the scene [fit biz]
results driven
By kareem mayan
The Three-Step Way To Grow Your Box
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et me paint a picture for you. You spend your days doing what you love: helping athletes reach new fitness heights, smashing Fran times and obliterating 1RMs as they go, while a steady stream of new customers walk through your doors. Well it’s possible, and I’m going to tell you how–not based on any magic, but on the cold hard data we all love. We surveyed 200 CrossFitters from five continents about what they care about in a box, and the results told a surprising tale about the simple way to grow your box while doing what you love.
Why Referrals Are Awesome First, a quick primer on why referrals are the best way to grow your business. There are many ways to grow your business that involve you spending money. But the most reliable and inexpensive way to grow is via word of mouth. One of your happy customers tells a friend about how great your service is, and that friend signs up. Your cost of acquiring that customer 2. HELP ATHLETES REACH THEIR GOALS is zero, and every new customer you add Community is important, but what are your becomes a walkin’ talkin’ advocate of your People bond quickly during shared members really paying for? business. traumatic experiences; grinding So, driving word of mouth (or WOM) Results. business is the holy grail, right? Let’s see through WODs like Murph gives And not coincidentally, “Getting Results” what 200+ CrossFitters tell us about what is the #1 reason respondents kept coming your members a reason to start they want, so you can get what you want back for more pain and suffering. talking and become friends. (WOM referrals). Now, compliments on your stacked The Survey We asked 200+ CrossFitters from more than 30 boxes the following questions: • Why they started CrossFit • Why they picked the box they did • What they love most about their box • What they’d change • What keeps them coming back for more There are lots of good tactical tips in the free report on the survey we produced, but here’s the high-level RX for you on how to grow your gym: 1. Create a great community 2. Help your athletes reach their health and fitness goals 3. Encourage your happy athletes to refer new members Let’s dive into each point and see why this formula will help your box grow.
1. Create community The top answer by far to “What’s your favourite thing about your box?” was “The Community.” This response pretty much sums up what most folks said about their box: “It’s so much fun. You can come in and get your ass kicked and then hang out and chat with everyone for the next hour, and then later go out with everyone.” Community was also the #2 reason people kept coming back to their gym (I’ll share the top reason shortly). People bond quickly during shared traumatic experiences; grinding through WODs like Murph gives your members a reason to start talking and become friends. Seeing, competing with, and cheering on your friends during hellacious WODs brings members back to the gym day after day. You can see why a strong community is a pillar upon which to build your box.
glutes, six pack, and newly-ripped arms are awesome. So are the healthier choices about diet, sleep, and alcohol that many people make after starting CrossFit. But there’s joy in accomplishing something you never thought you were capable of. I have a theory that, as adults, we don’t push ourselves as often as we did as kids. It’s rare we get out of our comfort zone. This is why CrossFit is so addictive: when we rip a 400-pound deadlift for the first time, hit a first muscle-up to cheers from 20 friends, or finally nail a kipping pull-up, your brain releases endorphins, which gives you that euphoric high. Endorphins use the same receptors in the brain that opiates like heroin and morphine use, which means accomplishing fitness goals feels damn good. And that means that helping your athletes achieve their goals will keep them coming back to your gym for their next hit. Interestingly, according to HowStuffWorks.com, the greatest release of endorphins comes from “heavy weightlifting or intense aerobic activity
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