successful gym marketing and sales, let’s see the need for it and break down its essential elements.
Why you need a gym member sales funnel
Running a gym is not just about training but also getting more members into your gym. For that, you need to create a gym sales funnel. Besides getting members, a well-built can also help you to:
- Know and attract your ideal clients
- Boost engagement with prospects
- Offer value to build trust of your ICPs
- Streamline the buyers’ journey
- Build a data-backed sales funnel for future
- Improve your customer retention rate
- Track gym performance
- Increase sign-ups
- Sell more memberships, driving revenue growth
Behind any sales funnel, the purpose remains constant: attract, engage, and entice prospects to turn them into members.
Stages of the gym sales funnel
It is worth mentioning that gym members sales funnel correlates with buyers’ journeys. These two describe the same process, sales, but with different perspectives.
However, our primary focus here is how gyms move prospects from one stage to another with the AIDA model. So here’s a simple breakdown of how this model works at each level:
1. Top of the funnel: Attention
You can’t expect people to rush into your gym and sign up. Rather, there must be a first interaction to let them know your gym exists. For that, you first need to grab your potential prospects’ attention.
To get their eyes on your gym, keep the visuals appealing and the message clear. Next, you can run organic or paid marketing campaigns. Using SEO keywords and social media platforms, you can attract your prospects organically. You can also get their attention using opt-in forms or lead magnets like a free workout guide or A free guest pass.
Then comes the paid way to reach and attract your audience. Using Google and Meta ads, you can target, appear, and engage your prospects to visit your page and explore your services.
Once your gym name has passed their eyes, move the engaged prospects to the next stage.
2. Middle of the funnel: Interest
At this stage, it is very important to boost their interest and build trust. The best way to engage and fascinate them is by offering some value. That value can be in the form of relatable content such as workout plans, Q&A sessions, and members’ success stories.
Make them feel good with your content so they don’t hesitate to share their contact information. Subtly touch their pain points with your services as a solution. The more you get real, the more they trust your gym. So, offer valuable content that helps and hooks them.
For example, A simple customer story like, “Here’s how Ella lost her 25 lbs with our personal training program?“ is a good way to entice prospects with a real-time transformation.
3. Middle of the funnel: Desire
Once you have built a stronger connection with your prospects, it is time to directly offer and persuade them. If they are already engaging with your content, they’re likely to go for what you offer. But note that, to arouse their desire, personalization is important.
At this level, personalize the offer according to their needs because you don’t want to lose them with an offer that doesn’t trigger them. That’s why make them believe you know what they’re looking for. Give them a reason to choose you over others. Let them make a decision about an offer that is too good to turn down. Also, highlight your gym uniqueness; anything special like smoothie bars and shower baths.
4. Bottom of the funnel: Action
By this time, you have nurtured the leads enough. Now, it is time for action. Make the process smoother and simpler for leads to take clear action. Moreover, the good thing is you can create urgency and scarcity at this stage. Run limited-time offers, discounts, or special packages.
Ask your qualified leads to take clear action and sign up. Offer a value for money, such as, “Join this week and get 50% off your first month”.
If your leads accept the offer, make the processes after signup easier and simpler.
Final notes
Remember, the gym sales funnel doesn’t just end after signing up. You need to retain them by cherishing and incentivizing their small achievements, too. Also, you can plan your future sales funnel based on insights and tracking performance from your last sales funnel. Once you know the goal of the sales funnel, you can implement the strategy by making adjustments.
Also, if you struggle to find lead management software to turn qualified leads into paying customers, Wellyx helps you with it. Being a next-generation gym management software, Wellyx has a built-in lead management feature.
This means you can capture, nurture, and convert leads while managing them at a maximum of 10 stages. You can also categorize and specify leads. Also, it comes with communication tools like emails, SMS, and a built-in dialer, so you never miss out on anything.
Why not get a free demo of our gym lead management software?
