Everyone wants to grow his business, but most ideas can be overwhelming and time consuming, sitting in your head or on the desk for months. Well, you stumbled across something special today: four things that you can do right now, to grow your affiliate. Pry the hook grip off your barbell and get started.
1) Make Sure the Path to Your Door is a Path of Least Resistance.
Every affiliate owner has some version of a “How to Get Started” tab featured on their website. That’s a great start, but often woefully underutilized as a member building tool. More often than not the information is limited to something along the lines of, “Come see us Saturday at 10:00 a.m.,” or “Fill out these forms and give us a try.” Stepping into a CF box for the first time is intimidating enough for most people so your goal should be to eliminate barriers to entry. If you limit newcomers to one morning a week or force them into paperwork before they’ve walked through your doors, you are allowing potential clients to give up when they haven’t even started. And that can be detrimental to your bottom line. It should be as easy as show up and we will take care of the rest. The motto at the Ritz Carlton is “You eat, sleep and drink; we will take care of the rest.” Who does not want to partake in that?
Get on the backend of your website right now and provide specific, yet easy, directions on how people can get started with you. Give intimated first timers step-by-step directions they can follow as they browse your website while eating their “healthy” low fat yogurt.
Be sure to include:
- address of box with map and/or directions
- hours of operation
- new-to-the-box-check-us-out policy (don’t charge the firstimer)
- out-of-towners’ policy (determine your rate for visitors)
- contact information
Consider having a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that addresses common first-time jitters. Such as:
Q. I have never lifted weights; how do I know a box gym is for me?
A. A box gym is for everyone. All the workouts are designed for scalability.
Q. I haven’t worked out in a long time; do I have to get in shape first?
A. No! When you walk in the door, wherever you are on your fitness journey, that’s where you begin.
If all this information is available on your website and you are still receiving calls asking “How do I start box programs?” Then you are doing something wrong. It may be that the tab is not properly marked or buried somewhere. Or maybe you wrote the step-by-step directions five minutes after a PR on “Diane. “
People sometimes give me a hard time about introducing first-timers into a regular WOD. The argument I hear usually goes like this, “What if the workout is very technical? How do you let a new box goer take the class?” Take out your strength wraps and wipe off your tears. Remember scaling! You learned about it in the Level-One certification. Give the paying members priority; the new people realize they are getting a freebie, and they will understand. If you are worried about twenty new people crashing your six pm class all at once, remember that is a good problem to have.
2) Start a New Referral Program.
Programs at a box are not cheap. We all know the average monthly rate people are paying is close to $150. That is $1,800 a year. Step up to the plate and reward the member that just gave you a brand new smiling face ready to learn about handstands and deadlifts. Giving away a T-shirt is a start but the $12 you lost on that is nothing; (I know you sell them for $25, but let’s be serious: at cost they are $12). Try a gift certificate, a free month’s dues, or wow them with a dinner for two at their favorite local spot. Your paying members are the best form of free publicity there is. Give credit where credit is due. The days of free water bottles are over; your members are not paying $40 a month to be a wandering drone around fancy machines and florescent lights. Take care of the athletes who feed you.
3) Visit another affiliate.
Visit two if you can. Get a different perspective from the box you have been living in for the past two years. It is easy to become complacent and think that what you are doing is as good as it gets. I have news for you: the program did not start in your gym. Take a look at the facility, the layout, the colors on the wall, the placement of the equipment. See what happens as people walk in the door. Do they check in somewhere or is it free flowing? How does the trainer get everyone settled and into the wod? Even a fresh new perspective on a warm up would be well worth your visit.
There is one affiliate-owner gathering a year. In other professions people meet with their peers daily. If you do not know your neighbors now is the time to meet them. I know they are your competition, but your end goal is the same:spread fitness and grow a business.
4) Put out a Survey.
You know, those little things that most businesses do monthly with their customers. It can be done online (I like Survey Monkey), through email, google docs, or a suggestion box. The important thing is to give your clients a chance to voice their opinions, give constructive criticism and praise, and do it anonymously. They do not want to come up to their WODing idol and say “Hey, it really sucks when you talk on the phone during class.” Give people a chance to speak their minds. You will be amazed by the compliments, and the criticism is priceless. Equally important is to share the findings of your survey with your members. This shows people that you respect them for taking time to be honest; you’re aware that there are things to fix, and you intend to fix them. Fixing what your members feel is important is a vital part of growing your business.
Four different approaches to growing your business. Which one will you tackle today? Let me know in the comments below.
This blog post was kindly written for us by Geo Rockwell, former owner of CrossFit Mission Gorge in San Diego and founder of Fitrilla.com, where fitness entrepreneurs share their secrets to success. He has his CrossFit level one certification, CrossFit Endurance Certification, ACE Certification, and a Bachelors in Physical Education.