I'm sure this has been asked many times here before and there was a very good thread on this topic a while back, I just can't seem to find it anywhere. If anyone could find the link, I'd really appreciate it.
I've been teaching for a while now and I find that I enjoy teaching and training very much. More often than not, I find it easy to retain students and make them enjoy training. However, I've never been tasked with the job of bringing in new students. I feel like besides word of mouth, flyers, and social media, theres not that many avenues to get new students through your door. I'm quite inexperienced with this and want to hear what you have experienced the most success with on getting new students. Were there any practices/methods you guys started doing that got you a good amount of new students through your doors? whether it be brand new students who've never trained, or higher belts that have just moved to your state, or someone just unhappy with their current school and left to yours. WHat did you do different/unique that got those members to sign up at your gym?
Referrals are huge at our gym.
prophit - Referrals are huge at our gym.
what kind of incentives do you give to your students that refer others? a percentage off their monthly gym fees?
Rhymenoceros - From the perspective of the business owner, you think you're asking someone to market your business for free.
From the perspective of the student, they feel like you’re entrusting them with some part of what you have built, and that makes them feel good. It makes them feel like a bigger part of the club than just someone paying monthly dues and showing up a few times per week.
good viewpoint. I almost feel like I’m asking for handouts eveyr time I think of asking my students to do a favor for me like that
^^^ THis x 100.
I did give out gifts as thank yous for referrals, but honestly nobody is motivated by that. They're motivated by the relationship and the quality of the gym experiences. As Rhymenoceros said, ask for it, based on the relationship, rather than making it about the incentives.
We do the opposite. Everyone who refers someone gets a free month of service. The LTV of a member can be quite large. Giving a free month incentivizes people to look throughout their entire network, rather than just help the family grow.
Use ads on Facebook/Instagram/Google. You have to pay to advertise. Don't be cheap guy on facebook begging people to share your post. It's embarassing