How did a handful of brief client meetings lead me to 7 returning nutrition clients and $2000 in additional revenue? It sounds too good to be true, but with the right meeting process, you can do the same.
Every person who starts at Sycamore CrossFit is interviewed to see if they are a good fit and to learn about what motivates them. During this process, we learn about who they are, their history with nutrition and fitness, why they are seeking out our help, and their overall goal. As we take in the information, we also ask questions about how important the goal is to them, how much emotional attachment they have to the goal, and figure out what is going to keep them motivated over the long term. Finally, we deliver a prescription of nutrition and exercise as either one-on-one or group classes. Finally, we talk about the next steps it will take to reach their goal both inside of the gym and out.
For the next 2-3 months, we deliver on the promise we talked about during this initial meeting to help them reach their goals. If they are following the suggestions of consistently working on their nutrition, showing up 3-5 days per week to exercise, and following our instructions, we always see results. However, not everyone is able to commit to these changes, and while they started with the best intentions, something happened to cause them to drift.
We all have these types of clients. Now ask yourself, how often are we checking in with clients and bringing their attention back to their goals?
At Sycamore CrossFit, we have a goal of meeting with or communicating with every client for 15-30 minutes to review their goals every 90 days. We call these meetings athlete check-ins, and as the owner of the gym, I do them because we have determined higher attendance rates occur when they are done this way. Our overall mission with these appointments is to continue to build relationships with our clients and deliver on helping them reach their goals.
During the athlete check-in, we go over what they are proud of. We prompt them to talk about anything gym or not gym related. Most of the time they bring up things that are gym-related, and it is a testament to why the gym is important to them because the majority of their fun, fulfilling, and rewarding moments in their lives are at the gym. We can also learn about their non-gym-related accomplishments to celebrate with them and continue to build a deeper relationship with each of them. The next step of this meeting is to learn more about what they want to accomplish.
What is your next goal or check mark on your fitness bucket list?
Learning about their next accomplishment sets us up to offer again to help them. In the past month, we have done 12 athlete check-ins. As a result, we had 7 people return to our nutrition program, and we have built a plan to offer a gymnastics program before the open, a double-under clinic, and several skill sessions. Offering a free athlete check-in in December has resulted in a future return of $2000 from nutrition above what we are currently doing monthly.
Finally, we ask everyone what their original goal was when they started and if it has changed since. This brings their attention back to why they started, are we still supporting their goal, are they straying from their goal by trying to do something that is counterproductive to their overall goal. After we have collected all of the information, we make our recommendation on what they should do moving forward. For some people, it is to just be more consistent in the gym. We talk others through how to make a change in their life outside of the gym. Finally, we might recommend they take advantage of another service we offer to help them reach their goals; sometimes they want it faster than joining a normal group class, and we can offer personal training skill sessions.
I go into every meeting with the intent of learning more about the person and seeing how we can continue to help them. I want to continue to build lasting relationships with every member and I look forward to learning about what they are excited about.
Do you discuss nutrition during goal-setting or athlete check-ins? Can you see how this 15-30 minute meeting is a powerful tool to create a longer relationship with your members and redirect their attention to your nutrition services?
Carl Balentyne
HSN Mentor
HSN Mentoring- Grow Your Nutrition Business
www.growyournutritionbusiness.com
