FBC


UPFRONT» Sales


Be a Professional and Follow Up


Work the sales process to close more sales BY PAULA COMFORT


D


o you know how much time and money companies spend gener- ating new leads? A lot!


Yet so many membership advisors


don’t even bother following up with the leads they already have. Here are some best practices that


every club should incorporate into its operational guidelines and sales processes.


Use technology to track leads and follow up. 1. Sales managers–inspect what


you expect. 2. Create a reason to follow up


with your prospect from your initial meeting. 3. Send prospects a thank-you for


coming into your club, or send a it- was-terrific-meeting-you note after their initial tour. 4. Set a specific time or day to


16 Fitness Business Canada November/December 2016


follow up—24-48 hours after initial contact is best. 5. Get creative. Send educational


information, fitness tips or a current news article. Perhaps a description and photo of the group exercise class that appealed to them the most. 6. Customize and make it personal.


Be careful not to automate too much; make them feel like they were your only tour that week. 7. Select the appropriate means of


communication. Baby boomers might prefer a phone call or email, Gen X an email or text, and Gen Y a text, Twitter or Snapchat. 8. Keep it professional. Perhaps, ask


your prospects how they like to receive communication. 9. Remember that your ultimate


goal is to get a response and to close them. Ideally a combination of com- munications methods is used. Most memberships are sold after multiple communication efforts.


SALES STATISTICS


• 48% of salespeople never follow up with a prospect


• 25% of salespeople make a second contact and stop


• 12% of salespeople only make 3 contacts and stop


• Only 10% of salespeople make more than 3 contacts


• 2% of sale are made on the first contact


• 3% of sales are made on the second contact


• 5% of sales are made on the third contact


• 10% of sales are made on the fourth contact


• 80% of sales are made on the fiſth to twelſth contact


Source: National Sales Executive Association


Paula Comfort has 20+ years of experience in the fitness in- dustry. Most recently she was managing director of Fitness for Spa Chakra Inc., a luxury spa and health club company where she started the division.


Previous roles include area vice-president of The Sports Clubs of Canada/Bally Total Fitness. She is currently a partner in her own consult- ing company, 360 Impact Group. Contact her at paula@360impactgroup.com or 416-565-6025.


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