“New year, new me.”
For many of us, the new year is a fresh start. In fact, over 50% of people commit to a New Year’s resolution.
One of the most common resolutions is to improve physical fitness, as many people make a commitment to join a gym, exercise more, lose weight, or improve endurance.
That’s great news for sports and fitness businesses, who tend to see spikes in new members in the new year.
But, a couple months go by, and those resolutions begin to fade.
How can you continue to showcase the value of your offerings in a way that continues to attract new clients?
Here are 3 introductory offers you can implement to help grow your clientele and your business.
But first, let’s dive into the basics of strong gym intro offers.
A gym intro offer is a one-time offer for new clients. Typically, these are in the form of discounted prices or added perks, and are used to get new clients both in the door and coming back.
New client promos can come in a variety of formats. For example, a discount on a class package will encourage a new prospect to try the class as well as return to use up all of the sessions. Meanwhile, a discounted facility access membership will encourage new members to test out various areas within your facility.
Regardless of the structure of the offer, new client promos help give prospects a nudge to see how your business will fit into their routine.
In addition to sealing the deal for new clients to take the plunge, facility intro offers have also been known to help improve client retention by encouraging repeat business.
Have you ever had so many options you didn’t know where to begin? That’s called the paradox of choice. This theory suggests that as the number of choices increases, it becomes more difficult to make a decision.
One popular gym intro offer is discounted lessons packages. Through this type of introductory offer, new clients are able to select from specific lessons or event types. This helps prospective clients narrow down their choices, eliminating the daunting barrier of determining where to start.
Another benefit of a discounted lessons package is that it encourages repeat business. How? Let’s say you give new clients a 5-pack of lessons for the price of 4. Now, as long as you keep those clients engaged, a new client will schedule and attend 5 lessons. By this point, they are able to see the value of your training. Plus, they are becoming engaged with your staff and are more likely to purchase an additional lessons package at full price.
Another popular new client promo is to offer additional value to your training sessions for first time clients. By including a benchmark assessment in the first session, you are able to walk through a series of drills or exercises that help you identify any deficiencies or roadblocks to achieving that client’s goals. Then, you’re able to share how you will be able to help them strengthen their weaknesses and improve their performance.
For example, if a young basketball player signs up for private lessons with your business, you can spend a period of the first session conducting an initial evaluation. She tells you her goal is to make the varsity team next season. During the evaluation, you notice that she has room to improve her ball handling skills. Now, you know what to focus on in her upcoming sessions, so that she can become a contributing offensive player. Likewise, she knows that you have her best interest and goals in mind.
Similar to a training session value-add, offering a complimentary consultation is another popular new client promo. This type of facility intro offer provides a “no strings attached” approach. This encourages athletes to come in to see what your business is all about before signing on the dotted line.
While you may be apprehensive about providing value without a true commitment, a consultation will help you personalize a client’s experience. And, it will help you showcase the value of what you can provide through your offerings.
Through a free consultation, you are able to sit down with prospective clients to talk through their goals. Then, you are able to set a benchmark and plan to achieve them. As a result, you’re able to determine which of your offerings will be most impactful. Following the consultation, you can encourage them to purchase the offering that’s the best fit for them.
One example of this could be a young baseball player that is new to the area. He would like to find a “home base” to train at, but is unsure which training facility will be the best fit. When he comes in for a free consultation, he sits down with you to discuss his goals. After seeing the value that you could provide to him, he decides to sign up for pitching lessons with one of your coaches.
Not to mention, beginning to build that positive rapport with your clients is a strong client retention strategy.
Related: How to turn clients into brand advocates
A strong gym intro offer will help give you a competitive edge to drive new clients to your business. Running new client promos will help you market the value of your brand to attract more clients and grow your bottom line.
See why studios, gyms, and academies trust Upper Hand to grow their business. Schedule a demo today.
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Last week, Upper Hand AI had the pleasure of attending the 2024 US Indoor Conference. Upper Hand’s CEO, Kevin MacCauley, hosted a roundtable to speak