What We Cover In This Episode: 

• How to begin making plans and using strategies to really make an impact this summer at your studio [1:16]

• Tips for getting your members interested this summer by creating new experiences and  offering themed classes or series [4:45]

• Ways to use social media to create buzz about events this summer that can be shared and promoted on the fitDEGREE app [11:01]

• How accountability fosters engagement, community and connections in your studio [14:13]

• Our thoughts on creating camaraderie, community and accountability throughout the summer and then celebrating the accomplishments to aid your retention efforts in the summer [25:56]

• What you can do to create FOMO, and the role that selling studio merchandise can play in getting your members excited for the adventure [28:37]

• Why we strongly believe that it’s possible to “flip the script” on summer by bringing the energy and giving members a reason to stick around [31:04]

• How to start planning now for next summer by taking notice of what is happening around you, identifying resources and making partnerships [31:57]

Quotes: 

“I think when you create even a once a year event, you create the excitement around that event that can carry you through the slog of summer and then gets them back into the routine when fall hits.” [Nick, 7:13]

“Just get them out of the normal space, get them into a great mental place, get them in the sun, and if they don’t like the sun, you have ample opportunities to get them in the shade outside. Just get them out of their normal environment, but also make it friendly enough where it could be a lead generator.” [Megan, 8:26]

“Everything needs a catalyst, it’s not just going to happen out of thin air in every scenario, that you’re just going to see these communities and accountability buddies arising; sometimes you have to literally prescribe them.” [Megan,15:56] 

LINKS:  

Blog Post, ​​How To Increase Attendance And Retention In Your Gym This Summer

Six Foot Fit

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 Niki utilizes her educational-based background in conjunction with her practical experience [1:16]

• What the Assumptive Close Technique is and the ways you can begin using it to boost membership sales [3:02]

• Niki’s advice on creating a sense of urgency for the customer [4:29]

• Actual cues, phrases and reframing that you can use in your next sales conversation [8:59]

• What a consultative approach to selling looks like [12:15]

• Why you always to keep in mind that you can’t build rapport if your clients don’t know, like and trust you [12:47]

• Tips for developing and maintaining the confidence level to use these strategies when selling memberships  [15:10]

Quotes:

“Urgency is the most effective buyer psychology tool we have. Research shows that most people buy when there is a sense of urgency in some way, like we often do.” [Niki, 4:59]

“Step one is, no matter what you are doing, connect and notice how much easier it is to sell somebody something after they like, know and trust you.” [Niki, 14:54]

“If you don’t believe in what you are selling, or you don’t believe that they will buy, or that you can’t communicate effectively to encourage them to buy, they are not going to buy. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy.” [16:01]

LINKS:  

Niki’s Website & Instagram

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 

What We Cover In This Episode: 

• The importance of “staying in your lane” as a software provider [1:35]

• What to be aware of when it comes to security metrics and PCI compliances [8:12]

• The key factor to always consider when making a transition in software companies [8:36]

• Some common challenges studios are facing when it comes to decision making around software [10:19]

• Tips for ensuring a smooth transition process when transferring data from existing software to a new platform [15:27]

• Best practices in training your instructors and staff members on how to utilize a new software [23:38]

• ·Benefits that studios can expect once transferred and how to maximize these benefits once the change takes place [26:29]

Quotes:

“I always say you don't want an all-in-one software, you want one software to do one thing very well because there's going to be no such thing in this industry of an all-in-one software.” [Nick, 5:18]

“The reality is that most softwares has a similar user experience or I will just say level of useability, on both the client side and the admin side.” [Nick, 10:59]

“There should be a healthy amount of nerves when making a software transition. Just because fitDEGREE seems great because it's going to be solving your clients' experience and we have some really good community features that you're so excited to roll out to your clients, doesn't mean that you should not have a healthy amount of nerves making the transition; all of those benefits of fitDEGREE come after the transition.” [Nick [20:47]

LINKS:  

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 reveals why event marketing is such a crucial component of a studio’s marketing strategy [2:15]

• The two essential steps to successful event marketing [3:52]

• One of the biggest mistakes that Niki is seeing studios make at events [6:08]

• Top strategies to use for post-event engagement and lead conversion [8:57]

• Why effective follow-up is the most important part of event marketing [12:00]

• KPI’s to keep in mind when evaluating the success of your event marketing [14:43]

• A reminder how brand awareness is key to the success of your studio [20:00]

Quotes:

“One of the biggest mistakes I see my private clients make, or any studios make, is that they try to sell too much [at events]. You have maybe three minutes, and if you only have three minutes to connect, convert and sell something, that means you need a really low-ticket offer.” [Niki, 6:08]

“You have to stand out from all the other hundreds of tents that took those email addresses. So, my favorite way to do this is with a multi-email campaign over a week or two. Remember, if people unsubscribe it’s no big deal, they weren’t going to be clients anyways.” [Niki, 9:49] 

“You need to be out in the community, out in the event. Summer is coming and it’s a great time to be out there doing yoga in the park. Just get out of your four walls and make these connections and relationships within your community, because brand awareness is key.” [Niki, 20:00] 

LINKS:  

Niki’s Website & Instagram

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 

What We Cover In This Episode:

• A few ideas for how ChatGPT can help studio owners create resources [4:16]

• The ways which this technology helps us produce and release two episodes of this podcast every week [8:24]

• Why you should have no shame using a tool like ChatGPT in your business 10:16]

• An example of a text campaign that ChatGPT could create for a studio, and some of the adjustments we make on the fly to perfect it [10:59]

• Why we both feel that investing in ChatGPT will be the best $20 a month you ever spend [16:40]

Quotes: 

“I think the really nice thing too is it’s not like [ChatGPT] is doing your business for you, or it’s creating your podcast for you; you’re just asking for a launch pad.” [2:54] 

“It can be utilized to make some email campaigns for you, some text campaigns, job descriptions or really anything you can think of. If you want to make an in-person sales script you could probably even pop that into ChatGPT.” [Megan, 5:51] 

“Every question, every problem, every bandwidth issue you come up with, ask ‘is there an AI tool that can do this for us?'” [Nick, 8:58]

“Aren’t we all just reading the same books, watching the same YouTube videos and going to the schools where we have the options to learn similar pathways? There’s no shame in getting information from a source like this, at all.” [Megan, 10:16]

“Don’t work hard, work smart. Utilize resources like ChatGPT and get to where you need to be. We can just make small tweaks and go back and forth with ChatGPT until it’s almost perfect, and then you just step in and do the human element of the final touches.” [Megan, 15:56] 

LINKS:  

Episode 152: Chat GPT can help your business

ChatGPT

Michael Jay

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: 

• What guerilla marketing is and what it can do for studio owners and staff [4:25]

• How Niki got into guerilla marketing, plus some examples of how it can be done the right way [6:46]

• What you can do to reach your target clientele outside of your studio’s regular guests [15:03]

• The key performance indicators to watch to know if your guerilla marketing efforts are working [20:13] 

Quotes:

“How can I reach my ideal client in a new, cheaper, surprising and exciting way that doesn’t result in Nick’s idea of putting money in the Facebook machine and hopefully getting leads out, because frankly, it’s not happening right now.” [Niki, 4:52] 

“We did, almost exclusively, guerilla marketing. It wasn’t because I was ahead of the game, it was because I had no budget. I was trying to run this giant studio in a super competitive area, on literally a zero-dollar budget.” [Niki, 6:47] 

“You really need to identify your ideal client, your target client, for guerilla marketing to work. If you don’t have a strong grasp on who you’re trying to reach, which is likely your current favorite client, you’re not going to be able to communicate effectively.” [Niki, 15:46] 

“I think one of the downfalls for us is we became complacent with Facebook Ads, because it was working and I had resources; I lost the edge of resourcefulness.” [Nick 19:31] 

LINKS:  

Niki’s Website & Instagram

Episodes 97 and 135 with Niki 

How to Maximize Guerilla Marketing to Drive New Clients to Your Gym

How to Identify Your Boutique Gym’s Ideal Client

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:

• What ChatGPT is and who it can help right now [0:44]

• How we’ve been using this tool at fitDEGREE and the reasons why we decided to invest in this new technology [2:14]

• What ChatGPT costs and why you should look at going the paid route versus using the free plan [5:32]

• The ways in which it differs from just using Google searches [9:31]

• Real-time examples of ChatGPT in action [11:06]

• A sneak peek for next week as we continue the conversation about ChatGPT [21:04]

Quotes: 

“[ChatGPT] is for the busy business owner, the solopreneur and the busy team member. We all use it in different fashions when we can. It kind of just gets the busy work out of the way and lets you focus on how to make things great.” [Nick, 2:18] 

“It’s a lot easier to edit something than it is to start from scratch. It’s not going to do your job for you, but it’s going to get the ball rolling and then let you keep that momentum going.” [Nick, 4:02] 

“There’s not going to be a robot that owns a fitness studio with you, because part of owning a fitness studio is having a community and having that emotion involved, but a studio that uses AI effectively will put you out of business.” [8:50] 

“It makes it so much easier, because unlike Google where you have to have a great formula to the way you’re asking the question, ChatGPT is literally a conversation. It’s like you’re instant messaging a friend who is just a human encyclopedia, except it’s not human.” [Megan, 9:31] 

“What ChatGPT does is it takes the best information from the top sources and gives no one credit. People that have been working their whole life to be on page one of Google are mad, but it takes the best information on the Internet. It gives it to you plain and simple, and it’s amazing.” [Nick, 19:44] 

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: 

• More on the changes you are going to notice in the client-facing fitDEGREE app [2:37]

• Significant improvements to the notifications within the app [5:47]

• A few different ways that you’ll be able to start a chat with a client [8:16]

• All of the moderator options now available with chats and channels [15:29] 

• Actions steps to take now to prepare for these updates [20:19] 

Quotes: 

“If it was allowed or appropriate for the bottom navigation bars of apps to have 10 different buttons, I think we would do it, but it takes some reconfiguration to get chat in there.” [Nick, 2:38] 

“Just like when we build anything, we take a look at everything going on, like all the big platforms. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, we look at all of them.” [Nick, 8:17] 

“As someone who is actually utilizing fitDEGREE both as a fitDEGREE employee and as an employee at a studio, I love the idea of being able to set a status and to say ‘Hey, I answer my chats between these hours, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.’” [Megan, 11:03] 

“A positive consequence of building all this is that it wasn’t any additional work for admins to chat with each other. So you can have a team member group chat, and you can limit that to a couple of managers and have your leadership group chat. You can also have all the instructors there as maybe a place where they go to ask for a sub[stitute].” [Nick, 14:52]

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:

• Why completing a competitive analysis is so important in determining the course of your business [2:22]

• How your goal should be to play in your own space AND be the only and obvious answer for your ideal client profile [3:57]

• What to do now if you are offering a very similar solution to other studios in your community [4:50]

• Some ways to use competitive analysis to determine the right approach for marketing your business [6:45]

• Why you’ll want to keep your service offerings competitive [8:42]

• How to approach building out your target audience by looking at who is not being served [11:16]

• Why saturation is so scary when it comes to your location [13:11]

Quotes: 

“If you’re not interested in research and competitive analysis, being a business owner [or] manager might not be the path forward for you because this is going to become a part of your lifestyle.” [Megan, 3:38]

“It’s super important to zig when they zag in all of these areas that we’ve covered today. If you are going to be next to someone, you have to be different in almost every way possible so it is very obvious which one you should go to.” [Nick, 14:03]

“I think just taking the time to know your market, to know your competitors and to know how you can fit into the grand scheme of the community, is the most important way to find success.” [Megan, 16:35]

LINKS:  

Episode 146: How to Respectfully Research Local Competition

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 wearable technology has become the top trend of 2023 [1:44]

• Why strength training with free weights is our favorite trend this year [4:02]

• The way that Nick is incorporating bodyweight training into his programming, and the impact the pandemic had on this type of workout [6:28] 

• Our thoughts on fitness programs for seniors [8:14]  

• What to understand about functional fitness as a trend this year [10:01] 

• A trend that surprised us by being so high on the list for 2023 [10:26]

• What HIIT is all about [12:24]

• How weight loss still is a priority for many, despite a shift in focus to overall wellness [13:39]

• The evolution of employing certified fitness professionals in the gym [15:08] 

• What’s happening with personal training right now [18:02]

Quotes: 

“Everyone probably thinks they can lose 10 pounds of fat, like that’s what they need to do and that’s what they should do. I’m the opposite; everyone can do good by gaining 10 pounds of muscle.” [Nick, 4:20]

“I started programming pull-ups and push-ups back into my program again, because I was hurting myself. I turned 30, I kept lifting all these weights, and what’s the point if I can’t do 10 pull-ups and 30 push-ups at any given moment?” [Nick, 7:30] 

“Yes, we are elder-proof at this point, and I think it’s a huge market that’s also underserved.” [Nick, 9:04]

“Personal training is important and a lot of people still utilize it, but I feel like it’s getting lesser and lesser as we have more and more boutique [studios] in the space.” [Megan, 18:30] 

LINKS:  

Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2023 (ASCM’s Health & Fitness Journal) 

Issue No. 219: Rebundling the Gym (Fitt Insider)

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree/support 

[email protected]

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

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

https://www.instagram.com/whycoachingandconsulting/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

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