Calling online leads is easy with these Top 5 Tips

Posted on 23-06-2023

You've received an online lead, now what?

Time to make a call!

See, the Internet is obviously an ideal way to easily and quickly connect with your target audience, your potential members. But do you know how much emotion is involved when it comes to why people want to get in better shape (again)? Why they want to be fitter? And why it is you (and your team) who can best provide that?

It starts with: the power of yourself (and your potential team)

How so? Well, if you let the lead follow-up be 100% digital or done by an external call center, then the majority of your leads miss out on the personal connection. And it's precisely that connection that is crucial for the lead to feel "safe" with you. No one knows better what your business stands for. And calling a lead who has shown interest is actually not much different from making a personal connection like you do at a party. It's easier and quicker than you think, no complicated call scripts with tricks, but genuine interest in people. Here are our...

Our Top 5 Tips for following up on leads over the phone

Following up on leads and ultimately helping them become members starts with:

1 -  Understand what has been holding the leads back from getting fit so far and that they need your help now!

Filling out an online form for more information is a simple step. But do you know why that lead needs your help right now? Why haven't those leads been able to become fitter, leaner, and healthier on their own? We have asked that and more to tens of thousands of leads. The answers... are surprisingly simple. Based on their statements, the conclusion is straightforward: they need your help at every step from starting to sustaining. Whoever does that well is the king! Retention starts at the front door; knowing what motivates someone and responding to it. Even if it means hearing "no."

2 - If things go well, leads will book their appointments online, otherwise just give them a call

Maybe you didn't know it yet, but the internet is really handy; your leads can schedule their own appointment to visit your club or studio. But if that doesn't work out or if it's just a step too fast, you simply need to give them a call. You realize that in today's society with a short attention span, you need to act quickly to guide an interested person to the next step. But do you have time to wait by the phone all day for leads? No, you don't. That's why there's:

3 - LeadConnect; the exclusive 'virtual call center assistant' that calls you immediately when a lead needs your help!

That sounds convenient! And it is. You just need to pick up the phone when she calls. If you don't answer, she will call again within a few minutes. Just as you would expect when it's urgent. And it is, urgent. Nowadays, it's known that if you call your lead within 2 minutes, you have the best chance of reaching the lead and making an appointment. Let's say the phone rings while you're pouring yourself a cup of coffee. Do you answer? Yes! Let's say the phone rings while you're in the middle of a training session. Do you answer? That's up to you. Realize that it's someone who urgently needs your help. Your members are important, but there are always dropouts, so you always want to follow up and call leads as quickly as possible. Call for...

4 - An introductory appointment, not a tour and not a "come-and-have-fun-working-out" appointment

Your leads are interested but often have been dreading their first visit to a gym for a long time. That has been known for years. The familiar misconception among non-members is that fitness centers are filled with only fit and toned boys and girls, while the hesitant "I'm-too-out-of-shape" lead stands out. This lead needs your help now more than ever: firstly, to determine if they will even start exercising, and secondly, if they see themselves fitting in with you. In other words, you need to guide them and take steps together. That's why saying "bring your workout clothes and start right away" is often said to the wrong person. And they don't find a tour appointment interesting either. It's great that you're proud of your facility, but the leads mainly have doubts about whether you prioritize their needs. Their concern is about feeling comfortable. Only then will they become members.

5 - But what do you say on the phone... or maybe on WhatsApp?

Well, it's simple: you want to put the lead at ease and explain what will happen next. Something like, "Great that you're interested in our program. I can tell you everything about it, including our club/studio, but there's only one thing that matters. And that is whether you feel comfortable here in the club and are convinced that we can help you. That can't be done over the phone. That's why I would like to invite you for a personal introduction; just getting to know each other and seeing if we're a match. If not, no problem, no obligations. And if yes, then we can together determine which program suits your needs best. Can we schedule the appointment for today or would you prefer... " and so on, or something similar, in your own words. But don't explain the entire program and membership details. What the lead needs is simply someone who can help them take the next step. Literally and figuratively.

Conclusion: Making calls and scheduling introductions is not rocket science.

It's about realizing how the lead wants to be treated. And if your team isn't yet capable of doing that, luckily we have our call script (available as a PDF for all our regular clients) and your personal Client Success Manager who can give you precise tips and tricks for short and effective phone conversations.

Bonus! 

Let's say you receive 100 leads every month, which is great. It sounds busy! But it's just 3 phone calls per day! You don't need a "real" call center for that.

Just as you hear it from your leads and departing members, we hear it too: we're too busy. In this case, "too busy to answer all those phone calls." 100 leads per month is just slightly more than 3 calls per day on average. So being busy is not a valid reason. I understand it well; it seems like you should be selling over the phone. After reading this article, you'll know that "selling" over the phone is actually not the intention. On average, it's about 3 calls per day. A phone call to schedule an introductory appointment takes 1 to 4 minutes. That's just 10 minutes per day! 10! There will certainly be days without leads and days with triple the number of leads. Great! Isn't that exactly what you want? Then you spend 30 minutes, out of maybe the 15 hours your club is open per day, calling people who show interest in your program. 30 minutes spread across your opening hours is dedicated to the most important artery of your business, the main channel that continuously brings in new members.

What is the actual value (Lifetime Value) of a lead?

And do you happen to know the Lifetime Value of your members, i.e., how much revenue each member generates on average throughout their entire membership? Both directly (subscription) and indirectly (additional expenses, word-of-mouth advertising, etc.). This depends on your price level, but we have clients whose Lifetime Value per member is as high as €8,800. In that case, not answering a phone call and treating lead follow-up as an afterthought becomes very costly. It immediately makes you realize that simply answering the phone when the Virtual Call Center Assistant LeadConnect calls and inviting the lead for an introduction is what helps that lead (and yourself) the most.


Do you want to know more about how to reach your leads the best?

Enter your details and click on "Submit". We will contact you personally within 1 working day.

 

Share this item:

All

  • "Hidden Profits Marketing is the only company that delivered true lead to revenues"

    Benjamin Peker, Retro Fitness Brooklyn, New York

  • "December is usually a tough month but this time the member registrations just continue."

    Sanne Rooijmans, Crossfit 075 (the Netherlands)

  • "With the opening of Fitness35 in Galway, Hidden Profits Marketing generated way more leads than I've ever expected!"

    Joe Cosgrove, Fitness 35 in Galway (Ireland)

  • "For both my 30 EasyFit Premium clubs as well as most of our Milon Fitness Circuit clubs, this program delivers good numbers!"

    Raf Swerts, EasyFit Premium Clubs (chain Belgium)

  • "Month after month, a consistent number of leads!"

    Jason Westlake, Oxygen Yoga & Fitness in Chilliwack (Canada)

  • "In just 1.5 year time, my boutique fitness club is completely fully booked! Thank you Hidden Profits Marketing!"

    Erwin Korst, SX Sportsclub in Eindhoven (the Netherlands)

  • "My 2 Health clubs in London and in Horsham are generating more leads and clients then ever before! "

    Stuart Davis, My35 in Horsham & Life3 in London

  • "A true sustainable stream of leads, guaranteeing our month over month growth! All with your great care!"

    Klaus Heusel, Palestra Fitness in Eberbach (Germany)

  • "Amazing results! These guys just know how to generate hundreds and hundreds of leads on Facebook, Instagram, Google etc."

    Jesse-Bo Leenders, OosterGym in Amsterdam (the Netherlands)

  • "Stop the campaigns please! We are completely full!"

    Gert Bongers, GetFit35 Doetinchem (the Netherlands)

  • "We found an optimal process of generating and converting the leads "

    Daniel Buth, LifeCity Chain of Fitness Clubs (The Netherlands)

  • "I can be very clear: you guys at Hidden Profits Marketing can do with my studios marketing whatever you feel is right."

    Martin Kupfer, Fitnessstudio Zorneding in Zorneding (Germany)

  • "Both our sales appointment calendar and our studio are way fuller now!"

    Sebastian Ladner, Exercito Fitness Club, Wilhelmshaven (Germany)

  • "Within 21 days, we signed up 36 new long-term members for our Personal Training & Small Group Studio. All classes are ..."

    Roy Liefting, Liefting Fit Personal Training & Small Group (The Neth

  • "The best solution for club owners and managers, that do not have all this digital marketing knowledge and ..."

    Martijn van der Pijl, Slim Bezig Milon Micro Studio (The Netherlands

  • "We have been growing now for 55 months in a row! "

    Romano Morais, Healthy Fit Gym (The Netherlands)

  • "I tried some other marketing agencies, but returned here as a client. The number and the quality of the leads are great, so .."

    Frank Reijn, Aerofit in The Hague - Wassenaar (the Netherlands)

  • "Members-stop! A full studio within 9 months, partly thanks to Hidden Profits."

    Iris van Westering Stokkink, BodyTec Veenendaal (the Netherlands)
  • This is the biggest expense for gyms and health clubs

    This is the biggest expense for gyms and health clubs

    This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hidden Profts Marketing. That's why the articles in Body Life Magazine in 2024 will focus on ...

    Read more
  • Fitness trend: private gyms without staff

    Fitness trend: private gyms without staff

    Every year, new lists of fitness trends appear. There, every year you then see a small shift from, PT to functional training, from yoga t...

    Read more
Archive

To help you find the right information as good as we can, we use cookies on our website. This helps us (sometimes in cooperation with third parties) to monitor your internet behavior in order to increase the quality of your experience on our website. If you continue, we assume that you agree with this. View the cookie policy.