fitSpot Guru

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

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