As the world becomes more aware of the importance of fitness in overall health, supply has rapidly increased to meet growing demand.

From traditional options like health clubs, YMCAs, and community centers to the massive market of specialized boutique studios and the at-home fitness boom, the fitness landscape is filling up fast. To stay competitive, an effective sales strategy is absolutely essential.

To keep your health club growing and thriving, you need to both gain and retain members. Not only do you want to increase the number of members frequenting your club through membership sales, but you also want to keep your current members engaged with membership options like personal training and specialty group fitness that will increase their auxiliary spend at your club.

In simple terms, your club sales fit into one of two categories: new prospect sales or existing member sales. To maximize effectiveness in both, your sales team should develop a distinct sales process and robust sales scripts for each. However, no matter which stage of the membership lifecycle journey your sales subjects are in, a few universal rules apply. When building a sales plan, the following dos and don’ts can help provide a firm foundation for a long-term sales strategy that will serve your club  for years to come.

One of the easiest ways to get ahead in the world of health club sales is to do your homework and lean into the legwork. Instead of jumping blindly into the market in search of your next member, take time to understand your members. Once you’ve created a target customer profile, your sales team can go forth with a better understanding of what type of prospect to look for and insight into what will motivate them to buy. Though it requires a little more work on the front end, taking the time to think through who makes a good fit for your club produces more efficiency and a higher chance of sales in the long run.

Another part of doing your research is studying your competition. If you don’t know what’s out there, it’s hard to beat it. Take time to see what other health club sales departments are doing to connect with prospects and existing members. What works? What doesn’t work? After careful observation, you can take your findings back and improve your own approach to sales.

One of the biggest draws of a health club is its diversity in offerings. Unlike basic fitness centers that cater primarily to physical health through exercise, health clubs offer a well-rounded, comprehensive approach to healthy living. From state-of-the-art equipment and robust fitness class offerings to massage therapy, swimming pools, sport courts, cafes, and dietician services, health clubs tackle all aspects of health and wellness to attract a wide audience.

When making a sale, it’s important to start by getting to know your customer. Ask them what they’re most interested in about your club. Learn about their existing workout routine and what goals they have for their health. After you have a clear picture of what they want out of a health club, customize your sales approach to spotlight the aspects of your club that best suit their needs. Customer service is a major pillar of sales, and the more personal you make your sales approach, the better service you’ll be able to provide.

It’s no secret that marketing and sales go hand in hand. A strong and more importantly connected marketing plan can take your sales from good to great. For example, if your marketing is planning a first-quarter campaign for a new group training offering, set an incentive for sales team members to make a certain number of group training sales.

Marketing tools are often also the best sales tools. Especially when attracting new prospects, a beautiful, easy-to-navigate website can go a long way in lead generation. To maximize the sales effectiveness of your club’s website, make sure your offerings are clear, your calls to action are plentiful, and your design represents the aesthetic inside your club.

Similarly, social media—through enticing organic posts, sponsored content, and paid ads—can be a great tool for stimulating sales.

In sales, there’s always room for improvement. In order to keep ahead of the stiff health club sales competition, constant improvement is key. As you try new sales strategies, take note of which are most successful, and which come up short.

Combine quantitative data (like how many new memberships you sold over a period of time) with qualitative data (new prospect feedback on their experience with your sales team) to get a full picture of your results.

Use your findings to draw conclusions about what works best and modify your processes for the future.

Despite the fact that health clubs consist of two major selling groups (current and potential members), many sales teams make the mistake of ignoring the first and spending all their time energy on the second. It’s important to remember that closing a membership sale is just the beginning, not the end of your sales opportunity with a customer.

As your new members get more involved with your club, their engagement can lead to new avenues for auxiliary spending. Maybe they’re interested in going a couple steps further with a personal training package or customized dietary plan.

Or maybe they’ve become such huge fans of your club that they want to share their passion with some branded merchandise from your club shop. Whatever their interest, prioritizing upselling to current members can be a fruitful way to increase overall revenue.

There’s no better endorsement for your club than a personal recommendation. You can taut your club’s accomplishments and offerings all you want, and even provide data and awards to back up your claims, but the fact remains: people are more likely to listen to someone they trust.

That’s where referrals come in. Implementing a referral program can be a huge asset your sales team. With a strong referral program, your sales team will always have a list of prequalified leads to engage in the sales process.

Meanwhile, you’ll build loyalty and engagement with your existing members.

If at first you don’t succeed, try again. It’s a common adage, but one that’s absolutely true of the sales process. Most prospects aren’t going to sign on for a membership after just one interaction with your club. It takes persistence and a tactful pursuit in order to close a sale.

The key to persistence in sales is to make sure you keep an emphasis on tact; once you cross into the realm of pestering or annoying your prospects, you greatly decrease your chance of making the sale.

Try varying the communication channels you use to connect with prospective members. Offer them a tour of your facility or a one-on-one meeting with an activity director or personal trainer. Send them an email with a downloadable meal plan or another valuable resource for healthy living.

Then, don’t be afraid to make the call and see how you can help them become part of your club community.

When it comes to health club sales, remember that the process should be both fluid and flexible, and you’ll need to invest in coaching your sales team. Every prospective or current member of your club is different, so modifying your approach to suit their unique preferences is a must. Start with these simple tips for maximizing your sales and then continuously refine your strategy.

A comprehensive club management solution can be a huge help in jumpstarting your sales processes. For example, with Club Automation Performance Analytics, you can gain insight into your club’s biggest sellers. Additionally, Club Automation offers digital marketing services and a member engagement assistant to support upselling and prospecting.

In the competitive world of health club sales, adaptation is essential to long-term success. See how Club Automation can take your club sales to the next level by scheduling a free demo today.