What We Cover In This Episode: 

• It’s here! A look at our new feature, Chat! [1:24]

• The importance of using clear and concise communication when chatting, plus tips on how to use the “Grandma Test” [3:14]

• Why you need to always be personal and empathetic in your responses [6:40]

• How including special nuances in your chat communication is key, since people these days expect an automated message, email, text message etc. [7:57]

• What to realize about being prompt with your responses and the access to you that people expect to receive [9:12]

• Some of the worst practices to use with Chat! [11:31]

• The line that you must walk between professionalism and being too casual with your clients [11:45]

• Why you’ll want to use chat with the voice and personality that you use in class [12:32]

• Our thoughts on sharing personal contact information [14:02]

• What to do when chatting beings to intrude on your personal life boundaries [17:49]

Quotes:

“We don’t want your clients to just register and come to class; we want them to hang out here and now they have even more reason if they are going to be chatting to people, both their friends and the studio staff.” [Nick, 2:09]  

“Each client is going to be a very unique person so tailoring your communication to their needs, goals and fitness levels is an important thing to do.” Megan [6:49]

“It’s a very interesting line you have to walk. Professionalism is key in any client relationship and interaction, but so is your friendliness and approachability. If you are too casual, you may come across as unprofessional, if you are too formal, you might be unapproachable.” [Megan, 11:52]

“It is important for you to respect your client’s privacy and keep the conversations focused on their goals and progress, and it is important for them to respect yours, and keep the conversations focused on why they are paying you for a service.” [Megan, 18:12]

LINKS:  

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree/support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

What We Cover In This Episode: 

• How to avoid the pitfalls and common mistakes a lot of studio owners make with the marketing techniques they use to get new members [2:04]

• The biggest problem the Studio Scale team is seeing on a macro level when it comes to studios using paid marketing [5:35]

• A look at the type of groundwork that needs to be done prior to setting up and launching your ads [11:45]

• Why you’ll need to focus on being organized with your marketing and automations in order to understand all the communication going out to your customers [15:16]

• Ways that fitness businesses can prioritize these marketing efforts for paid ads so that they can focus on segmentation and targeting [17:02]

• Why having your Meta ads click to a form is such a great way to capture email addresses and phone numbers with autofill [19:57]

Quotes: 

 “The biggest problem we see on sort of a macro level is a focus on lead generation before honing in on the sales process and the overall marketing piece. People then end up spending just a ton of money on bringing in new folks to the studio, and then they’re not converting.” [Jen, 5:35]

 “One of the big things in marketing and advertising is you only have a brief few seconds to really capture them. So making it as painless and easy as possible to sign up, to give you information and proceed to the next step, is really critical to getting and converting leads.” [Tim, 21:23]

“Usually with Facebook ads, you try to make it sound like they are getting something a little sexier than just your storefront intro offers; that is another reason why someone might give you their contact information.” [Jen, 24:14]

LINKS:  

Get $500 OFF any coaching programs from Studio Scale! 

Join Tim & Jen’s Facebook Group, Scale Your Studio 

Episode 165: Industry Tea with Partner Studio Scale - The Importance of an End-to-End Solution

Episode 163: Industry Tea with Partner Studio Scale - Overlooked Lead Generation Ideas

Episode 161: Industry Tea with Partner Studio Scale - All About Ads

LoopSpark & Zapier

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree/support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

What We Cover In This Episode:

• Why it’s important to realize that September often marks the return to “back to normal” for clients after the summer season [3:23]

• How to prepare for your clients to come back and restart with the need and desire to get back into a routine [4:04]

• Tips for leveraging what makes sense to you and your studio and to set up a consistency goal for your community [9:15]

• The reasons why promoting early, many weeks before September begins, is key [10:13]

• The ways in which the summer months are a great time to organize staff for upgraded certifications [12:47]

• Why you’ll want to be watching your studio’s demographic and to be mindful not to “box people out” [14:02]

• What your next steps should be to start preparing and scheduling for the holiday season that will follow [16:15]

• Our thoughts on building on and leveraging your partnerships now for the holiday season [17:34]

Quotes: 

“Now is the time, so September, October, and the couple of weeks leading up to Thanksgiving is the time to get my butt back in gear, back in shape and it is when you can push people.” [Nick, 8:21]

“Get them prepared, get them excited, and hit the ground running when September comes. The ideas start in June, preparation starts in July, the announcements start in August and then boom, we are there.” [Nick,12:28]

“Just remember,  no matter what time of year, it’s important to be prepared, to communicate with your clients, and to always know what your next step is.” [Megan, 19:47]

LINKS:  

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree/support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.fitdegree.com/partnerships

What We Cover In This Episode:

• What inspired Studio Scale to use and promote the “End-to-End Solution” [1:20]

• The elements you should be assessing to see if you’re on the right track and when to level up [6:20]

• Tools or software to use in order to get yourself heading in the right direction and specific strategies to then implement [11:40]

• Why some softwares are less than ideal and what to consider when choosing software to use [15:13]

• Systems to put in place to continue successfully evaluating your metrics [16:08]

• Why you’ll want to be completely honest with yourself about your areas of weakness and where you think you have room to improve [19:58]

• How approaching your marketing efforts with curiosity is key [20:58]

Quotes: 

“One of the biggest mistakes people make is they build out these campaigns and they are so happy they get them out there and then they never look back at the actual analytics.” [Tim, 18:32]

“You can’t jump in. You have to make sure that every section of your business is prepared to support your business plans, your advertising, and your client journey.” [Megan, 19:27]

“You can do this; this is all within your grasp. Building and scaling your studio, bringing in new clients, building your business, building a sustainable business where you can pay yourself a good salary, is all within your reach.” [Tim, 20:21]

“We are here to experiment and learn what works well and what still feels good to you as a studio owner and reflective of your studio's values.” [Jen, 21:33]

LINKS:  

Get $500 OFF any coaching programs from Studio Scale! 

Join Tim & Jen’s Facebook Group, Scale Your Studio 

Episode 163: Industry Tea with Partner Studio Scale - Overlooked Lead Generation Ideas

Episode 161: Industry Tea with Partner Studio Scale - All About Ads

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree/support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

What We Cover In This Episode:

• Reasons to consider offering a freeze option to your customers that travel in the summer [4:34]

• Ways you can give your clients a unique experience by offering vacation packages for them to take on the road and do anywhere [7:47]

• The importance of combating the heat and humidity in your studio by ensuring everyone stays comfortable and they aren’t being deterred by temperature, cleanliness and smell [10:11]

• How promoting healthy habits can assist clients in making healthy choices, to avoid overindulging, and ultimately stay on track with their workout programs during the summer [14:44]

• Tips for evaluating your patterns so that you can better prepare for next summer, if needed [20:50] 

Quotes: 

“Even if your studio is offering online classes, those people on vacations or away might not have the space or even the motivation to exercise during that break.” [Megan, 5:18] 

“What’s most important is the fitness studios need to acknowledge the potential for obstacles. These are just a few things, but in the summertime there are so many different factors.” [Megan, 19:34]

“I know we’re pretty much in summertime now, but start watching your patterns this summer. If you didn’t do any prep, watch what happens, take notes, and start thinking about next year, right now.” [Megan 21:09]

LINKS:  

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree/support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

What We Cover In This Episode:

• The opportunity that exists by following up on leads that are coming into your studio with a process or automation or special offer [4:00]

• How you can provide incentives to current members for referring their friends to your studio [6:27]

• Ways to use an on-going referral program with free guest passes [7:15]

• Why leveraging your current database is something that can’t be stressed enough [9:11]

• Using effective offers to reach out and convert inactive clients back into the studio [11:24]

• Tim and Jen’s thoughts on having a win-back campaign and the need to be sharing this information with your teachers [16:41]

Quotes: 

“Referrals are about the lowest cost, highest chance of conversion leads out there and so many studio owners that we work with don't take advantage of that.” [Jen, 5:16]

“What I think a lot of studios right now are missing is leveraging their current database. What I mean by that is you have all of these contacts you've made over the years, [people] that used to attend the studio, are currently attending, etc. There are so many different ways we can leverage that contact information.” [Tim, 9:52]

“Absolutely almost every studio's lowest hanging fruit is mining that database of folks.” [Jen, 12:59]

LINKS:  

Get $500 OFF any coaching programs from Studio Scale! 

Join Tim & Jen’s Facebook Group, Scale Your Studio 

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree/support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

What We Cover In This Episode:

• How clients will absolutely want to know if your teachers are certified and what experience they have [4:04]

• Why you should clearly advertise and display the types of modalities you offer in your space and at your front desk [7:16]

• Ways to present your clients with descriptions of your class schedule, difficulty level and expectations for the class [8:00]

• The importance of clearly showing your membership fee and what it includes [11:53]

• Tips for presenting your options as value versus cost [13:52]

• How you can advertise and show potential clients the culture and atmosphere that exists at your studio [18:19]

• The importance of having exploratory conversations with your members to create inclusivity for various medical needs of your guests [20:37]

• Why you can’t afford to underestimate the role that your website and social media will play in the impression you make with new prospects [21:58]

• Our final thoughts on leveraging ChatGPT in this process to get specific and to give you the counters to objections you may face from potential clients [24:03]  

Quotes:

“I expect to see certifications, I expect to know what’s going on. If I go into a food place, I expect to see their grading on the door; fitness businesses aren’t an exception. Everyone should be appropriately trained, and able to show proof of that training.” [Megan, 6:10]

“It is really important to have clarity in your schedule and in your offerings and make sure that you are presenting all the appropriate information to make a decision.” [Megan, 10:47]

“Let’s be real, a lot of people go straight to Instagram or whatever website or social media you have before they even step foot into your studio. What vibes are they picking up from your social media?  [Montse, 21:39]

LINKS:  

ChatGPT 

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree/support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q 

What We Cover In This Episode:

• Introducing Studio Scale, our partner powering this podcast for the month of June [0:35]

• The difference between Meta and Google audiences and best practices for best results on all corresponding platforms [5:26]

• What Google Local, a newer ad platform, is all about and how it can be used in your marketing efforts [9:37]

• What type of KPIs you should be tracking from Meta and Google [10:28]

• The importance of keeping your team members and instructors advised on what is going on in the studio, all while keeping it simple [20:51]

• How advertising and marketing is really just problem solving through testing [22:04]

• Why understanding that the studio’s market is unique, and a one-size-fits-all approach to marketing doesn’t work [23:36]

• The reasons why your ad campaigns should always be evolving [24:33]

Quotes: 

“When you're thinking about platforms, also think about what you were advertising, who the audience is, and what their intentionality is.” [Tim, 7:51]

“You may just not have enough folks searching for those particular terms for Google to even spend the amount of money you would need to bring in some sales.” [Jen, 9:27]  

“Facebook and Google help us make contact with people for us to build a relationship to sell these memberships, but we need to think about our marketing. We need to think about our in-studio experience, our follow-up, and how we are building this relationship.” [Tim, 16:41]

“Studios markets are unique, and I just think it's a red flag if you're talking to somebody that is helping you with marketing and lead generation, if they don't take a really customized approach and are willing to test things out and see what works and what doesn’t.” [Jen [24:18]

LINKS:  

Get $500 OFF any coaching programs from Studio Scale!

Join Tim & Jen’s Facebook Group, Scale Your Studio 

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree/support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q 

What We Cover In This Episode:

• ​​How putting a focus on fostering relationships within your gym can have lifelong impacts for you clients [2:52]

• The ways in which creating lobby areas in your gym provides opportunity for clients to build conversation [4:27]

• Our thoughts on building catalysts for conversation [6:17]

• How having a strong community of members will foster an increased sense of accountability for everyone [8:23]

• Why leveraging your community in multiple ways will lead to increased retention rates, always [13:56]

• The importance of just getting started in building that community in your studio [14:50]

Quotes: 

“So we’re really giving them the opportunity to have conversations, have pride in where they work out, and know that they’re walking into a group of peers or friends and not just a bunch of individuals who do the thing next to each other.” [Megan, 10:08]

“Events outside of just a fitness class can help promote those connections, in addition to your lobby space where those casual conversations are happening.  Once there’s an established rapport, it helps foster outside interests too and gives them opportunities to do things together.” [Ali, 12:33] 

“Once you build this community, you are becoming a home away from home and your fitness business is just going to see increased retention rates, because you have created that supportive environment where individuals feel comfortable and motivated.” [Megan, 14:09]

LINKS:  

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree/support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q 

What We Cover In This Episode:

• ​​Niki talks about her background experience that brought the “ask for the sale sequence” into her businesses [1:23]

• The importance of directly asking for the sale and why we are often so afraid to do this [3:43]

• Connect to Convert: Tips and techniques to effectively build rapport with potential clients before asking for the sale [6:29]

• Niki’s best tips for active listening, addressing customer objections paraphrasing, and connecting and neutralizing the objections, all without letting the conversation drift away [11:01]

• How to follow up on a sales conversation that didn’t close without seeming pushy or too persistent [15:23]

• A few common mistakes to be aware of when asking for the sale [18:28]

Quotes:

“That is what I want my clients to remember. If they want to convert a client, they have to connect first. You have to find common ground because your client will not buy if they don’t trust you, and they can’t trust you if they don’t know you.” [Niki, 7:06]

“A lot of our clients come in and they are feeling swamped, so here’s how we work around that. We set up sweat dates, we put their workout on their work calendar so it’s now an appointment that no one can book over, and we book their two classes in advance. Neutralize the objection and show how you are going to fix it, and then you close.” [Niki, 13:10]

“The name of the game in boutique fitness is that we are going to be hit with an objection, and they’re usually one of the same five. You’re going to get hit with an objection, and what are you going to do about it? The game starts with ‘no.’” [Niki, 14:36]

LINKS:  

Niki’s Website & Instagram

Her Studio Sales Solution (Enroll Now!)  

Get Niki’s Free PDF on How to Counter Objections to Close The Sale 

Episode 157: Industry Tea with Partner Niki Riga - Increase Membership Sales

Episode 155: Industry Tea with Partner Niki Riga - Boosting Event Marketing

Episode 153: Industry Tea with Partner Niki Riga - Guerilla Marketing and Alternatives to Digital Marketing

Episodes 97 and 135 with Niki 

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree/support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q