Corporate Wellness Fitness Program For Gym Owners: Making That First Critical Exploratory Call
Thursday, November 16, 2023
READ TIME: 4-MINUTES
Corporate Wellness Fitness Program For Gym Owners: Making That First Critical Exploratory Call
JOHN FAIRBANKS
Picture this: a well-respected local company (maybe a factory, bank, plant, whatever) has reached out to your gym. They want to know what wellness or corporate programs you can whip up for their employees. The call's from their HR department.
You're not sure if you're the only game in town they've called, but one thing's for damn sure:
you can't say no.
What you do next, how fast you get back to them, and what your proposal looks like—all of it matters big time. No room for screw-ups here.
The fact is, if they have reached out to other spots in your town, there’s another gym owner that won’t read her email for another week, and there’s another gym owner that has already reached back out to her.
This ain't just about money; it's about reputation and growth.
This rest of this article lays out EXACTLY how to nail that next conversation. Buckle up, and let's dive in.
1. Get In Touch ASAP
You need to reply to this contact ASAP. If they called, call back. If they don’t pick up, leave a message. If they called and didn’t pick up and you’ve left a message, find their email on the company website and follow up via email. If they left an email, respond. Speed kills and you’re gonna hit them from all angles. The purpose for the follow up email is to secure a date and time for a fact-finding/exploratory conversation to get a better understanding of exactly what they are looking for and what you can put together for them.
In-person is best.
Video conference call is better.
Phone call is good.
^ in that order.
Provide them 3 days and times that you can be available to meet them in-person. Let them tell you they can just do a phone call.
2. Pre-Call Prep: No Distractions
If you’re on a video conference call or phone call, then you need to prep accordingly. Find a quiet place, have pen, paper, computer in-hand.. Be prepared, no messin' around. Take 5-10 minutes to get to know who they are, what their company is like and might need, and be ready to rock. More than likely this is a gatekeeper and not a decision maker. You MUST win over the gatekeeper because they will hold sway with the decision maker and you want them in your court when it comes to decision time.
3. Open with Confidence
Introduce yourself like you mean it. No limp dick, half assed, “I just woke up”, I have to speak quietly and calmly because my baby is sleeping in the next room or I’m in a busy coffeehouse. You need to show some fire, energy and excitement right out the gate; be in a position and location to let them know you're as serious as they are.
BE MEMORABLE.
4. Key Questions
Ask open-ended questions to gather information about their goals for the wellness program.
Use the same strategy that Tyler Stone and I talk so much about when it comes to how you interact with a lead or potential member during your sales process.
Keep small talk to a minimum. Get them to start “empyting their purse”
A great kick-off question can be, “Before we get started, how did you find us?” or “What has caused you all to reach out to us to talk about getting something put together for you?”.
Once that’s over, get to the questions you need answers to.
Examples of questions:
- What are you hoping to achieve with this program?
- Have you tried anything like this in the past?
- How many employees do you all want to participate?
5. Be All Ears
Listen like your business depends on it (it just might). Hear their needs and jot down the details. Be an active listener the entire time. If you have taken care of points 2 and 3 in this list, you’ll be in a great position to dominate.
6. Ask More, Know More
If you hear something that peaks your interest or requires to dig deeper, dig. This is where I like Why³ (Why To The 3rd Power) – don’t just take whatever they say at face-value, as why. Then ask why, again.
This is where the meat is and this info is gold; treat it like it.
7. Summarize, Share, and Care
Whenever it is applicable, repeat what you've heard and let them know you're on board and fired up. Keep the energy high. Let them know you've been down this road. Share some wins and paint the picture of what success looks like.
Constantly reinforcing that they are in good hands.
8. End It Like a Pro
Thank them for the meeting, outline next steps, and leave them with no doubt that they picked the right person.
9. After Meeting
The race is on. This is where you show you are not just hot air and a nice smile. Get to work on that proposal. Your personal goal is to have a clean, simple, and professional looking proposal in their inbox in 24hrs or less.
That’s it
You've got the call, you've got the playbook, now go make it happen. From prep to follow-through, it's all here. This is your chance to take your gym to a whole new level. This opportunity can be a serious game-changer. Don't let it slip through your fingers. Follow these steps, and you're on the road to a successful partnership.
- John
P.S. Tired of not being able to elevate your standards and your business is ready for a kick in the ass to get moving in the right direction? Hop on a FREE 30-min call and let’s workshop what’s next for your business together. No sales pitch. Genuine help. → https://workshops.gymownersrevolution.com/
