SEGMENT:
I have decided that I will interview small gym owners with at least 60 ongoing customers. My segment is based on revenue. If these small gyms have a steady revenue coming in then they have the vision to spend more to grow their business and they are more likely to want to grow their business. The people I interviewed are all Operations managers at different CrossFit gyms. The first is an operations manager and head coach in a gym out west. The second is a manager in Georgia and good friend of mine, and last is a local gym owner.
SUMMARIZED INTERVIEW INFO:
I was able to find out a lot of valuable information about these managers’ processes for getting new customers. Like most gyms they receive a huge influx of customers in the beginning of the year but then things start to die down toward the summer. All of these gyms were located close to universities and they came to the conclusion that they become most aware of their need as the summer approaches. Many people move due to graduation or leave due to summer vacations.
Most of them said that they are primarily in charge of dealing with new customers. Although 2 of them said their owners take care of the advertising they are the ones left with most of the selling. They all said that one of the first things they do if they are looking to get advice on advertising is they talk to their local CrossFit gyms that have had success or their friends that own local gyms, so it is a close community.
The purchase decision can be dragged out a couple months mainly because of needing to know from word of mouth if it has been successful and also because they are so busy they don’t have much time to devote to it.
My buddy in Georgia said their gym has tried various advertising campaigns and finally has found one that they are comfortable with but its been a lot of negative experiences before that one.
Conclusion:
All three friends asked very thorough questions about what would happen when they invested in a new advertising campaign. They said if their friends or fellow gym owners did not approve or did not know about it then most of the time they would move on. I have a feeling that is going to be a tough roadblock for me starting off because I will be new. The good thing is that because the decision process is not too long they would be able to see results pretty soon thereafter.
Hello Lucas,
ReplyDeleteI, like yourself, believe I will have a hard time starting off, due to being new to the market. I hope to start where I currently work. I would suggest that you start with your friends or the gym you currently attend. You could offer your friends a discounted or free to start package in return for a referral and to start a successful record to help attain new gyms. You could also trade your service to the gym you currently attend for a free membership. This will not cost the owner any out-of-pocket expense and you get to workout for the cost of your service. This will also help prove you service to new customers.
Tony Elam
Lukas,
ReplyDeleteHave you ever looked at how Planet Fitness does so well in the gym industry. I can't believe all it cost is $10 for the normal membership and for the black card it is only $20. This comes with things such as use of massage chairs, free training, and half off drinks. This is very hard to beat as I am paying $45 a month for just to use my gym. Could you bring something like this to the small gyms you are working for?
Hey Lucas,
ReplyDeleteI think the segment you chose to interview was perfect because it was specific and seems to have offered a far greater understanding of the individuals you could be working with. This information is definitely valuable, however, I believe it is important to keep in mind that these gyms seem to be from all of the place and there are local factors that could affect the service you are offering. These interviews help to generalize the business and how to go about many main parts of the business yet I believe there are a lot of ways of appealing to students locally that should be considered.
Roberto Dugand