In my last post here, I talked about how to set up your January for tremendous success. I outlined some strategies to implement right now. Don’t worry if you don’t have all those things in motion, just schedule some time on your calendar tomorrow to get it done. If you do have the strategies in place, congratulations. Your next steps are outlined below.
1. Never Stop Promoting.
10 hours before my most successful Free Trials ever, no one was signed up – NO ONE! It was New Year’s Eve and I was at a party to celebrate the New Year. It should come as no big surprise that there was a lot of conversation about resolutions that were to start the next day, only a few hours away. I kept promoting until the very end – thankfully. Check the personal story at the end of this post for the details and results.
2. Plan to follow up throughout January.
It’s one thing to have people show up for a Free Trial, but can you keep them coming back? You know they are going to be sore and that soreness will remind them of things they don’t want to be reminded of. Hopefully your initial conversation with them planted the seeds of a longer-term relationship, including several return visits to your facility. Work with them and keep them coming back to your program. The more they return, the closer they are to making a quality decision to be part of your tribe.
3. Get on the phone.
Nothing compares to personal follow up and follow through. Nothing works better than a phone call. It’s personal and it sends a clear message about how much you care. Chances are very good that your prospect is sore and along with their soreness, they are not feeling as “resolved” as they were a few days earlier. Be there for them and let them know you understand. Let them know this is to be expected. Let them know that this will soon pass. Remind them (gently) that they made a quality decision and they are on the right track. Texting, messaging and emails are all great, but the opportunities for dynamic exchange of ideas is best served through a phone call. If they don’t take, or can’t take your call, they will still understand the depth of your caring when they hear your voice message.
*PS. Proof that this plan works.
Several years ago I had put all the things in place that I talked about in my recent post. I had a pretty good idea that no one was going to show up for the Free Trial, because no one was signed up. Undeterred, I kept promoting. I was at a New Year’s Eve Party and of course resolutions and fitness came up. I promoted the Free Trial that was just a few hours away now. People started talking and encouraging each other. Some of my clients at the party got into the promotion and offered to accompany the new prospects! I was very careful to be sensitive to the new people who were anxious to try my fitness program, but who were also intimidated by very enthusiastic stories they had heard from their friends. My goal for the evening was to be encouraging and understanding, and my clients at the party began to follow my lead. It seemed like everyone had agreed to attend the Free Trial, but there was alcohol involved (it was New Years!), and I had no idea if people would actually follow through.
The next morning, I watched a line of cars coming down the driveway ten minutes before the Free Trial was to start. This was the biggest turnout for a Free Trial I had ever had with over 20 people in attendance! We didn’t stop with just one free trial. I followed the steps I outlined in my last post, and engaged everyone in a series of events throughout the month of January. The impact over the next 12 months was well over $10,000 and the lifetime value of these new clients was a multiple of that. The best part is that every one of those prospects is still involved in fitness programs and everyone remembers the party, the conversations, and the fun they all had at the Free Trial. Those New Year’s Resolutions stuck!!
Summary: They key is to have a variety of activities planned, promote all of those activities in as many channels as possible and never, never, never give up. This is the best time of the year to increase your profitability for the coming year! Good Luck!
