How do you create an atmosphere where you'll be able to find out your prospective members' emotional reason for joining and subsequently enrolling them as a new member? You can't arouse their emotional desire to join until you first have rapport with them by establishing trust and confidence. Rapport is simply a feeling of commonality between two people.

In the sales arena, 75 percent of first-time buyers bought because they thought the salesperson was honest. In other words, they had confidence in the person they were buying from. This holds true for health clubs in particular, because they intimidate 50 percent of people who visit them. Many people have had negative past experiences with health clubs. They don't know how to use the equipment and they're embarrassed because they don't look as good as the people they see in most health clubs.

Your prospective members may not verbalize these fears and concerns, but be aware that they do exist in their minds. The salesperson's mindset should be, “I'm going to make a friend.” Remember, people buy from friends, not salespeople.

SHOW INTEREST

The first step to establish the necessary friendship is to take a sincere interest in your prospective members by showing interest in their needs and wants. You must truly care about them in order to get them through the fears and obstacles that have prevented them from previously joining a health club.

A sincere interest in other people will far outweigh the slick closing techniques you may use when it comes to enrolling new members. The master skill in selling fitness is to be able to convert your prospective members' health and fitness goals into emotional reasons to join your club. The best way to get your prospective members to reveal their emotional reasons is to take a sincere interest in them. Give them your undivided attention by gently probing with skillfully asked questions and listening attentively to the answers. Really listen to what they are saying. Empathize with them. Try to understand how they feel about wanting to join your club. Your prospective members will open up to you, and when they do, you will discover their real reason for joining: the “why” that will make the sale possible.

CLOSE THE DEAL

When the focus is genuinely on the needs and wants of your prospective members, they will sense that you have their best interest at heart. They want you to show them how your club is going to satisfy their emotional reason for joining. The reason people put off joining a club is because nobody has ever shown them how joining a health club will satisfy their emotional desire to enjoy the benefits a health club can offer. You must massage their psyche with reassuring comments that you and your club will be able to help them accomplish their fitness objectives without having to go through periods of discomfort, embarrassment and humiliation.

Jim Collins provides a proven sales system for health clubs that is made up of 22 special reports. His sales system is available at www.healthclubtraining.com. He can be reached at 561-741-7676.

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